"A swarm of kids peered into the pen of a huge sow nursing a row of piglets. They watched a teenager milk her goat, then petted a sheep named Taylor Swift. The usual refrain of oinks and bleats tumbled through the livestock stalls at the Santa Cruz County Fair in September. But over in the poultry barn, not a cluck to be heard."
"Perez was one of three competitors in the youngest age group of the annual chicken showmanship contest, the local Super Bowl for 4-H kids, where they get to show off their animal husbandry skills. But instead of glossing their chickens' beaks and prodding them to stand up straight, the kids lined up on the stage in front of the judge, each holding a stuffed toy chicken."
Fall bird migration in California peaks from September through November and coincided with a newly observed wave of avian influenza. Scientists detected outbreaks at commercial farms, including two in Sonoma County, after major infections in dairy herds in August 2024. State officials implemented mitigation measures and banned live chicken shows starting January 2025 to limit spread among poultry. More than 182 million birds have died in the U.S. since 2022. County fairs felt the impact as 4-H competitors were ordered to leave live chickens at home, substituting stuffed birds in contests.
Read at Kqed
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