I've been trying to find information on the current HPAI outbreak in VA, NC and SC, but the information I've found is quite vague. I'm in central NC, don't have a pond on or near our property so we don't have wild waterfowl around. I stopped putting seed out for wild birds last summer when that unknown disease was killing song birds so I rarely see song birds around anymore. The information I've seen from Ag departments seems to say that they've only found the virus in wild birds in a couple counties in the far eastern part of the states, 160+ miles east of where I live. I've been curious if this means it's only in the eastern part of the state so far or if they're just not sampling in other parts of the state currently. I understand that the virus spreads as birds migrate, but how do we know if we're in the path these birds will take as they migrate? My chickens and ducks have houses that they go in at night but I'm fairly certain they'd fight if I kept them housed 24/7. Their "run" is a fenced yard, approximately 1/4 acre and not square, so I'm not sure it's feasible to put bird netting over their run. It's in our state so obviously I'm concerned, but I'm not sure how extreme I need to be with proactive measures. We don't visit other farms or backyard flocks, don't go to flock swaps, don't interact with birds outside of our own flock and until hummingbirds return I don't plan to feed wild birds.
Is it "safe" to assume the virus isn't in our area currently if the Ag departments haven't specifically said it was found around here?
Is it "safe" to assume the virus isn't in our area currently if the Ag departments haven't specifically said it was found around here?
