Avian Flu (H5N1) - Discussion

[All4Eggz]

How has the Avian Flu effected your flock?
If any of your birds have been infected, how did you overcome this and make sure it didn’t spread to the other birds? Treatment methods?

My flock has not yet been infected, thank God.

Some things I found interesting.
Opinions?

Spoiler: tag list

@azygous @Wyorp Rock @MysteryChicken @cherrynberry @EggSighted4Life @Isadora @PippinTheChicken @h2oratt @Artichoke Lover @Bigtom Turkey @BirdsBeesTrees @casportpony @Chookwagn @cluckmecoop7 @HappyClucker7 @Weeg @HeatherKellyB @HKG @JacinLarkwell @JustBabyMargo @Lacy Duckwing @LadiesAndJane @Lemon-Drop @Let There Be Light @Little Baby Bean @Mrs J @muddy75 @R2elk

 

[U_Stormcrow]

HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza), as opposed to LPAI (Low Pathogen) is a catch all phrase for a group of H5 and H7 strains of AI which have mutated in ways which make them both highly transmissible, and highly lethal to chickens. After exposure, mass cullings remains the only **effective** way we have of trying in some fashion to blunt the spread of the disease, which is carried by other birds (waterfowl particularly) with much lower rates of lethality.

Numerous LPAI strains remain within the environment at all times, primarily in waterfowl. These strains can transmit to chickens, and are generally non-lethal or have low levels of lethality, often taken for simple respiratory issues consistent with a large number of poultry diseases. LPAI H5 and H7 strtains can spontaneously mutate in chickens to become HPAI vaireties of the same via well understood biological processes - usually involving chickens with other viral infections at the same time where transposition errors in viral replication result in new fragments being attached to the resulting genetic material. Mostly in self defeating ways, but occasionally in ways which make the virus in some fashion more effective.

Tracking of AI by Gov't programs is decades old, not just here in the US, this isn't some "new thing" or part of any modern conspiracy. Europe and the Near East have been struggling with HPAI outbreaks for several years, and have multiple strains currently active across the pond. The US has an HPAI outbreak roughly once a decade.

It is commercially devastating, and has the potential to put a serious dent into the US food supply - chicken being one of the most readily affordable animal protein sources for the majority of Americans. The same is true in other nations, and the disease is heavily studied. Current US policy, similar to that of other nations, is to attempt to isolate and destroy pockets of HPAI when detected before they get to commercial processing, where a small flock of birds could infect (and quickly kill) tens of thousands of others being held awaiting butchering. Such an event would shut down the packing plant until it could be thoroughly sanitized as well, a process of at least two weeks duration. Given the concentration of commercial poultry packing into just a few facilities, a shut down is a regionally significant event - part of why PotUS declared meat packers and poultry processors to be key personnel like Drs. and nurses at the start fo the COVID pandemic. Without them, the US doesn't eat.

I hope that, in the unlikely event one of your flocks is infected, you do the responsible thing and ensure both testing and if confirmed, complete irradication of your flock (saving many from a painful death) rather than a misguided attempt to "protect" your flock via a method which is the poultry equivalent of placing an extended family in the home of someone with Ebola and then hoping for the best - only HPAI is MUCH more lethal.

I have high hopes my own flock will remain uninfected - but if I start seeing a sudden die off, I'll be on phone and text immediately with my State offices to arrange on site testing and "containment" - though it would end my egg business, virtually destroy my efforts at culling my way towards a bird better suited to my local conditions, and be emotionally painful to my wife.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I am not in a panic, or worried in the slightest bit. My flock is happy and healthy. I believe the "bird flu" is being made into a big deal that it really isn't. There are hundreds if sicknesses that any chicken could catch. To put it simply, they are kind of twisting it around....just like Covid.

 

[SarahLadd]

Nearly 3 million birds in my state have been put down as of today. Approximately 15 backyard flocks containing less than 100 birds have been affected. The vast majority have been commercial turkey farms, and almost every incidence has been traced to a mallard duck. A half hour south of me, an entire family of 8 great horned owls was found dead and tested positive.

If you think this is a "joke" to "incite panic", get lost. This is a colossal deal to those of us in the middle of it.

https://www.bah.state.mn.us/hpai/

Minnesota Avian Influenza Hotline: 1-833-454-0156

Report sick or dead raptors or waterfowl, and to report groups of five or more dead wild birds to the DNR.

Department of Natural Resources: 888-646-6367

 

[Tre3hugger]

Man, the views in this thread are more scary than the avain flu is! It must be nice to think everything is made up, exaggerated and false. Like, if it's not in an archaic religious text somewhere, it must be some kind of government leftist conspiracy to kill what we love and steal our freedom! Seems like a really easy cop out to having rational and evolving thoughts on today's ever evolving issues.

Broaden your scopes past the precious babies in your tiny backyard setup and realize that this is a problem. Not just for YOU, IF your birds get sick, but for everyone.

