Avian Flu

[Rurumo]

Take precautions or not, no one is forcing you to, I've never heard of Federal agents chasing free range poultry around or inspecting your coop. I'm guessing that the vast majority of small flocks that get culled are due to voluntary reporting-or possibly mandatory Vet reporting from necropsies. I know a lot of people want to attach some conspiracy nonsense to the Avian Influenza outbreak, because they're already in the "big government/virus/nanocomputers-in-feed conspiracy mindset, and that's a sad thing.

Take precautions or not, it's up to you. Good biocontrol procedures absolutely reduce the risk your flock coming down with a virus, weather Avian Influenza or Marek's or others. This is the longest running outbreak which is probably a sign it's permanent and just something we have to live with. Now that people have started dying again from H5N1, I'd rather not take any chances. Someone made a comment in another post that the people who died in Cambodia, contracted H5N1 because of poor hygiene, but be honest....we handle our chickens a lot, most of us without gloves/respirators/full body protection. How different do you think we are from people raising chickens in developing countries? The first thing many of us do when we have a sick bird is...bring it inside! (hey, I do it too) All I'm saying is, one of us is just as likely to contract it as anyone raising chickens in any country, and it's smart to consider increasing your biocontrol procedures now, and probably forever. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure-love those old sayings.

 

[Tram]

Take precautions or not, no one is forcing you to, I've never heard of Federal agents chasing free range poultry around or inspecting your coop. I'm guessing that the vast majority of small flocks that get culled are due to voluntary reporting-or possibly mandatory Vet reporting from necropsies. I know a lot of people want to attach some conspiracy nonsense to the Avian Influenza outbreak, because they're already in the "big government/virus/nanocomputers-in-feed conspiracy mindset, and that's a sad thing.

Take precautions or not, it's up to you. Good biocontrol procedures absolutely reduce the risk your flock coming down with a virus, weather Avian Influenza or Marek's or others. This is the longest running outbreak which is probably a sign it's permanent and just something we have to live with. Now that people have started dying again from H5N1, I'd rather not take any chances. Someone made a comment in another post that the people who died in Cambodia, contracted H5N1 because of poor hygiene, but be honest....we handle our chickens a lot, most of us without gloves/respirators/full body protection. How different do you think we are from people raising chickens in developing countries? The first thing many of us do when we have a sick bird is...bring it inside! (hey, I do it too) All I'm saying is, one of us is just as likely to contract it as anyone raising chickens in any country, and it's smart to consider increasing your biocontrol procedures now, and probably forever. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure-love those old sayings.

Old post but just got off the phone with Texas A&M about doing a necropsy. I specificity asked if they reported positive finds of AF. That I didn't want people showing up to cull my flock. She stated that they are required by law to report any positive finding. It is one of the test they do during a necropsy.
I know my tin foil hat is a bit tight but it sure feels like a rock & hard place.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Old post but just got off the phone with Texas A&M about doing a necropsy. I specificity asked if they reported positive finds of AF. That I didn't want people showing up to cull my flock. She stated that they are required by law to report any positive finding. It is one of the test they do during a necropsy.
I know my tin foil hat is a bit tight but it sure feels like a rock & hard place.

That's the case in every State I've looked at - admittedly not all of them. Applies to the local vet in most (if not all) cases as well, though its more clearly spelled out in some statutes than others