Avian flu and new flock

[Korzak]

So I was ALL set to get a new flock this spring, but what are knowledgeable people saying about doing that in the face of bird flu?

For the record, we have already had a culling in my county here in CT because of bird flu. Also my sister in law is a virologist and she is saying that we should NOT get chickens this year.

We also would be free ranging our birds on an acre, not keeping them in a coop or enclosed run.

We really were stoked to restart our flock, but we don't want to do so if we're going to have to cull all our birds in six months.

No conspiracy theory nonsense or science denialism, please. Just looking for informed opinions from rational, knowledgeable folks.

 

[nuthatched]

I would not be free ranging, if you're where birds are being culled. I would highly recommend they be locked under cover.
If you want to free range, wait until conditions improve.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/let’s-talk-about-bird-flu.1650710/#post-28364687

 

[Korzak]

I would not be free ranging, if you're where birds are being culled. I would highly recommend they be locked under cover.
If you want to free range, wait until conditions improve.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/let’s-talk-about-bird-flu.1650710/#post-28364687

Thank you! I just finished reading all 14 pages of that thread.

This is really depressing. We loved our first flock of chickens. We had to rehome them when our neighbors tore down our fence and we could free range them anymore. We were very excited about getting new birds now that our fence is back up.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

With your fence up, how much area would your birds have to "free range?"

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sorry, fixed typos.

 

[Folly's place]

Our flock was locked in their coop and covered run for six months two years ago, and we are going to keep them inside again until further notice this year. Wild geese and ducks have died of AI ten miles north, ten miles south, and fifteen miles NW of us this last month!
Are any of us happy about this? NO!!! But we want our birds to survive, they have enough room in their housing, and that's just how it is.
It's best to have adequate safe roofed housing for the flock anyway, because during episodes of predation they may need that protection for at least weeks at a time.
Mary

 

[NanaK]

I look at it like this, bird flu is just one of many things that can affect our flocks. Good biosecurity is a must.

I have never free ranged my flock because of so many predators in my area. We build a large run and covered it partially with metal roofing. The rest is covered with fencing.

When the outbreaks started a couple years ago we covered the rest of the top with tarps so the birds are now completely under cover. I do not wear street shoes in the coop/run. I do not bring in birds except for day olds and hatching eggs.

Free ranging is always a risk. You just must decide how much risk you are willing to take.

Yes, I will hatch or get chicks this year.
If I was thinking of starting a new flock, I would want a covered run even if I was going to free range.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some people can aways find reasons to not do something. Some people can always find a way to do something. I do not plan to stop enjoying life because of some circumstances around me, but I take circumstances into consideration as to how I'll go about it.

You goals and risk tolerances are different from mine. I would not avoid starting a flock because of the fear that something might go wrong but I would be careful where I got the chickens from, probably chicks from a major hatchery. They may catch something while being shipped but I'd consider that the safest way to get them. I would not let them free range but would keep them confined. I would not obsess over using materials to make it impossible for wild birds to get into the coop/run but I'd use fencing and coverings to keep the larger migratory birds that pose the highest risk out. You have bird flu in your neighborhood, take it seriously.

I'd practiced biosecurity measures like not wearing the same clothing to feed, water, or work with the chickens that I wear away from the house. Not just shoes but shirts, pants, and coats. I do this anyway, even without the threat of bird flu.

I cannot give any guarantees as to what will happen. Life is like that. But I'm not going to give up because something might happen. I'll mitigate as best I can and get on with it.

I'm not going to criticize you of you decide to not get them. It would be expensive to house them in close confinement and probably not as much fun as free ranging them. It has to be your priorities, not mine.

Good luck!

 

[Sally PB]

My chickens have never free ranged. Their run is covered, half with polycarbonate and half with a heavy duty tarp. I have lots of predator pressure, so that's why I built it this way, before AI came along. Ducks, geese, and cranes often fly over head. Their poop (an AI vector) can't get into my run from the sky.

Since they haven't been outside the run, they do not know what they're missing. I made the run as large as I could, and I do my best to provide chicken things for them to do.

 

[Korzak]

Thank you everyone! I'll play it by ear for now. One of our big goals was to hand raise the chicks, and have them outside and ranging as soo as we can. Our chickens always were free range before and it's not the same to keep them in an enclosed run. Feels more like a chicken aquarium to think of it that way Our kids are 5 and 8, and we want the chickens to learn to be around them, follow them around, hunt for bugs and grubs, all that.