Cuddling cows in danger. Bird flu is spoiling the favorite pastime of animal lovers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the pta chip in nine hundred dairy herds. Scientists found the H5N1 strain in 20 percent of the milk samples and said that the epidemic is likely to have originated in more than 26,000 licensed small farms in the country.

The five-footed bird has spread across the world, worrying public health experts. According to the ministry, the virus is spread among cattle through contact with raw milk, according to the Reuters agency.

It is not a good time to pet cows

One Texas dairy worker also tested positive for the virus. The American Center for Disease Control and Prevention tested more than a hundred people who had been exposed to the virus. Government officials claim that the risk of human infection is low. State and federal government officials, however, continue to call on cattle breeders and milk producers to reduce external pollution as much as possible.

In Michigan, where one herd of dairy cows tested positive, this week the head of the state Department of Agriculture signed an order for new hygiene measures and limited access to millions of dairy farms beginning on May 8.

The commandment does not prohibit the petting of cows. The editor of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tim Boring, told the Reuters agency that from the point of view of the health of the people and the country, now is not a good time to cuddle with cows. The issue is the protection of cows and people.

However limited, it could cause economic problems for small family farms that rely financially on cow breeding and agritourism practices. At De Vor’s million farms and dairies in northern Michigan, places are reserved weeks in advance for bloodstock pets, and the farm uses them to pay for the farm’s rent. The heel of the shoe will not be worn, because we have a safety measure in place, said farm Henk De Vor.

Luz and Dan Klotz of Illinois, who own Luz Farm, say they have safeguards in place to ensure the safety of their pets and keep their farm up and running. For one hour of being pampered with blood, they are paid one bale of hay, which is enough to feed their small herd for a week. It helped a lot, said Dan Klotz.

In Pepot, teenager Joey Pachl paid the Luz farm less than two thousand crowns per hour of blood. Five years ago, he wanted to invite his girlfriend to the prom. For Luz and her husband, Dan Klotz, such entrants became a key to cover the cost of feed and to keep their small farm running.

Yoke with goats or fodder for piglets

From horse-riding lessons and foal feeding to free-roaming chickens and pick-your-own sunflower fields, more than 28,600 American farms bought more than $1.26 billion in revenue on their land in 2022. This is 32 percent more than five years ago, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.

Such sources of income are currently in short supply: According to data from the Department, US farm incomes are expected to record the biggest decline in the last 18 years, because crop prices are falling, and small farms are suffering. Agritourism is a real economic engine for small farms, said Curt Covington, senior editor for institutions at AgAmerica Lending.