HEADS UP AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

[enola]

Just chiming in here. There is a theory from an avian vet that the backyard flocks (even those still free ranging) are not as susceptible because they are exposed to more pathogens, have less stress and are better apt to fight off the disease. In addition, they believe the fans are circulating "virus borne" air.  Anyone else buy into this theory?

This theory makes much more sense than some others posted here.....

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

I would bet dollars to donuts on that... you don't see wild chickens dropping out of exsistence because of this... and I would think that our free rangers are much better at fighting off these things than the poor birds on battery farms... man is his own worst enemy sometimes

 

[chicknmania]

Alright, so I am not the only person who thinks this. Whew...I was starting to wonder if I am crazy. Honestly, it is the only thing thst makes ANY sense. My guess (hope?) is that the government does suspect thst but are keeping it quiet while they investigate to avoid panic. It would be so simple to plant a few people where the feed for factory farms is loaded and contaminate the feed. It could also be something like animal rights terrorists, as well as 'other' types of terrorists. If they wanted to devestate us (whomever 'they' would be) starting with eggs and turkey seems like an odd choice. It just feels, to me, like someone with an agenda.

maybe feed, but most factory farms produce their own. They do here, anyway. Couldn't afford to buy it really.

 

[chicknmania]

Yes. And actually, there's a poultry expert here who is recommending that people do not try to keep their birds penned up to avoid the virus. He says it's better for free range birds to continue with their normal routine, they will be happier and healthier, and like I said, they can get it either way...so whatever works best, I say. I totally agree that if it's NOT being planted by some psycho, then the farms must be blowing out virus laden dust, but it still does not make sense how it is skipping around. Also...I would think factory farms might be air conditioned, to a point, right? So, there's insufficient heat in there to kill off the virus...and maybe it's evolved enough to be able to live longer when it does migrate outside those farms?

 

[Ifish]

Eggs in the grocery store were $3.50 for the commercial white, medium size.

The free range, organic eggs in the grocery were $2.76.

Hmmm, which would I buy?

Blaming the avian flu for egg prices in our area.

 

[MrsBachbach]

but we can keep our chickens out of the yard... and our dogs out of our chickens... and heavy duty rodent control... i posted way back in this thread somewhere what i did during lock down. i had 200 birds under lockdown, now i have about 300 after all the chicks hatched... i want to cut that number way down, i dont just have chickens either.

man this sucks... i was really hoping this was coming to an end.

Al

That's just it. It will never come to an end. Face it. It's here to stay. You are going to have to keep birds on lockdown the rest of your life. Obviously, birds can build resistance to this or there would be no "carriers". So, I see only two choices. Resistance or biodomes for backyard flocks. Frankly, if the commercial farms can't keep the virus out with all the money and people and science they have, I really think all efforts we make are just a shot in the dark.

 

[TXchickenchick]

maybe feed, but most factory farms produce their own.  They do here, anyway. Couldn't afford to buy it really.

I don't know how a lot of them work but the ones I grew up around (in Arkansas) have a huge feed mill (just down the hill from my mom's house in fact) that has lots of employees that truck their special feed to the factory farms. It is those type feed mills I am thinking could be 'under attack' if you will.

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

seriously? bio terrorists? I'm sure they have much more dire plans in mind than causing a shortage in our egg supply... if it were bio terrorists they sure picked a dumb food source to go after... why chickens and eggs? it would have made much more sense to go after beef if they wanted to hurt us
seriously... I'm just waiting for someone to blame it on aliens next :/

maybe we should stop looking to blame somebody else when we should be placing the blame squarly on the shoulders of the cause.. namely ourselves and our turning a blind eye to how battery farms have operated all these years

 

[thegawd]

watch the documentary food inc.

 

[TXchickenchick]

seriously? bio terrorists? I'm sure they have much more dire plans in mind than causing a shortage in our egg supply... if it were bio terrorists they sure picked a dumb food source to go after... why chickens and eggs? it would have made much more sense to go after beef if they wanted to hurt us
seriously... I'm just waiting for someone to blame it on aliens next :/

maybe we should stop looking to blame somebody else when we should be placing the blame squarly on the shoulders of the cause.. namely ourselves and our turning a blind eye to how battery farms have operated all these years

Yes seriously! OMG! Someone thinks different than you! They must be the stupid hillbilly talking about the glowing green light in the field last night on the news!

I am fairly positive most of your attempt at sounding cute was directed at me since I was the last one to mention this and seem the most convinced. So, I will just throw in a reminder that I VERY CLEARLY said that turkeys and eggs was a strange choice unless it was sonething like the animal rights type attacks which would make sense.

The way this appears to be spreading seems highly suspect. And you know...the Westboro Baptist church is horrible but they didn't cause the planes to fly into the twin towers. Just because something is absolutely horrible (factory farming) doesn't mean it's the cause of everything bad in the world (the avian flu outbreak).

And just for the record, do you have any idea how many food products contain eggs in some variation? Beef isn't the be all end all of the food industry. Eggs are a cheap and much used source of protein and so much more. Just sayin'.