This week I wrapped up Phase III of a mortality management capacity-building project with Egg Farmers of Alberta, and it was a great way to close out several months of hands-on work with producers across the province.
Phase III focused on in-person producer meetings in Lethbridge, Calgary, and Edmonton. At each stop, I walked through the goals of the project, why effective animal mortality management is such a critical part of highly pathogenic avian influenza preparedness, and how Above Ground Burial can be implemented safely and practically when other options are limited. We also spent time talking through the disposal planning template developed during the project and how producers can use it to build farm-specific, actionable plans before an outbreak ever occurs.
What made these meetings especially valuable was the discussion. Producers asked practical questions, shared site-specific constraints, and talked openly about what would and would not work on their farms. That kind of exchange is exactly what these sessions were designed for. Plans on paper only matter if they can actually be implemented under real-world conditions.
Phase III was the final step in a broader, multi-phase effort designed to strengthen mortality management preparedness across Alberta’s egg sector. Earlier phases included on-farm visits to develop catastrophic mortality management plans, virtual consultations with individual producers, and the development of customized disposal plans tailored to specific farm layouts, bird numbers, and local constraints. Together, these phases moved the project from theory to practice, building both individual farm readiness and broader sector capacity.
Projects like this reinforce an important lesson from every major HPAI response: disposal planning cannot be an afterthought. When outbreaks happen, decisions need to be made quickly, under pressure, and often with limited options. Having clear, farm-specific plans in place reduces delays, lowers environmental and biosecurity risks, and supports faster, more effective response.
I’m grateful to Egg Farmers of Alberta and the producers who took the time to engage throughout this process. Their openness, questions, and willingness to plan ahead are exactly what preparedness should look like. This project is a strong example of how practical planning, targeted training, and producer engagement can come together to build real resilience before the next outbreak arrives.
Have you taken the time to develop a site-specific HPAI response and disposal plan for your poultry operation, before you need it?
