chickens and wild game birds?

rottlady

Songster
Mar 20, 2016
790
260
166
Georges Mills, NH
30 years ago when I last had chickens this was a question no one would have thought about ever.

Domestic chickens coming into physical contact with wild game birds- Ruffed Grouse, Canada Geese, Woodcock and Wild Turkey (a fairly low possibility since my birds won't be able to free range because of predators) and/or in contact with their feces (which is a VERY high probability here)

There will be nothing I can do to prevent this so what are the most common things I'll need to watch for in my birds?
 
Free ranging chickens will pick up mites, lice, and intestinal parasites at times from wild birds, songbirds especially. My flock avoids the big birds completely (geese and turkeys) So there's no social interaction there. The scary issue will be if they are exposed to a BAD avian influenza strain; you might see dead wild birds and have them tested. I did have a sick house wren at one of my wild bird feeders last month (they are unavailable to my flock) and immediately pulled the feeders in. They might go back out next month after being bleached. The little songbirds can have a fatal respiratory outbreak of Mycoplasma, which I don't want my flock to get! Mary
 
My birds will only be in a mobile coop but still exposed to the fields. I only feed birds til last day in April so avoid a lot of the illnesses thank goodness
But I'll have to watch for stuff I guess. Never even occurred to us 30 years ago LOL
 

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