Courtesy USDA Submit your rooster name the USDA’s Biosecurity for Birds campaign mascot. |
The plucky rooster that is the mascot for the USDA’s Biosecurity For Birds campaign is loud and proud. He has everything going for him: a nice home, a bevy of admiring hens and good health—everything but a name. From now through September 30, 2010, poultry enthusiasts can submit their suggestions for the mascot.
The USDA’s Biosecurity for Birds campaign offers tips and information to poultry owners on how to protect their chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese from infectious poultry diseases. The campaign and contest is sponsored by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
“I know all my chickens have names, and our mascot certainly should have one,” said Andy Schneider, the Chicken Whisperer, Backyard Poultry radio show host and national spokesperson for the campaign. “I urge all my fans and bird lovers to log on to the website, participate in the contest and give this healthy bird a name.”
Submit your suggestions by logging on to the Biosecurity for Birds website. A panel of poultry enthusiasts and marketing experts will review the nominations and select three top choices that will be posted on the Biosecurity For Birds website. Poultry lovers will then have a two-week period to peep in and vote for their favorite mascot name.
The winning mascot name and the person who submits it will be announced during Bird Health Awareness Week, November 1 to 7, 2010, and will be notified by email. The winning contestant will receive a deluxe duffle bag and will be interviewed and featured on the Biosecurity For Birds website.
Biosecurity For Birds is a public awareness campaign that seeks to educate both new and experienced poultry owners about important steps to take to protect their poultry flocks. Poultry owners can help keep disease away from their farms and backyard pens by keeping the area clean and watching for signs of infectious poultry diseases, such as avian influenza. Schneider reminds bird owners to “clean your shoes, clean your cages and equipment, and wash your hands before and after working with your birds.”
