HEADS UP AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

[WalnutHill]

Agreed. Genetically diverse and naturally healthy people and animals, exposed to natural environmental factors at low stocking densities, will tend to remain healthier than genetically nearly identical, densely housed people and animals.

 

[WthrLady]

Dixon county, in NE Nebraska confirmed at mega farm of 1.7 MILLION birds.

 

[interested]

How soon following the handling of, maybe a sick chick, would the handler show signs of this illness?

 

[WalnutHill]

At present, the current strains do not show any ability to transmit to humans. But as a point of reference, the incubation period for the virus is stated as 3 to 21 days.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Dixon county, in NE Nebraska confirmed at mega farm of 1.7 MILLION birds.

1.7 million birds in one farm. That is astounding in and of itself.

 

[microchick]

Yes, but think of the quality of life those birds have. I look outside at our flock happily acting like chickens and want to cry for those poor birds.

 

[mg15]

I wouldn't even call 1.7 million birds in an industrial complex a farm.

 

[SueIowa]

So I have a little news to share about the current situation in northwest Iowa regarding backyard flocks.
A friend of my dad's, who is president of the county conservation board, contacted our local USDA as he has a flock of laying hens.
His chickens are not sick and he was only inquiring about procedures (if any) that the USDA is going to follow for backyard chicken and poultry flocks. Also my dad's friends told the USDA rep he has 27 laying hens total.
The USDA rep. told him that they are only interested if the chickens were sick or dying and that they are so swamped handling big commercial chicken and turkey producers that they are not doing a thing about backyard flock's unless they get notified that somebody has sick birds.
That's all I have from Iowa.

 

[WalnutHill]

Thanks for the update! Please don't think that my comments in the earlier post were at all directed toward you or your farm! Your farm and birds look lovely.

I am sure the USDA is swamped. Last time I checked it was almost 34 million birds affected (either tested and confirmed or at the same facility and dispatched proactively). That said, it's still a small number comparatively speaking. I do hope that hot weather checks the spread.

 

[mg15]

Thank you.