Avian Flu & Guineas

[Unicornlife3316]

Hey y’all - so we’ve had a case of avian flu confirmed in Texas, Erath County - which is 182 miles from me. Makes me a bit nervous - I have a flock of 20 guineas and 16 chickens who free range. I can definitely start figuring out how to build a covered run or get them moved in to the barn. I’m already getting rid of the bird houses and the bird feeders ASAP. But Im not sure what else I can do? Are y’all worried for your guineas?

 

[kgby13]

Yes. I covered their run with chicken wire and hog panel fencing. Going to put tarps over that on Wednesday.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hey y’all - so we’ve had a case of avian flu confirmed in Texas, Erath County - which is 182 miles from me. Makes me a bit nervous - I have a flock of 20 guineas and 16 chickens who free range. I can definitely start figuring out how to build a covered run or get them moved in to the barn. I’m already getting rid of the bird houses and the bird feeders ASAP. But Im not sure what else I can do? Are y’all worried for your guineas?

Yes! We had a wild duck test positive in my county in Oklahoma! I was really concerned about penning the guineas when they’ve entered breeding season and the cocks are so antagonistic. So first I decreased their time out. But yesterday they ran out on the road twice plus I saw four wild ducks stop by our farm pond (that the guineas like to drink from). So today I bit the bullet and locked them in. Praying that none of the birds is killed by a flockmate. I need to get tarps for the guinea run too as it’s hardware cloth. I wanted to put metal roofing panels up but that would take a long time so I guess temporary tarps are the way to go. I’m so sad looking out at the Guinea pen and seeing them clustered around the flight door that I’ve been training them to use… I’ve been following the avian influenza big thread on BYCs and watched the video of the guy in NY who lost his whole flocks of chickens and ducks to HPAI. That video really hit home and I decided I needed to do something.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/avian-influenza-found-in-south-carolina.1507893/

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Yes! We had a wild test positive in my county in Oklahoma! I was really concerned about finding the guineas when they’ve entered breeding season and the cocks are so antagonistic. So first I decreased their time out. But yesterday they ran out on the road twice plus I saw four wild ducks stop by our farm pond (that the guineas like to drink from). So today I hit the bullet and locked them in. Praying that none of the birds is killed by a flockmate. I need to get tarps for the guinea run too as it’s hardware cloth. I wanted to put metal roofing panels up but that would take a long time so I guess temporary tarps are the way to go. I’m so sad looking out at the Guinea pen and seeing them clustered around the flight door that I’ve been training them to use… I’ve been following the avian influenza bug thread on BYCs and watched the video of the guy in NY who lost his whole flocks of chickens and ducks to HPAI. That video really hot home and I decided I needed to do something.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/avian-influenza-found-in-south-carolina.1507893/

Ugh. I don’t even have a run at all we have to start from scratch basically. Their current pen is NOT big enough for any length of time.

I’m going to have to figure it out I’m afraid

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Ugh. I don’t even have a run at all we have to start from scratch basically. Their current pen is NOT big enough for any length of time.

I’m going to have to figure it out I’m afraid

Mines not really big enough either so I hope they will be adaptable creatures… I think the HPAI thread has some ideas. I’ve seen pics of dog kennel panels used as a daytime pen and covered in a tarp.

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Mines not really big enough either so I hope they will be adaptable creatures… I think the HPAI thread has some ideas. I’ve seen pics of dog kennel panels used as a daytime pen and covered in a tarp.

That’s what their coops are now just dog pens covered in tarps under a loading shed, in thinking if I have to, I’ll just build runs off that.

Jeeze there is some girl on IG spreading junk about anybody reporting flocks (even their own) being a danger to all chicken keepers Nd how all tests are faulty and how she would never report her own flock. This is how this nonsense spreads. I just can’t.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

That’s what their coops are now just dog pens covered in tarps under a loading shed, in thinking if I have to, I’ll just build runs off that.

Jeeze there is some girl on IG spreading junk about anybody reporting flocks (even their own) being a danger to all chicken keepers Nd how all tests are faulty and how she would never report her own flock. This is how this nonsense spreads. I just can’t.

Yeah, if you look back through this thread there’s some discussion about whether deaths and possible AI should be reported in backyard flocks. I have ducks, which might survive AI, so I was thinking about this question. Then I thought about the possibility that I could get AI from breathing the air of heavily infected birds and transmit to my family… not to mention my neighbors with chickens of their own. Ethically I would feel obligated to report it, then I’d hide in bed and cry for a month. All of those thoughts got my rear in gear to get all the birds confined! I really hate how sad my most subordinate and bullied guineas look right now. I’ve been going out and hanging water bottles and putting feed on their perches. I really hope that the birds settle down!

 

[Sydney65]

Yeah, if you look back through this thread there’s some discussion about whether deaths and possible AI should be reported in backyard flocks. I have ducks, which might survive AI, so I was thinking about this question. Then I thought about the possibility that I could get AI from breathing the air of heavily infected birds and transmit to my family… not to mention my neighbors with chickens of their own. Ethically I would feel obligated to report it, then I’d hide in bed and cry for a month. All of those thoughts got my rear in gear to get all the birds confined! I really hate how sad my most subordinate and bullied guineas look right now. I’ve been going out and hanging water bottles and putting feed on their perches. I really hope that the birds settle down!

