Biosecurity Measures to Consider for the Safety of Livestock at OYE

As final preparations are made to bring your show animals to the Oklahoma Youth Expo, Dr. Rod Hall, State Veterinarian, offers some things to take into consideration:

Gilts and heifers begin moving into the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Tuesday for the Oklahoma Youth Expo.  This is the culmination of months of searching for the “right” show animal, feeding, walking, fitting, and all the things that go into a successful exhibition season.

At this time it may be tempting for exhibitors, parents, advisors, and veterinarians to relax the standards of biosecurity since this is the show everyone has been pointing to.  Please remember that livestock that are sick or have been sick in the past week should not be taken to places where they can expose other livestock. 

I know it’s heartbreaking for a young person to be told they can’t show an animal they’ve worked very hard to take to OYE, but we all have to work together to ensure the health and safety of animals and exhibitors to make sure we continue to have the ability to enjoy this event.

So please, if you are aware of animals that might start a cascade of sick animals encourage the owners of that animal to not take it to OYE.  In a 10 day show like OYE, a few gilts with PED that enter Tuesday could result in enough virus to cause a large number of sick pigs by the time barrows come in the following week, and could potentially cause the show to be canceled.  We don’t want that to happen, so please be vigilant and encourage owners of sick animals to leave them at home.

Our coverage of the 2023 Oklahoma Youth Expo is sponsored by Hilliary Communications- who deliver the latest cutting-edge communications services supporting tens of thousands of customers across 22 counties throughout Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa. The company offers internet, voice and HilliaryTV. Hilliary Communications continuously researches the marketplace for innovations and strives to improve underserved areas, offering services that exceed customer expectations. Click here to learn more about Hilliary Communications.

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