Avian influenza making me nervous

[Coopcheney]

So far what I have read on here is making me so anxious. What can we do to prevent or help. Someone said they literally come and kill your flock…that makes me incredibly sad and scared.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That thread was started in 2022. I suggest you read the more recent additions to the thread, there's current activity on it.

 

[TooCheep]

So far what I have read on here is making me so anxious. What can we do to prevent or help. Someone said they literally come and kill your flock…that makes me incredibly sad and scared.

For most of us, infection would most likely mean from a wild bird to our flock. Probably the best things you can do are:
1- Keep your birds isolated from wild birds if possible. A coop and covered run, are the best, but not perfect protection.
2- Be very careful about introducing new birds into the flock. You already have to be careful about introducing new birds due to chicken pecking order issues. You just have to make sure that any new birds are kept separate from the old flock for a while to insure that they are healthy before merging the groups.

Avian Influenza is so serious that you are forced to lose you entire flock and can't bring in new birds for 6 months.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What are the symptoms? What would you look for if you did have to bring new birds in? And how far away would you quarantine any new birds from your flock, and for how long, before you felt they were safe to integrate? Is AI airborne?

 

[Coopcheney]

I have four and so t have contact with new chickens or plan on bringing any in. Birds are everywhere though, I can’t stop all birds from landing on my property or inside my run…this is so stressful

 

[TooCheep]

What are the symptoms? What would you look for if you did have to bring new birds in? And how far away would you quarantine any new birds from your flock, and for how long, before you felt they were safe to integrate? Is AI airborne?

The USDA has a good site for AI info (symptoms/prevention/etc):
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza

There are two similar subsets of avian influenza: HPAI (highly pathogenic/fatal) and LPAI (low pathogenic/much less severe). HPAI is what we are concerned with. HPAI spreads rapidly and is quickly fatal, so if you bring in new birds, you will know before the end of the quarantine period if any new birds are infected.

Keeping track:
-Watch the following thread on BYC for updates: Avian influenza found in South Carolina
-Watch the following USDA web page: Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks; There are links to wild bird and mammal detections as well.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

On tonight's news it sounds like they're keeping it tightly controlled. I'm not worried. Egg prices are not going up, nor is meat. The nearly 3 million birds culled is less than 1% of the birds at that facility. It's spread by migratory waterfowl, and the migration is nearly over. Protect your birds from those and all should be well.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

One human got it and he has ... pinkeye!