I went digging through your pics (always makes me happy) to review your set up. It looks like you have enough room that if push comes to shove you could put up a divider? I've been looking around at things I could use if needed, like the covered kennel that's seen better days but could be separated to make a barrier. Ofcourse this won't be as big of an issue for me as for others. The 3 jumbos stay together & ignore Numi, & she stays as far from them as possible. She still comes in around 430 but I've let her go out on the nice days. She won't be in their coop but they'll have a common run, so that's what I'm thinking about. I hope she gets along with the incoming keets...she's bonded with my oldest sheltie, tucks her beak into his fur.
I've moved the garden boxes and layed the brick pavers for the garden, so progress made.
I love your teepee nesters- I thought I'd put old milk crates under the drop board- easy to clean if needed, but last year Mama didn't mess in her nest, when she came off for a break she ran off to the field 1st then to the run to eat.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I went digging through your pics (always makes me happy) to review your set up. It looks like you have enough room that if push comes to shove you could put up a divider? I've been looking around at things I could use if needed, like the covered kennel that's seen better days but could be separated to make a barrier. Ofcourse this won't be as big of an issue for me as for others. The 3 jumbos stay together & ignore Numi, & she stays as far from them as possible. She still comes in around 430 but I've let her go out on the nice days. She won't be in their coop but they'll have a common run, so that's what I'm thinking about. I hope she gets along with the incoming keets...she's bonded with my oldest sheltie, tucks her beak into his fur.
I've moved the garden boxes and layed the brick pavers for the garden, so progress made.
I love your teepee nesters- I thought I'd put old milk crates under the drop board- easy to clean if needed, but last year Mama didn't mess in her nest, when she came off for a break she ran off to the field 1st then to the run to eat.

OMG - speaking of pics, in these troubling times we NEED a pic of Numi cuddling with your Sheltie! Sounds so sweet! As for dividing, ugh I don’t want to go there! They are all just so darn feisty right now. Cock Zinfindale is really getting chased by the older cocks. Poor Surplice gets chased by everyone, including by Zinfindale. I do have plans this weekend to add more perches to the run and coop. I think that will help because it’s the bullied ones that like the perches best. I need to rig up a high feeder too, but then I’m worried it will make perches more “A list” territory then the bullied birds won’t be able to get up there without getting chased? I dunno. Maybe I’ll just add a third ground feeder and try to sprinkle some feed along perch rails like I did today. I need some toys or something else to keep them entertained. Any ideas?

 

[Sydney65]

OMG - speaking of pics, in these troubling times we NEED a pic of Numi cuddling with your Sheltie! Sounds so sweet! As for dividing, ugh I don’t want to go there! They are all just so darn feisty right now. Cock Zinfindale is really getting chased by the older cocks. Poor Surplice gets chased by everyone, including by Zinfindale. I do have plans this weekend to add more perches to the run and coop. I think that will help because it’s the bullied ones that like the perches best. I need to rig up a high feeder too, but then I’m worried it will make perches more “A list” territory then the bullied birds won’t be able to get up there without getting chased? I dunno. Maybe I’ll just add a third ground feeder and try to sprinkle some feed along perch rails like I did today. I need some toys or something else to keep them entertained. Any ideas?

When I added extra perches I put them up higher and along the edges of the run - the younger could get up there contently but the older ones were too big to settle. Seemed to work. The boys took to the xylophone, bc it was tied to fencing from the top and they could jerk on it, take aggression out on it.
Numi does like to make sounds w/hers. Likewise, I don't have much of a way to hang a water bottle in her playpen, so put a plastic dream whip bowl in there. She kept dumping the water over, so I put an assortment of diff sized rocks in. She pecks on the diff rocks - they sound diff depending on size, shape, etc. Took us awhile to figure out what the noise was. Lol
She has one of those small balls w/the bell in it. She batted it around when she was younger but ignores it now. When she was little I'd put it in her heating pad tunnel and listen to her curse at it before kicking it back out.
I've tried to think of a way to make bigger or longer version of this for the coop - she still loves sparring with it.
Maybe embroidery hoops for in the run? This one is small and plastic, in her brooder.
They sell small wicker balls that they like to pick apart. You could probably make one with grapevine or whatever is handy.
I took the 3 mirror doors from a bathroom cabinet and mounted them in the coop. Likewise Numi has one made from a square of replacement auto mirror. Others seem to enjoy admiring themselves - Numi practices her sparring w/it as well.
You could probably braid lengths thick twine or hemp and hang them along the fence. - anything they can yank, peck & be aggressive with.
Nuggie had a small feeder bowl, like 2"x4" - mounted to a 2x4 frame piece, right up against the fencing. I put it there bc it was his go to spot when he was being picked on, & he was only one agile enough to stand up there, even as an adult.
Brodie -is a fool- always goes to top of coop where the frame makes a Y at the ceiling. It makes it easy to get ahold of him, not much of an escape.