Avian Influenza east coast

[KCNC06]

I am also in central NC and have been keeping a close eye on this. I believe they are suggesting that anyone with poultry take extra measures to keep them safe. Keeping them in covered run or inside as much as possible from what I have read. I have a lot of roosters and everyone is locked up at night, but during the day the boys are yard roosters. I'm planning on starting to keep my birds up, somehow someway starting tomorrow. I've heard that this should be over with in 30 days as long as it doesn't start spreading. I believe songbirds are one of the unaffected species. Crows, buzzards, etc are vulnerable to transmitting and infecting others, including domestic poultry

We're not too far from you, in northern Harnett Co. It still looks like it's mainly right along the east coast so far. The houses that our birds stay in at night are big enough for night while they're sleeping but I can't imagine having to figure out how to make feeding areas and water in the houses. Especially with the ducks. It would be a disaster. We have around 40 ducks and 10 chickens. Keeping them closed up in their houses 24/7 would definitely lead to some serious injuries. I hate that I feel like I'm having to choose which is riskier for them. Keeping them confined 24/7 will definitely lead to fights and injuries, guaranteed. Three of our roosters got in a fight out in the yard yesterday and bloodied each other up pretty good. If they fight like that when they have space to run around, I suspect it would be worse if they're confined.
Our yard is mostly wooded and we don't have a pond or anything nearby so we don't have wild geese or ducks stopping by to swim or eat. I used to work at a church with a huge front lawn and we had geese in the yard all the time. Nothing like that here. We've all been keeping a close eye out for wild birds, haven't seen any big birds around. I've tried thinking of a way we could put netting over the top of our fowl yard and just can't come up with a way that seems doable.

 

[KCNC06]

And

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...e-information/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai
Cases:View attachment 2984871View attachment 2984872

Thank you! I think this is what I was looking for. It does look like it's mainly right along the coast so far. Except for those could cases in Indiana. Is it weird that the Indiana cases are all in domestic flocks? Seems unlikely that it could have been introduced by wild birds if they don't have confirmed cases in wild birds there.

 

[KCNC06]

Easier said than done if your run isn't made with hardware cloth and the sparrows are always present plus it's the middle of winter with snow up to up the back of your knees.

Exactly! Keeping them closed up or covering the run is definitely easier said than done. Our run is fenced with just welded wire fencing, it's not square, there are a bunch of trees inside their yard and it's over 10,000 square feet.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Apparently it’s in New Hampshire now too which is way too close for my liking especially since we have a TON of crows around lately and turkeys too. Guess I’ll have to figure out how to scare them off.

 

[katiefloy]

Question for everyone. From somewhere I read that if there is a confirmed poultry case within a certain radius of you; regardless of whether your poultry has it, they will depopulate. If that is the case, it seems like it doesn't matter what precautions I put in place, they won't matter if the guy down the road isn't doesn't do the same. Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[indianaducks]

There's a second case of it in Indiana. Same county. Another turkey farm apparently.

 

[Weeg]

Question for everyone. From somewhere I read that if there is a confirmed poultry case within a certain radius of you; regardless of whether your poultry has it, they will depopulate. If that is the case, it seems like it doesn't matter what precautions I put in place, they won't matter if the guy down the road isn't doesn't do the same. Am I understanding this correctly?

I've heard this as well, though I'm not sure exactly how it works. Maybe they test your flock? Though that seems unlikely since they only have so much funding. Maybe post about this on your local poultry FB page and make sure others are aware. That will at least help keep your birds safe from people who may not usually know/care. If theres a threat they could loose their flock they may at least take some precautions.

 

[indianaducks]

I've heard this as well, though I'm not sure exactly how it works. Maybe they test your flock? Though that seems unlikely since they only have so much funding. Maybe post about this on your local poultry FB page and make sure others are aware. That will at least help keep your birds safe from people who may not usually know/care. If theres a threat they could loose their flock they may at least take some precautions.

Might depend on the state. I've been following the Indiana regulations and it sounds like they set up a perimeter around any confirmed cases and flocks within those perimeters are monitored/tested but not automatically depopulated yet.

 

[indianaducks]

I subscribed to get email updates whenever there's an update in my state from the state board of animal health.

https://www.in.gov/boah/species-information/avianbirds/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza/

Near the top in red it says "subscribe for email/text updates" and it seems to be better than waiting to see a news article about it. The email I just got a few min ago with another update also explains what they are doing in the affected area.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Exactly! Keeping them closed up or covering the run is definitely easier said than done. Our run is fenced with just welded wire fencing, it's not square, there are a bunch of trees inside their yard and it's over 10,000 square feet.

I'm in Western NC and haven't a clue as to how I could contain my chicken's ducks and geese. Their "pen" and I use the word loosely is over half acre fenced.