On Monday evening, June 8, over 130 growers, producers, vets, allied trades and more joined for a Forum on Inclusion Body Hepatitis (IBH) last week in Abbotsford, to discuss IBH’s impact to the chicken industry.
After a night like that —with so many growers, producers, vets, allied trades, and more collaborating to pursue solutions — any disease would be shaking in its boots!
Inclusion Body Hepatitis (IBH), and the concerns surrounding it, is complicated and very real to growers in BC.
The forum started off with emcee and grower, Ron Neels, setting the tone by introducing the topic and sharing the toll IBH has had on him personally, rallying the room towards common understanding and a drive for solutions.
Researcher and veterinarian, Dr. Hans Koehnk, and local veterinarian, Dr. Neil Ambrose, presented on the biology of the virus, vaccination methods and viral load, effective and ineffective cleaning and disinfection methods (particularly dry vs. wet C&D), the impact of stressors, and more.
The room leaned in when local grower, Dennis Flokstra, took the stage to lay it all out. He shared his own personal frustrations with IBH on his chicken farm, even showing mortality numbers and detailing what worked, what didn’t, and what has left him scratching his head — an experience other growers unfortunately share.
A moderated Q&A filled the latter half of the night, where all the presenters acted as a panel to address or empathize with questions growers sent in prior to the event or submitted the night-of. Question topics included “What is contributing to the spread of IBH?”, “Why is IBH so stubborn?”, “Is 21 days after placement a benchmark?”, “Is there risks with imported eggs?”, “Is vaccination a viable option?”, “Which treatments are effective?”, and many more.
The answers to the questions led to good discussion and great learning. No doubt everyone took home something of value. The forum’s compiled data, expert opinions, personal experiences, and collective feedback and questions are informing ways forward.
And the BCCGA and BCCMB intend to keep talking. Henk Roos, a director with the BCCGA, closed the evening by announcing the likely creation of an IBH Working Group, calling for representatives from across the industry. The BCCMB also shared that it has been working with a team of veterinarians on IBH for better understanding and recommendations.
The forum’s success was proven by what impacted attendees. Growers commented on getting a better grasp on C&D methods (and myths), breeder vaccination, and which stressors to prioritize balancing. More than one attendee said that a key takeaway was “seeing the industry as a whole come together to find solutions”.
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The BC Chicken Growers’ Association and the BC Chicken Marketing Board are grateful to the presenters and panelist: Dr. Hans Koehnk of ARKO Laboratories, “Dr.” Dennis Flokstra, grower with the BCCGA, Dr. Neil Ambrose of Sunrise Farms, and Ron Neels, grower who served as the emcee and moderator.
The event hosts are especially grateful to all the attendees for their desire to learn and spirit of collaboration. Here’s to working together!
A special thank you to funding made available for the event through the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Knowledge Transfer and Technology grant. This funding is made possible through the Government of BC, the Government of Canada, and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
