Avian influenza found in South Carolina

[Weeg]

People will come and kill our birds?

Not currently, but in 2015 they did. Currently, at least from what I've read about Indiana, they create a surveillance area around any flock that gets sick. They test all birds within the area regularly, and if they test positive, then they cull your whole flock, and any other flock on your property. If it gets out of hand, they may start massacring flocks again to stop the spread.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Not currently, but in 2015 they did. Currently, at least from what I've read about Indiana, they create a surveillance area around any flock that gets sick. They test all birds within the area regularly, and if they test positive, then they cull your whole flock, and any other flock on your property. If it gets out of hand, they may start massacring flocks again to stop the spread.

Ohhhh… what are the symptoms?

 

[3KillerBs]

i was thinking of putting my birds in my basement (dont worry, its spacious, clean, theres tons of food and water down there for them) but how long to keepthem in there? And when to start?

A covered run area would be healthier for the birds than a basement.

 

[Chicken poppy]

A covered run area would be healthier for the birds than a basement.

Im not sure how i could though, just cover with a tarp? Its not covered as of now.

 

[3KillerBs]

Im not sure how i could though, just cover with a tarp? Its not covered as of now.

That's a perfectly good solution -- as long as the mesh on the sides is small enough that little birds can't fly in.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

People will come and kill our birds?

Depending upon circumstances? YES.

As Europe is doing right now.
As California just spent the last two years doing. (plus UT and AZ, thanks to some bird owners who tried to "protect" their flocks by removing them from quarantine areas - or perhaps were outside of the quarantine areas at the time of their move).
As the East Coast of the US is doing right now.

Testing is ongoing. Quarantine areas are being declared, and "no movement zones" like the entire state of Georgia. Flocks with an infected bird are being destroyed.

History tells us that how much more draconian the responses get to this outbreak will depend entirely upon its severity, and State government's percieved ability to control/contain it. So far this year, thousands of birds have been culled due to AI in the US. Hundreds of thousands, now, but less than a half million, at last count.

If this strain of H5N1 makes the jump to humans (as an H5N1 strain has in the past) or starts appearing in more than a flock here, a flock there, such that it pouts US poultry businesses in severe risk? You can bet that the 1.2M birds CA killed to get vND under control will look like a rounding error.

This chart is in THOUSANDS of heads of chickens. Doesn't address turkey, over the 165,000 have already been culled due to HPAI this year. CA culled 1.2 million to protect 17 million, about 7% of their head in response to vND, over a two year period. They are the 10th largest chicken state.

HPAI (obviously, not the same disease as vND) has already been found in a number of the top ten states, above. The UN's Food and Agriculture program reports 225 cases in the US this year, as of 8 days ago.

That said, don't panic. Take reasonable biosecurity precautions, and hope this goes the way of most AI outbreaks - quickly forgotten. Given the huindreds of millions of birds in the affected areas, we are very fortunate this isn't already worse than it is.

 

[Chicken poppy]

That's a perfectly good solution -- as long as the mesh on the sides is small enough that little birds can't fly in.

Ok. Thank you! At the moment birds cannot fly in, but should i put a tarp on anyway?

 

[Iluveggers]

Ok. Thank you! At the moment birds cannot fly in, but should i put a tarp on anyway?

I would definitely. AI can be transferred if a wild bird poops into your run. So covering it will block anything from falling in. A tarp, shower curtain, etc would work temporarily.

 

[3KillerBs]

Ok. Thank you! At the moment birds cannot fly in, but should i put a tarp on anyway?

Yes. Tarp on top to keep the poop out.

Mesh on the sides to keep the birds out.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Depending upon circumstances? YES.

As Europe is doing right now.
As California just spent the last two years doing. (plus UT and AZ, thanks to some bird owners who tried to "protect" their flocks by removing them from quarantine areas - or perhaps were outside of the quarantine areas at the time of their move).
As the East Coast of the US is doing right now.

Testing is ongoing. Quarantine areas are being declared, and "no movement zones" like the entire state of Georgia. Flocks with an infected bird are being destroyed.

History tells us that how much more draconian the responses get to this outbreak will depend entirely upon its severity, and State government's percieved ability to control/contain it. So far this year, thousands of birds have been culled due to AI in the US. Hundreds of thousands, now, but less than a half million, at last count.

If this strain of H5N1 makes the jump to humans (as an H5N1 strain has in the past) or starts appearing in more than a flock here, a flock there, such that it pouts US poultry businesses in severe risk? You can bet that the 1.2M birds CA killed to get vND under control will look like a rounding error.

This chart is in THOUSANDS of heads of chickens. Doesn't address turkey, over the 165,000 have already been culled due to HPAI this year. CA culled 1.2 million to protect 17 million, about 7% of their head in response to vND, over a two year period. They are the 10th largest chicken state.


View attachment 3003897
HPAI (obviously, not the same disease as vND) has already been found in a number of the top ten states, above. The UN's Food and Agriculture program reports 225 cases in the US this year, as of 8 days ago.
View attachment 3003916

That said, don't panic. Take reasonable biosecurity precautions, and hope this goes the way of most AI outbreaks - quickly forgotten. Given the huindreds of millions of birds in the affected areas, we are very fortunate this isn't already worse than it is.

Wow! I’m just scared to lose my flock… I have worked so hard on it and I have very special birds, who have went through a lot, and my ducks mean the world to me. So If I see one of my birds coming down sick with this, I should cull it?