HEADS UP AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

[WalnutHill]

I hope not only the chicken corporations will be compensated, what will be done for the farm owner. How is he going to pay the mortgage if his buildings stand empty for months at a time??

No, there is no loss of income or business continuity plan. They suggest farmers buy such policies on their own. And it appears that what compensation there is, is only for large scale producers, not backyard flock owners, even those of us who are commercial small farmers.

This is a good read, and shows how far behind we are compared to other countries in our responses.

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/pdf/fa...ccination-for-high-pathogenic-avian-influenza

 

[WalnutHill]

The losses mount:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/porta.../sa_detections_by_states/ct_ai_pacific_flyway

 

[enola]

I can't access links like that one. Can you give us a run down?

 

[chicknmania]

What do they do with that huge pile of birds after "compost"? How do you compost meat?
I though only vegetable matter could be safely composted?
I still think that is a very inhumane way to handle it. I can imagine a barely alive bird still struggling to survive in there being bulldozed into a pile. Why don't they just put something in their drinking water that is fast and effective?

Going in and chopping their heads off would work well and be quick and humane. I wouldn't want to be the one of the people doing that, but....those poor birds.

 

[chicknmania]

No, there is no loss of income or business continuity plan. They suggest farmers buy such policies on their own. And it appears that what compensation there is, is only for large scale producers, not backyard flock owners, even those of us who are commercial small farmers.

This is a good read, and shows how far behind we are compared to other countries in our responses.

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/pdf/fa...ccination-for-high-pathogenic-avian-influenza

Actually, what I heard on NPR was that there is compensation IF the birds are culled...but not if they die from the disease. Dont know what the compensation is though. I assume that applies to any poultry owner who the government orders to cull their birds...including backyard flocks.

 

[WalnutHill]

I can't access links like that one. Can you give us a run down?

http://tinyurl.com/k7whscq

Does this link work better for you?

It is the USDA's current roster of cases and mortality numbers. It's updated frequently.

 

[gjensen]

Going in and chopping their heads off would work well and be quick and humane. I wouldn't want to be the one of the people doing that, but....those poor birds.

The idea is to limit human exposure to, which chopping the heads off would do the opposite. Not to mention the labor required. Do you realize how many birds were in that latest laying facility? Do you realize how much blood is slung around after a bird's head is chopped off? It is not a realistic option, and the level of exposure would be very high.

Look the birds are doomed. It is certainly not ideal to have to foam a poultry house, but it isn't ideal to have a house of infected birds. They are going to die, and they will not die a pleasant death. Foaming is a reasonable option, and better than letting them all die from the infection.

There is no pretty way to deal with it . There is no ideal conclusion. On this scale, what is required is an effective solution. It would not be a time for allowing sensitivities to replace logic. It is not just euthanizing the birds that is the aim, but containment of a disease.

 

[gjensen]

While I realize it's not anyone's "fault" that this disease exists, any more than it is anyone's "fault" that a hurricane hits, I believe that a disaster is a disaster and whether it is from direct impact or from ancillary damage, if there is compensation for one then there should be compensation for the other.

Since an entire facility can be wiped out in a matter of days and our USDA doesn't move that fast, all the birds could be dead before a team is mobilized, and in theory, no compensation.

And what is the level of compensation? The value of new hatchlings to replace 8 week old broilers or started pullets or laying hens or breeders? Or how about turkeys, with 20+ weeks to market and significant market value, are they "worth" the day-old poult value? I searched the USDA website and found no answers.

Ideally, I do not believe there should be any compensation at all. It is a business with real risks. However, it is important that the farmers cooperate and operate within the system etc. Not to mention that it is our food supply, and supporting it is in all of our best interest.

There is not a logical or rational reason to compensate backyard flock owners. Taxpayers should not be obligated to support hobbies.

The level of compensation is minimal. It is a substantial loss for the farmer, and unfortunate. Especially that this is likely to be around for a while. A yearly risk, up until a vaccine is an option. Possibly they will have one ready before next spring. That is until the next strain comes through which is inevitable. It is only time that separates us from the next strain.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Going in and chopping their heads off would work well and be quick and humane. I wouldn't want to be the one of the people doing that, but....those poor birds.

Yes, cervical dislocation is the most humane, but in no way is that an option for commercial flocks. You're not talking about a handful of birds. It is more in the neighborhood of 40,000 birds in each barn. There were 900,000 turkeys culled in Minnesota alone.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/299450701.html
5 million chickens were culled on one farm in Iowa. There is no way to chop the heads off of 5,300,000 birds.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...llion-chickens-in-effort-to-contain-avian-flu

There isn't a good method at present to depopulate caged hens which is what has to be done in the last story.
The foam is only used for floor birds because only one worker is required to enter the building. That worker doesn't need to handle birds so there's no threat to the integrity of their PPE. It suppresses the dust and can be impregnated with anti-microbial agents.

For caged hens foam can't be used because it doesn't penetrate the cage well, nor does it hold it's consistency in the cage.
Utilizing cervical dislocation, there are more than just a few problems.
Workers need training and skill is necessary to kill birds humanely.
Large numbers of people would be required to depopulate a house quickly.
Fatigue would be a problem if a person must kill a large number of birds in a day.
A person fully dressed in PPE could become overheated and be tempted to remove parts of it for the sake of comfort.
Constantly reaching into cages grabbing struggling hens would create chances for tearing protective suits.
Hens produce strong, convulsive wing-flapping after cervical dislocation.
Birds which are killed in rapid succession by this method are difficult to contain due to the violence of these convulsions and raise a lot of dust, spreading the AI virus.



Page 2 of the following article has some interesting information about the strains.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/stakeholders/downloads/2015/sa_hpai_arkansas.pdf

 

[enola]

gjensen, I am wondering whether you realize that on a farm that has a commercial flock, the chicken company owns the birds. The farmer owns the building and the property. When the flock has to be destroyed, the farmer has no more income. The poultry companies do not pay the farmer a weekly check. When the birds leave the premises, income stops. These farmers are then left with a mortgage with no cash flow to pay it with. I am sure at least a few of the farmers are looking at losing everything they own.......

Avian Flu has the capability to cause a HUGE financial disaster:

•If farmers can't pay their mortgages, they lose their farms.
•Destroying flocks of breeder birds, eggs will not be laid to hatch to let another farmer raise fryers.
•when there are no fryers, people that work in poultry plants don't get to go to work.
•every poultry house that is emptied, means less poultry in the grocery store, less inexpensive nutritious meat on the table.