HEADS UP AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

[chickengeorgeto]

Yes, and yes. But no one is sure how, or if ducks will look or act sick.

The information that I have read said that water fowl are carriers but that they don't display symptoms. So in some ways owning ducks and geese is the worst of both worlds. They get AI but you the owner can't tell without an antigen test. That and 10 bucks will buy you a cup of Starbucks coffee.

 

[chicknmania]

State fair here is barring all birds coming from affected states. In Pennsylvania, they are cancelling ALL avian activities in the State. Really, I think that's the smartest thing to do, since it seems it might be difficult to tell where birds are coming from, if someone really wanted to get in.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think you'd have to be some kind of poultry show addict to come from a banned area and lie about it.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I think you'd have to be some kind of poultry show addict to come from a banned area and lie about it.

I think there are a lot of people who believe their own personal good intentions protect them against negative consequences so believe the rules can't possibly be meant for THEM.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I don't have a dog in this AI fight, at least not yet.  And seeing that I live in a broiler producing area and that bio-security is tighter in the broiler industry than in the egg industry, I may not ever be effected.  But you good people do be advised that the USDA will not need your local police to enforce a search warrant.
The USDA has its own private police force just like the Treasury, ATE&F, DHLS, State Department, Army Corp of Engineering, FDA, FAA, TVA, FWS, ICC, and a dozen or more other Federal Agencies.  Why do you think that they have been stockpiling billions of rounds of hollow point ammo the last 6 years, it sure ain't intended to kill tin cans.  By the way, it is a violation of international law to shoot a ISIS Terrorist with a hollow point bullet, they are only legal if used to shoot an American citizen! 

These "Police" forces include but they are not limited to SWAT teams, light armored vehicles, Mine Resistant armored infantry carriers, automatic crew served  weapons, and the usual compliment of so called "Black Helicopters."  With today's technology a search warrant is only a phone call and a few zips and jerks of a FAX machine away.  If you are genuinely concerned tis better to hide your chickens like my great-grand-pappy hid his still or how my grand dad kept his WWII black market actives out of the government's sight.  "Out of sight out of mind," is the buzz words. 

Easier to stash some eggs.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I think you'd have to be some kind of poultry show addict to come from a banned area and lie about it.

There is a big show in the fall that is near me that I was planning on attending. I'm raising birds for it now, but I'm really worried about it now. Mainly because showers are coming from all over the country and this show always has turkeys and waterfowl in great numbers.

 

[WthrLady]

For years they've been stressing quarantining birds that are taken to shows for a month to include exclusion from the rest of the flock at home and changing shoes and clothes as you travel at home between the flock and show bird. How many people actually do that?

I wondered, so I asked people at our county fair last spring. NO one there di, not even the 4H kids. they show birds for days on end. Have random people come in to view and touch them from everywhere, and go home and toss the show bird back into the flock.


Ugh.

My neighbors aren't even allowed to visit my birds anyone. Not since one showed up announced with her 2 year old uncontrolled child and a three week old kitten, which she put down in my coop! Not sure which misbehaved more, cat, kid, or mother.

Which reminds me, I need to order bio secure farm, nonvisitors at any time signs

 

[I Love Layers]

I personally think all Bird shows and sales should be cancelled in the US. It can spread so easily through that, I know Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota have cancelled all Bird sales and shows this year.

 

[chicknmania]

Another factory farm outbreak in Minnesota....

 

[mg15]

The news on PBS said 32 million birds. Horrifying. This has surpassed the record 17 million in the 80's.