LOS ANGELES county CA under bird quarantine :(

[ThracianHorse]

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/2019/sa-03/vnd-funding

Maybe someone can explain to me why the feds and state are focusing on policing and euthanizing backyard chicken flocks when it’s been proven the primary spread of the disease has been caused by poultry shows and underground cockfighting rings moving around?

What is the connection to the above to “backyard chicken flocks?”

Because that’s all they have the jurisdiction to do? The government has every jurisdiction to shut down all poultry shows, not just recommend to do so. Because they don’t have a “cockfighting ring police?”

I don’t understand why the next move is not shutting down ALL bird shows, financially penalizing all people moving birds out of quarantine areas, policing cockfighting rings and policing the southern border for additional sick birds. It seems like they are using a 20 year old approach, and we are with this funding at about 200 million dollars now and a million birds.

Maybe they don’t want to give away their approach? A lot of misinformation to the public.

Please educate me...I welcome it.

You aren't far off.

Government is largely a reactionary creature, one that prefers the easiest (read, laziest and cheapest) mode to complete a goal. They don't focus on cockfighting rings because it requires police presence since gambling operations are typically run by less-than-savory individuals, especially animal bloodsports like cockfighting. That would require cooperation with different governmental branches at the city, county, state, and federal level - having seen such operations before, you're more likely to get oil and water to mix.

Backyard flocks are the easiest low-hanging fruits to target. If cockfighting bird operations are unintentionally caught in the middle, so much for the better for them. (Deleted this little ditty of salacious political commentary about the factory farm poultry industry! Didn't want to get in trouble. Much.)

Barring my somewhat jaded political commentary, communication and vigilance is still a good policy.

 

[Kathy Golla]

You aren't far off.

Government is largely a reactionary creature, one that prefers the easiest (read, laziest and cheapest) mode to complete a goal. They don't focus on cockfighting rings because it requires police presence since gambling operations are typically run by less-than-savory individuals, especially animal bloodsports like cockfighting. That would require cooperation with different governmental branches at the city, county, state, and federal level - having seen such operations before, you're more likely to get oil and water to mix.

Backyard flocks are the easiest low-hanging fruits to target. If cockfighting bird operations are unintentionally caught in the middle, so much for the better for them. (Deleted this little ditty of salacious political commentary about the factory farm poultry industry! Didn't want to get in trouble. Much.)

Barring my somewhat jaded political commentary, communication and vigilance is still a good policy.

This.

Noted!

 

[SarahGfa]

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/2019/sa-03/vnd-funding

Maybe someone can explain to me why the feds and state are focusing on policing and euthanizing backyard chicken flocks when it’s been proven the primary spread of the disease has been caused by poultry shows and underground cockfighting rings moving around?

What is the connection to the above to “backyard chicken flocks?”

Because that’s all they have the jurisdiction to do? The government has every jurisdiction to shut down all poultry shows, not just recommend to do so. Because they don’t have a “cockfighting ring police?”

I don’t understand why the next move is not shutting down ALL bird shows, financially penalizing all people moving birds out of quarantine areas, policing cockfighting rings and policing the southern border for additional sick birds. It seems like they are using a 20 year old approach, and we are with this funding at about 200 million dollars now and a million birds.

Maybe they don’t want to give away their approach? A lot of misinformation to the public.

Please educate me...I welcome it.

Cockfighting is an underground activity and people who raise fighting cocks tend to have them in remote ranches where there are no neighbors to hear the noise and complain. So, that makes it hard to police.

The good news is,cockfighters usually don't go to bird shows. I think that's why the Newcastle outbreak has not spread as fast as it otherwise would.

 

[Morrigan]

I don’t understand why the next move is not shutting down ALL bird shows, financially penalizing all people moving birds out of quarantine areas, policing cockfighting rings and policing the southern border for additional sick birds. It seems like they are using a 20 year old approach, and we are with this funding at about 200 million dollars now and a million birds.

They don't focus on cockfighting rings because it requires police presence since gambling operations are typically run by less-than-savory individuals, especially animal bloodsports like cockfighting. That would require cooperation with different governmental branches at the city, county, state, and federal level - having seen such operations before, you're more likely to get oil and water to mix.

Add this to the political climate in California. "Policing the southern border" and cracking down on illegal activities that have come across the southern border are not priorities in California these days. I think most politicians here would rather light themselves on fire then admit there maybe good reasons to secure the southern border. There is very little public (and political) awareness that border security is also about preventing invasive species and agricultural diseases from entering our state. Lots of people here just want to have open borders and hug it out.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

As told to me from my friend in the USDA: all chickens are being tested including commercial flocks.
If as some of you say that the government is just looking to eliminate the easiest source of poultry then the disease will hardly be contained.

 

[ThracianHorse]

As told to me from my friend in the USDA: all chickens are being tested including commercial flocks.
If as some of you say that the government is just looking to eliminate the easiest source of poultry then the disease will hardly be contained.

Considering this can be vectored and harbored in wild birds, I'd say this is a completely accurate assessment. Especially considering USDA has no jurisdiction over wild birds. Having worked with the USFWS, I would say USFWS would, and has taken exception to USDA trying to do so.

Also... *all* flocks? Having had an intimate glimpse at how government agencies work, I would say this is inaccurate - they might be testing all of the flocks... that they are aware of. You don't exactly file paperwork to own chickens with the government. No record, no traceability. See comments about cockfighting since that's almost explicitly law enforcement jurisdiction. To be blunt, the only reason this outbreak isn't bigger and worse than it is probably pure dumb luck, and the fact chicken fanciers now have the technology to spread word of an outbreak faster. USDAs performance in this situation is directly linked to funding, not job competency.

 

[Trux]

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Also... *all* flocks? Having had an intimate glimpse at how government agencies work, I would say this is inaccurate - they might be testing all of the flocks... that they are aware of. You don't exactly file paperwork to own chickens with the government. No record, no traceability. See comments about cockfighting since that's almost explicitly law enforcement jurisdiction.

Yes they are testing all flocks that fall within the quarantine zone. They go block by block door to door looking for birds and testing and euthanizing birds.

 

[ThracianHorse]

Yes they are testing all flocks that fall within the quarantine zone. They go block by block door to door looking for birds and testing and euthanizing birds.

I hope they have FLAK vests, body armor, and a police escort for certain parts of Tracy.

 

[Kiki]

I hope they have FLAK vests, body armor, and a police escort for certain parts of Tracy.