Green Country Farmers Prepare For Potential Bird Flu Infections

The bird flu has killed millions of chickens in the country and infected chickens as close as Missouri and Kansas.

There are no cases so far in Oklahoma, but Green Country farmers are making sure they're protected, just in case. With birds getting sick all over the country, local farmers want people to know they can fill the need right here in Oklahoma.

"It's affecting the bigger Tyson kind of producers," said Jake Miller. "They're all in a big barn where they're close-knit."

Jake Miller with Outwest Farms in Cleveland delivers meat and chicken all over the state. He said the chickens they sell are raised in open pastures which makes diseases harder to spread.

"He has a coop he moves every day keeps them on fresh grass, non-GMO feed," said Miller. 

Millions of chickens in the United States have died from avian influenza in the past.

"Missouri and Kansas have identified flocks as our neighbors have it, that heightens concerns," said Dr. Rosslyn Biggs.

Dr. Rosslyn Biggs is an OSU Agriculture Extension specialist and said Oklahoma hasn't seen any outbreaks. She said wild birds like geese have been spreading it and the concern is it could lead to chicken and egg shortages at the grocery store, which is what happened in 2015 during a massive bird flu outbreak.

"Are we going to see those impacts at the grocery store? There's the potential for that," she said.

Miller said he hopes people will turn to local farmers for their chicken and beef before it gets to that point at stores. because he's got his big freezers ready to fill up and ship out.

"We won't have problems with food supply-- we'll always be stocked," he said.

OSU agriculture experts say right now it is still safe to buy poultry and eggs.