All pets, no matter how well we care for them, will one day die. That's no reason not to enjoy their wonderful presence, though the pain will be commensurate with our joy while they were with us. Chickens are no different, except they have relatively short lives.
Wicked avian viruses can stroll into your flock on the air currents, on wild bird droppings and dander, on the bottoms of your shoes. I have absolutely no idea how the virus infected my flock. But now that I know it's here, I manage my flock to optimize their health. This boosts their immune systems and they're better able to develop resistance to the virus. Because I know about the virus in my flock, my chickens are more apt to live longer and healthier in spite of it.
When I first learned about the virus, I was sure it was the end of everything. But over the years, while I've lost several chickens, far more have survived and even thrived. I have one hen who was one of my very first chicks, and she's going on ten years old. I still have one hen from my second batch of chicks who's going on nine.
One of the most important reasons why we want to know if an avian virus is in our flocks is so we don't spread it to other flocks by re-homing chickens from our flocks. We also take special care to never wear foot wear off our property for this same reason. But knowing there's a virus, we're better able to care for our flocks and give them the care they need.
If I didn't know my flock had a virus, I'd be forever wondering why they were dying.