 

[Folly's place]

If you want your birds to be safe, keep them inside under a roof, and practice very good biosecurity! Aren't 'your babies' worth it?
Public health and the safety of our food supply matters!
Mary

 

[U_Stormcrow]

How could I sit there and watch them kill my precious babies??? There is absolutely no way!

Because sometimes being an adult means doing things you would rather not.
There's a quote, which I probably won't get right, but in essence:

A child does what it wants, when it wants.
An adult does what they must.

Or, in the words of R. Heinlein
"When the need arises - and it does - you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse."

 

[SarahLadd]

Another Minnesota backyard flock is lost. Posted today.

"I have been hesitant to post this, but here it goes. Friday morning I found one of my geese dead. By noon I found my big tom turkey dead and my big red rooster. Saturday morning I had more dead birds. I called the bird flu hot line. They had a lady out to test live and dead birds that day. This morning the death toll was over 30 birds. I got a call this afternoon. Positive for bird flu. There will be a team here Tomorrow morning to put down all my birds. 150 in total. Ducks, turkey, geese and chickens. This includes the 10 little ducklings and 2 little goslings. Only a week old. This also includes all the eggs I have. Including the ones my geese and turkeys have been sitting on and the 80+ duck eggs I have in the incubator. Everthing poultry on my property. I will have to bury them all. All the eggs I have sold are safe to eat. All the chicks I sold are safe. By what they have told me. They were pre-breakout. I will not be able to have poultry until I pass testing. Testing can't be done till 150 days after disposal of animals. They say with my pond there is a really good chance it was brought in from wild ducks. That is where most of these cases of private flocks come from. That's all I know at the moment."

 

[JacinLarkwell]

HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza), as opposed to LPAI (Low Pathogen) is a catch all phrase for a group of H5 and H7 strains of AI which have mutated in ways which make them both highly transmissible, and highly lethal to chickens. After exposure, mass cullings remains the only **effective** way we have of trying in some fashion to blunt the spread of the disease, which is carried by other birds (waterfowl particularly) with much lower rates of lethality.

Numerous LPAI strains remain within the environment at all times, primarily in waterfowl. These strains can transmit to chickens, and are generally non-lethal or have low levels of lethality, often taken for simple respiratory issues consistent with a large number of poultry diseases. LPAI H5 and H7 strtains can spontaneously mutate in chickens to become HPAI vaireties of the same via well understood biological processes - usually involving chickens with other viral infections at the same time where transposition errors in viral replication result in new fragments being attached to the resulting genetic material. Mostly in self defeating ways, but occasionally in ways which make the virus in some fashion more effective.

Tracking of AI by Gov't programs is decades old, not just here in the US, this isn't some "new thing" or part of any modern conspiracy. Europe and the Near East have been struggling with HPAI outbreaks for several years, and have multiple strains currently active across the pond. The US has an HPAI outbreak roughly once a decade.

It is commercially devastating, and has the potential to put a serious dent into the US food supply - chicken being one of the most readily affordable animal protein sources for the majority of Americans. The same is true in other nations, and the disease is heavily studied. Current US policy, similar to that of other nations, is to attempt to isolate and destroy pockets of HPAI when detected before they get to commercial processing, where a small flock of birds could infect (and quickly kill) tens of thousands of others being held awaiting butchering. Such an event would shut down the packing plant until it could be thoroughly sanitized as well, a process of at least two weeks duration. Given the concentration of commercial poultry packing into just a few facilities, a shut down is a regionally significant event - part of why PotUS declared meat packers and poultry processors to be key personnel like Drs. and nurses at the start fo the COVID pandemic. Without them, the US doesn't eat.

I hope that, in the unlikely event one of your flocks is infected, you do the responsible thing and ensure both testing and if confirmed, complete irradication of your flock (saving many from a painful death) rather than a misguided attempt to "protect" your flock via a method which is the poultry equivalent of placing an extended family in the home of someone with Ebola and then hoping for the best - only HPAI is MUCH more lethal.

I have high hopes my own flock will remain uninfected - but if I start seeing a sudden die off, I'll be on phone and text immediately with my State offices to arrange on site testing and "containment" - though it would end my egg business, virtually destroy my efforts at culling my way towards a bird better suited to my local conditions, and be emotionally painful to my wife.

Same here. As much as it would break me to do (And if there was a time between confirming positive testing and culling, I would begin myself to try and do as many as I could humanely before the cullers were there), I would report if I suddenly started losing birds that showed symptoms. It's the only responsible thing to do in my opinion

 

[SarahLadd]

This is a tragedy from inhumane modern farming. Animals are meant to be pasture raised, not cramped in cages or over crowded barns.

Cool story bro. In the mean time, this thread isn't about husbandry practices, it's about HPAI. It's a problem in the here and now. If every single farm in the country went full crunchy granola hippie and went free range at this very second, it would not solve HPAI.