fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

Had an omelette this morning, from February 4th eggs.

I believe Samuel is fertile:

 

[fuzzi]

Today I had a handyman come by to do a couple things for me. After he left about 3 o'clock I got some tidbits and headed out to the coop.

The first thing I noticed was someone missed the box. New layer, perhaps?

Today's tidbits were pear cores and bruised sections, plus a few bits of pork roast from last week...it still smelled good. They loved it, of course.

Rahab knows that there's usually a couple stray bits in the container I bring their treats in. I put it down on the chair, and she hops up to see what's left.

That's Martha in the back.

Then I dug up clumps of weeds from my plant containers, with roots and dirt still attached, and tossed them in the run. The greens were appreciated.

Two eggs, today, the smooth one was probably Martha's. I heard an incredible din about 10am, and it was Martha. The egg I found at the time was very warm, smooth, light tan. The one left in the run this afternoon was freckled, the shell a little rougher.

 

[NanaK]

There has been a commercial turkey farm in Lenoir County tested positive with avian influenza. Probably 35-40 miles from me and I know you are close too. I won't be too surprised if a few more cases pop up especially in this area.

I don't do anything different other than normal biosecurity measures as usual. When this stuff started we tarped the portion of the run that did not have a shelter to keep out wild bird feathers or poo. I have coop boots I never wear to town especially the feed store. Some make a foot bath with bleach or oxine by the coop. I just keep mine inside the back door of the house on a boot tray. I do wear them in my yard. I figure if a contaminant is in my yard the birds are exposed anyway.

I don't mean to alarm anyone. Just wanted you aware.
This is the article.
https://www.wnct.com/local-news/ove...ocialflow&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/AvianInfluenza

It is not listed on the USDA site yet. They are slow to update.
This is for commercial and backyard flocks.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...pai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks

This one is for wild birds. Mostly ducks and birds of prey.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...vian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

This is for mammals. There was a bear in Hyde Co. a while back.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...vian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

 

[fuzzi]

There has been a commercial turkey farm in Lenoir County tested positive with avian influenza. Probably 35-40 miles from me and I know you are close too. I won't be too surprised if a few more cases pop up especially in this area.

I don't do anything different other than normal biosecurity measures as usual. When this stuff started we tarped the portion of the run that did not have a shelter to keep out wild bird feathers or poo. I have coop boots I never wear to town especially the feed store. Some make a foot bath with bleach or oxine by the coop. I just keep mine inside the back door of the house on a boot tray. I do wear them in my yard. I figure if a contaminant is in my yard the birds are exposed anyway.

I don't mean to alarm anyone. Just wanted you aware.
This is the article.
https://www.wnct.com/local-news/ove...ocialflow&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/AvianInfluenza

It is not listed on the USDA site yet. They are slow to update.
This is for commercial and backyard flocks.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...pai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks

This one is for wild birds. Mostly ducks and birds of prey.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...vian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

This is for mammals. There was a bear in Hyde Co. a while back.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...vian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

Thank you.

Due to the structure of the hoop coop wild birds cannot access the chickens. There's a slight possibility they could perch on the open roof area by the door but I have never seen any there.

I have a pair of plastic clogs I wear in the coop, but if I am filling the bird feeders I switch shoes.

I have healthy birds, and hopefully wouldn't lose any to avian disease. My concern is that some overzealous bureaucrat thinks that killing my flock is their duty.

 

[fuzzi]

Samuel taking his position seriously!

 

[NanaK]

Sounds like we think a lot alike!

 

[fuzzi]

There has been a commercial turkey farm in Lenoir County tested positive with avian influenza. Probably 35-40 miles from me and I know you are close too. I won't be too surprised if a few more cases pop up especially in this area.

I don't do anything different other than normal biosecurity measures as usual. When this stuff started we tarped the portion of the run that did not have a shelter to keep out wild bird feathers or poo. I have coop boots I never wear to town especially the feed store. Some make a foot bath with bleach or oxine by the coop. I just keep mine inside the back door of the house on a boot tray. I do wear them in my yard. I figure if a contaminant is in my yard the birds are exposed anyway.

