Vermont’s agriculture secretary says that delaying a new registration program for livestock operations could leave the state vulnerable to an outbreak of avian influenza.
Steve Kerr’s remarks come in response to word that some lawmakers are considering a delay in a registration program for operations ranging from those with hundreds of animals to those with a few backyard chickens.
Kerr has argued that knowing what kinds of animals are kept where could be crucial information if the state is faced with an outbreak of disease.
And he says Vermont’s proposed rules are less invasive than rules being considered on the federal level. Those would require registration not just of flocks and herds, but individual animals.