Super Scarecrows Fighting Bird Flu with Technology

Farmers are laser-focused on protecting their flocks from the main carriers of bird flu: wild birds. 

Betcha didn’t know: Minnesota farmers are implementing technology that protects farms from avian influenza with bird-repellent laser beams.

Soundbite: “Green is the brightest spectrum of light for birds. While humans see a green dot, birds perceive a moving laser beam as a predator. It scares them off, keeping them away from critical areas.”  — Craig Duhr, Bird Control Group

Skyward success: For decades, airports have used lasers to ward off bird-plane collisions (which can be catastrophic to airplanes during takeoff or landing). Now, poultry producers are using similar systems to defend their flocks from a devastating disease.

Sounding off: Another tech-savvy solution to scaring wild birds? Air cannons. Sending a periodic BOOM across farms deters potentially infected birds from roosting near chicken and turkey farms. 

A rapid spread: Bird flu spreads through the (TMI warning) saliva, mucus, and feces of infected birds. Since 2022, the virus has led to the deaths of 166M wild and domestic U.S birds. 

Pecking at new policy: These high-tech scarecrows have been so effective in Minnesota that lawmakers have proposed a new grant program to provide funding for producers to defend their flocks. 

Until the industry designs a more finite plan to stop the spread of avian influenza, farmers will continue to find innovative solutions to protect poultry health.