I don't mean to alarm anyone. Just wanted you aware.
This is the article.
https://www.wnct.com/local-news/ove...ocialflow&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/AvianInfluenza

It is not listed on the USDA site yet. They are slow to update.
This is for commercial and backyard flocks.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...pai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks

This one is for wild birds. Mostly ducks and birds of prey.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...vian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

This is for mammals. There was a bear in Hyde Co. a while back.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...vian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

Maybe if they stopped killing birds it would give the population the opportunity to develop immunity.

 

[NanaK]

I love to read! I read a lot! Kind of nerdy like that.

There is very little written about natural immunity out there that I can find. Little to none from media.

Make no mistake bird flu is real and is killing tons of poultry, wild birds and mammals sadly. It is a risk to humans although rare at this point. It does mutate like viruses do.

The US has/is doing a vaccine trial in the endangered Calif. Condor. I have been trying to follow it. The most recent update I have found states the following about unvaccinated wild Peregrine Falcons. Birds of Prey have be badly affected by this flu.

The Peregrine Fund conducted winter trapping designed to overlap with hunting season to evaluate lead levels in the Southwest flock in Arizona. During this routine trapping, blood samples were collected to determine whether any of the birds showed antibody titers to HPAI, indicating exposure to the virus. So far, samples from 21 birds have been collected and tested. About half of the samples show natural antibody titers to the H5N1 strain of HPAI meaning the birds were exposed to the virus and naturally survived.

https://www.fws.gov/program/califor...ia-condor-flock-hpai-information-updates-2023

I do not really want to vaccinate my birds. I do feel like if commercial operations had access to a good vaccine. The bureaucrats would have less interest in people's private flocks.

 

[fuzzi]

I love to read! I read a lot! Kind of nerdy like that.

There is very little written about natural immunity out there that I can find. Little to none from media.

Make no mistake bird flu is real and is killing tons of poultry, wild birds and mammals sadly. It is a risk to humans although rare at this point. It does mutate like viruses do.

The US has/is doing a vaccine trial in the endangered Calif. Condor. I have been trying to follow it. The most recent update I have found states the following about unvaccinated wild Peregrine Falcons. Birds of Prey have be badly affected by this flu.

The Peregrine Fund conducted winter trapping designed to overlap with hunting season to evaluate lead levels in the Southwest flock in Arizona. During this routine trapping, blood samples were collected to determine whether any of the birds showed antibody titers to HPAI, indicating exposure to the virus. So far, samples from 21 birds have been collected and tested. About half of the samples show natural antibody titers to the H5N1 strain of HPAI meaning the birds were exposed to the virus and naturally survived.

https://www.fws.gov/program/califor...ia-condor-flock-hpai-information-updates-2023

I do not really want to vaccinate my birds. I do feel like if commercial operations had access to a good vaccine. The bureaucrats would have less interest in people's private flocks.

Those in authority decided to vaccinate zoo animals with the experimental C19 shots. Many of those zoo animals have died.

What I don't understand is when one chicken among thousands tests positive for avian flu they cull them all. They're in a building. If the workers practice good hygiene it should help prevent the spread. And surviving birds acquire immunity.

Go figure.

 

[NanaK]

DH had family that had commercial houses years ago. They raised broilers. They said they had random deaths often. These deaths were expected as broilers grow so fast they have problems. If they had many deaths at once they were to report to the commercial owner. Then they tested to look for a cause. Some issues caused the entire barn to be culled. Reimbursements were minimal so they lost money and time.

With all the commercial farms and all the technology I don't understand how a pathogen gets in those houses. The birds never see the sun much less free range. Many maintenance chores are automatic. Looks like they could isolate a few remote houses that had an outbreak. Watch and see what happens. Many will die. But not all. Study those birds.

It is obvious the flu is in migratory birds. It has been proven. Like covid, we have to live with it now. We cannot and do not want to kill all the birds in the world.

Also all breeds of waterfowl do not die from this flu. They need to learn why.

I followed a page last year of a private duck farm in Washington state that was affected during the holidays 2022. Some birds died and they tested the rest. They were not immediately culled because of bad weather and the holidays. The owners quarantined the sick and attempted to treat while they waited. Some had started to recover by the time the team arrived to cull. The owners offered to allow them to take the recovered and study them. They culled them all on site!

I've read studies that say birds once affected become carriers. Never seen any study reporting reactivation of the virus from a carrier. I have started recently seeing reports of some showing immunity like the falcons I posted above. Hope to see more of that!