These resources are brought to you by the Cooperative Extension System and your Local Institution

Agricultural Disaster Preparedness Home

Have a question? Try asking one of our Experts

Can I take my 4-H project birds to Achievement Days or the state fair? I am worried that they may catch a disease such as bird flu there.

Last Updated: December 14, 2009

View as web page


You should bring only healthy birds to the fair because they are less likely to harbor disease. In fairs and exhibitions, birds’ contact with droppings or body fluids from other birds is limited because each bird is in its own cage. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 or bird flu is presently not in the U.S., so take your project to the fair and have a great time! However, there is no guarantee that all birds that are exhibited at fairs are free from any disease, so always practice good biosecurity by thoroughly cleaning the cage and equipment used at the fair or Achievement Day. When you take your birds home, keep them in a location separate from the rest of your flock for two weeks. This prevents the spread of disease to your flock in case the exhibited birds caught something at the fair. Visit the USDA website for more additional resources and information.

Browse related Faqs by tag: disasters, poultry, prevention, 4h, avianinfluenza, birdflu, statefair


Have a specific question? Try asking one of our Experts

Unlike most other resources on the web, we have experts from Universities around the country ready to answer your questions.