Avian influenza found in South Carolina

[Chickeeaholic]

Could you have a pulley system that opens a pop door into the secondary area? That way you could open it from another location. I did one with 2 pulleys and wire where I lived before so I could be outside and still open the pop door. Not sure this helps your situation?

I was originally planning to build an 8x10 coop with a covered 10x15 run for 9 hens. Now I’m planning to make the coop larger and use repurposed windows and doors to completely enclose the run.

From what I’m reading we have a hot summer to possibly buy us time to get the coop’s ready for potential full lockdown should it get as bad as the UK here. The heat I understand kills the virus back through the summer. Sadly I anticipate it will get that bad but we do have time and at least know what’s coming.

 

[3KillerBs]

Basically, we are waiting on viruses to do what they usually do. Killing the host is NOT the goal of a virus. It needs the host to live, so it can be passed on. Over time, virii tend to become more transmissible, and less lethal. At least, successful virii. In short, either it burns itself out, or it becomes endemic.

Stuff we should have all learned in high school biology class.

 

[Sally PB]

AI arrived in Livingston county, Michigan this week, and it's close to home. Our birds will be staying inside, which is a pain, but is working so far.

Sending hope and positive waves, Mary!

And hugs!

 

[NanaK]

Stuff we should have all learned in high school biology class.

But my HS biology class was a looooong time ago.

 

[WIchickMama]

Looks like a recent flock under the 100 mile mark from us has been detected. Knew it was coming ;( we just had a huge rise in song birds the last week.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

Looks like a recent flock under the 100 mile mark from us has been detected. Knew it was coming ;( we just had a huge rise in song birds the last week.

I'm sorry, I hope your birds will still be safe from it.

 

[Folly's place]

Some pathogens become less lethal over time, true. However, 'less lethal' is relative! Populations who are comprised of individuals descended from survivors will have better survival rates; smallpox, measles, and syphilis are all examples of that.
Vaccinations change the picture too, when there's an available and widely used product available. Then, on a population level, better inherited survival rates don't matter so much, and likely in the face of an outbreak among the unvaccinated, survival/ serious illnesses would again be higher.
And plague: never camp on a prairie dog town!!!
Also, having wonderful genetic resistance to disease A doesn't mean anything if disease B turns up.
Epidemiology!
Mary

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Some pathogens become less lethal over time, true. However, 'less lethal' is relative! Populations who are comprised of individuals descended from survivors will have better survival rates; smallpox, measles, and syphilis are all examples of that.
Vaccinations change the picture too, when there's an available and widely used product available. Then, on a population level, better inherited survival rates don't matter so much, and likely in the face of an outbreak among the unvaccinated, survival/ serious illnesses would again be higher.
And plague: never camp on a prairie dog town!!!
Also, having wonderful genetic resistance to disease A doesn't mean anything if disease B turns up.
Epidemiology!
Mary

Yeah, Life is Complicated.

and waiting on a virus to randomly mutate into a less lethal (remember, its only got to be less lethal enough to have a better chance at spreading!) variety can be a long wait. Vaccines are game changers for the living, but don't have clear and uncontroverted effects on the "less lethal" trend we saw in history.

Also, there are too too many Influenza virii!

 

[Folly's place]

Influenza is one of those viruses that moves through populations and different species easily, and has generally been 'milder' than many others, so it just rolls on and on.
We can all be very glad that this variant isn't as bad for us as it is for our chickens!
Mary

 

[Tervuren]

Well AI is over the Rockies, two cases in two different counties in southern Idaho. And of course my girls made a break for it while I was changing their water yesterday. Thankfully they have a good recall (aided with a little bit of scratch) so they were back in the run quick lol. I have a good set up to contain them and coop shoes, but still stressful! Lots of waterfowl around; geese on top of houses and mallards nesting around the neighborhood.