Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I feel your fear deeply. I'm trying to decide what to do with mine.

Know this everyone.

I am afraid.

Deep in my bones.

This has me shaken.

I have dodged this disease twice now with other causes of illness.

Nothing is scarier than watching them pass and be powerless to help. My heart breaks for @SimpleJenn

Bob - there is a boy here in Canada in B.C. who has AI, and they have no idea where he contracted it from. He has no flock of their own, not on a farm, no birds what so ever.

This was the News I have been reading the past two days.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/testing-confi...ada-s-first-human-case-of-avian-flu-1.7109004

This is what I read today and was not overly worried - till now:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/what-to-know-about-bird-flu-poultry-and-dairy-farms-1.7111323

We are all relatively close here in the east, ‘as the crow flies’, and birds know no boundaries or borders.

We have just had a huge devastating wake up call

I feel like all my innocence has been ripped away.

 

[Sylvester017]

I was going to fill my bird feeder tomorrow. I usually keep it full all winter. This winter the song birds are on their own. It makes me sad but I just can't afford the risk.

That may be a good idea since MI, PA, & TX, were pretty much the 1st reported AI cases earlier this year. @Marie2020 's rescue sanctuary last year kept all their birds inside closed pens w/no free ranging cuz of their region's AI alerts.

Where in the world did this virus develop? ~ has it always been around for centuries? is it mutated from some other known bird/animal virus? is it something that just sprang up from nowhere? Migratory wildlife is being blamed for its spread but what's the history on its vicious origin?

I remember back in the mid-1980's my DD's teenage classmate fell violently ill deteriorating in ICU & Dr's were baffled. When the Dr's found out the teen boy owned a large military parrot they immediately treated him for the virus he got from the parrot. I don't know what happened w/the parrot but luckily the high school boy recovered once the Dr's knew a bird was involved.

Just in case as a precaution Jenn's family should probably monitor any resulting family flu symptoms w/medical professionals since they've been handling so many birds.

 

[Ponypoor]

Imagine how many people lose their flocks and don't report it. I'm certain it is under reported.

Makes me now think twice about my thoughts on ‘shoot shovel and shut-up’.

So confusing. What to do, what not to do. If Jenn’s flock went that fast it makes me rethink trying to ‘deal with it myself’ and care for them.

What if I got sick dealing with a flock with AI? Who would care for my horses, the house? Everything.

I tell you this, I am going to be way more careful with handling the animals now. Wash my hands…. Wear a mask cleaning the pens. I feel more fear for this than I ever did for Covid.

 

[Ponypoor]

That may be a good idea since MI, PA, & TX, were pretty much the 1st reported AI cases earlier this year. @Marie2020 's rescue sanctuary last year kept all their birds inside closed pens w/no free ranging cuz of their region's AI alerts.

Where in the world did this virus develop? ~ has it always been around for centuries? is it mutated from some other known bird/animal virus? is it something that just sprang up from nowhere? Migratory wildlife is being blamed for its spread but what's the history on its vicious origin?

I remember back in the mid-1980's my DD's teenage classmate fell violently ill deteriorating in ICU & Dr's were baffled. When the Dr's found out the teen boy owned a large military parrot they immediately treated him for the virus he got from the parrot. I don't know what happened w/the parrot but luckily the high school boy recovered once the Dr's knew a bird was involved.

Just in case as a precaution Jenn's family should probably monitor any resulting family flu symptoms w/medical professionals since they've been handling so many birds.

The virus is found in wild birds.

So it is nothing new. But the fear is it mutating into something that can spread to humans.

 

[Sylvester017]

At least the songbirds are excellent at provisioning and survival during winter, they find their ways. Did you know the black-capped chickadee can lower its body temp, heart rate and metabolism during freezing nights so that it doesn't use all of its energy keeping warm? The wild birds will be alright without feeders, we should protect our flocks and the wild birds by preventing infection as much as possible!

Hummingbirds do the same. We left out no hummingbird feeders the last 3 years.

 

[Ponypoor]

At least the songbirds are excellent at provisioning and survival during winter, they find their ways. Did you know the black-capped chickadee can lower its body temp, heart rate and metabolism during freezing nights so that it doesn't use all of its energy keeping warm? The wild birds will be alright without feeders, we should protect our flocks and the wild birds by preventing infection as much as possible!

Yes - feeding wild birds encourages them to congregate together when they normally wouldn’t. That helps spread all sorts of diseases.

They have survived well enough without our ‘help’ all these eons. They will be fine.

Sometimes we Hoomans just can’t help ourselves trying to help and fix things.

 

[BY Bob]

Bob - there is a boy here in Canada in B.C. who has AI, and they have no idea where he contracted it from. He has no flock of their own, not on a farm, no birds what so ever.

This was the News I have been reading the past two days.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/testing-confi...ada-s-first-human-case-of-avian-flu-1.7109004

This is what I read today and was not overly worried - till now:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/what-to-know-about-bird-flu-poultry-and-dairy-farms-1.7111323

We are all relatively close here in the east, ‘as the crow flies’, and birds know no boundaries or borders.

We have just had a huge devastating wake up call

I feel like all my innocence has been ripped away.

 

[BY Bob]

The virus is found in wild birds.

So it is nothing new. But the fear is it mutating into something that can spread to humans.

Cows are catching it now too. Crazy.

 

[Ponypoor]

Ok everyone - I need to do chores. And deal with separating Laverne. Just in case.

Here is a link to info on AI and protecting one’s flock

https://inspection.canada.ca/en/ani...reportable/avian-influenza/protect-your-flock

Hug your chooks everyone.

 

[Ponypoor]

Cows are catching it now too. Crazy.

Yes I read that. But it’s a different genotype than the one the boy here has.

It’s these huge factory farms, keeping animals by the hundreds and thousands in close quarters. It’s just not good.