Poor communications and de­­layed responses by federal agencies during the outbreak of avian flu in Iowa and Minnesota created confusion among farmers and others, contributing to the spread of the devastating disease, Iowa poultry farmers said last week during a hearing in Washington.

"I cannot stress enough how much we believe that the lack of clear and concise communications created the confusion that we specifically saw in Iowa and Minnesota," said Brad Moline, a Manson turkey raiser on behalf of the National Turkey Federation. "We firmly believe unclear communication contributed to the...