Originally from Vancouver, Wash., Helm did not grow up with chickens and had little desire to be a poultry veterinarian when she first studied at Oregon State University. A dog and cat lover, she planned to specialize in small animal medicine.
In her 15th year as a poultry specialist veterinarian with Clemson University, Helm covers herself from head to toe to prevent the spread of disease when she visits farms. She wears the outfit in lecture halls to drive home her point about keeping chickens, turkeys and other types of poultry healthy. A few years ago, she added the tiara and sash to her attire, in a nod to her acquired nickname: “Biosecurity Queen.”
This week, the USDA is celebrating its annual Bird Health Awareness Week (Oct. 30, 2011 to Nov. 5, 2011) and there’s one veterinarian who is getting out the word about poultry health in a showstopping way.
She tells poultry owners that by practicing biosecurity, they can protect their chickens and turkeys against diseases, including serious ones, such as avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease. She offers simple steps that can be taken to keep birds healthy, such as cleaning shoes, tools and equipment to keep diseases from spreading from coop to coop or from farm to farm.
And the more people I talk to in this campaign––on the doorstep, on the street, at food carts––the more I believe that on November 19, they will choose to move forward.
Unlike some of its neighboring states, South Carolina, which has about 800 commercial poultry farms and a growing number of backyard breeders, has never had a serious outbreak of disease among its poultry.