Avian Flu/Biosecurity Best Practices

[Chickeeaholic]

Wow! Thank you so much, Weeg! I really appreciate everyone's advice on this. Great idea re: storing the tools in the run (once disinfected). I may consider adding some sort of hook system to keep them off the ground in there, but it would save me quite a walk not having to go to the garage. I will definitely figure out a better boot cleaning system too, beyond just having a designated pair of boots.

When I first heard about this, I was hoping it was not a real threat to a chicken keeper like myself, but alas, it looks like it is. I'll do the best I can to protect my birds and hope for the best!

I wonder... How long will this outbreak/pandemic last? Avian Flu, that is (not Covid).

NPR and some other outlets say it’s not going away anytime soon. I’m hoping it goes away this summer but planning it may be a few years.

 

[raingarden]

It is supposed to back off when temperatures are over 80F. I wonder if the best predictor might be HPAI prevalence in the arctic and sub-arctic regions this summer. Those breeding birds are going to migrate south again in the fall.

I'm not worried about HPAI, but facinated by livestock epidemics in general. Around here, the Golden Plover, Wandering Tattler and such are the only tundra breeders. The Golden Plover have on their tuxedos and are getting ready to head back to Siberia and western Alaska in the next few days.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

Thanks for the tips! I like to think I'm off to a good start with the precautions I take, but I'll keep the tools cleaned and stored in the garage for sure. I do have a designated pair of "chicken boots" that are only worn in the run/coop. I hadn't thought of a disinfectant bucket, but will consider that also. We have young kids who run all over the yard, so a disinfectant spray I can hang up out of reach might be safer. We also have a covered run, as you mentioned (corrugated metal) and the run and all windows are covered in 1/2" hardware cloth. Hopefully our birds will be just fine.

P.S. Do you have a recommendation for a disinfectant soap that's safe for the chickens? I wasn't sure about diluted bleach.

Whatever you choose it needs to be a disinfectant not a sanitizer or cleaner. Whatever disinfectant you use, it’s important to know the dwell time of that chemical. For bleach it’s 5 minutes.

From the Clorox site: Mix ½ cup of Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach with CLOROMAX® with 1 gallon of water. Wipe down countertops and appliances with the bleach solution and wait 5 minutes. Then rinse with warm water (this is for kitchen surfaces but I wanted to give you the example)

Not many things kill on contact, alcohol and peroxide I believe? Following the directions is important though with each since dwell times vary in order to work.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

It is supposed to back off when temperatures are over 80F. I wonder if the best predictor might be HPAI prevalence in the arctic and sub-arctic regions this summer. Those breeding birds are going to migrate south again in the fall.

I'm not worried about HPAI, but facinated by livestock epidemics in general. Around here, the Golden Plover, Wandering Tattler and such are the only tundra breeders. The Golden Plover have on their tuxedos and are getting ready to head back to Siberia and western Alaska in the next few days.

Very good point.

 

[BDutch]

In a scientific magazine (wageningen world - WUR) there is an outstanding article about the bird flu and it’s history.

History AF
The bird flu was always around. But is wasn’t very sickening until it mutated in huge chickens farms. In the Netherlands this happened in 2003. This was a local problem. Wild birds died and didn’t travel with it.
Around 2000 there was a high pathogenic AF in Asia that could travel with wild birds. It mixed with low pathogenic AF viruses. And many (tens) different new variations emerged.
The Asian migratory birds that breed in Siberia share their breeding territories with birds from Europe and Africa. This way the viruses spread over a large part of the world. Finally some migratory birds took other routes and brought it to Northern America.

On
Www.wur.nl/vogelgriep there is a lot of info about the bird flu. Most in Dutch, but there is a lot of info in English too. Like:
www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/Bioveterinary-Research/show-bvr/Whether-to-vaccinate-against-bird-flu

This last bird flu is still around us in the area where I live. Unlike other years this virus doesn’t vanish in spring eigh lots of sunshine. They still find infected death wild poultry and waterbirds.

The center of the problem is near Barneveld, the heart of the chicken industry in the Netherlands.
They kill all poultry within 1 km of the infected farm. In a dense area they clear out up to 10 farms to prevent spreading.

www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/Bioveterinary-Research/show-bvr/Bird-flu-at-poultry-farms-in-20212022.htm

 

[Chickeeaholic]

In a scientific magazine (wageningen world - WUR) there is an outstanding article about the bird flu and it’s history.

History AF
The bird flu was always around. But is wasn’t very sickening until it mutated in huge chickens farms. In the Netherlands this happened in 2003. This was a local problem. Wild birds died and didn’t travel with it.
Around 2000 there was a high pathogenic AF in Asia that could travel with wild birds. It mixed with low pathogenic AF viruses. And many (tens) different new variations emerged.
The Asian migratory birds that breed in Siberia share their breeding territories with birds from Europe and Africa. This way the viruses spread over a large part of the world. Finally some migratory birds took other routes and brought it to Northern America.

On
Www.wur.nl/vogelgriep there is a lot of info about the bird flu. Most in Dutch, but there is a lot of info in English too. Like:
www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/Bioveterinary-Research/show-bvr/Whether-to-vaccinate-against-bird-flu

This last bird flu is still around us in the area where I live. Unlike other years this virus doesn’t vanish in spring eigh lots of sunshine. They still find infected death wild poultry and waterbirds.

The center of the problem is near Barneveld, the heart of the chicken industry in the Netherlands.
They kill all poultry within 1 km of the infected farm. In a dense area they clear out up to 10 farms to prevent spreading.

www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/Bioveterinary-Research/show-bvr/Bird-flu-at-poultry-farms-in-20212022.htm

That is really informative. The article from NPR was saying that too, now it makes more sense why this virus is here to stay:
https://www.wbur.org/npr/1091491202/bird-flu-2022-avian-influenza-poultry-farms

I think I have said this previously, and sorry if I'm repeating, but after reading this I planned to build a coop that doesn't include free range time. A coop large enough my hens will be happy enclosed all of the time. I spent the past few days getting them enclosed and it's looking like that will be the future of chicken keeping.

It's so sad to see the devastation both in the domestic and wild populations. Maybe we can hope this virus will become less deadly at least after some time?

 

[BDutch]

It’s so sad that intensive commercial farming (with multiple thousands of chickens) and keeping chickens in unhealthy cramped dituations is the reason these deadly AF emerged.
They are afraid it will turn into another virus that will be deadly for humans too.

Imho the farmers should stop keeping chickens / poultry in such huge numbers and unhealthy environments. And people should stop eating this cheap eggs and meat.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

It’s so sad that intensive commercial farming (with multiple thousands of chickens) and keeping chickens in unhealthy cramped dituations is the reason these deadly AF emerged.
They are afraid it will turn into another virus that will be deadly for humans too.

Imho the farmers should stop keeping chickens / poultry in such huge numbers and unhealthy environments. And people should stop eating this cheap eggs and meat.

I very much agree if people can’t keep them in healthy, happy conditions, they shouldn’t keep them.