How are you preventing Avian Flu in your flock?

[OffGridChook]

Okay, coop roof is all covered now. My neighbor has 40 chickens and she also has turkeys so she’s going to be looking into her containment as well

 

[MROO]

I have a small backyard flock, mostly made up of Nankin Bantams. They're a critically endangered breed - globally, not just here. They are also extremely gentle and people-oriented.
Until Covid, we did breed conservation talks for local schools and 4H groups, so all of my birds had to be extremely friendly and people-oriented. They also had to be controllable. As a result, every last one of them will ride on a shoulder, sit in a lap and walk on a leash, even my three standards. A Black Jersey Giant walking regally into a classroom on a leash is a sight to behold, believe me!
Just the thought of losing them, ANY of them, let alone all of them, to this makes me physically sick. I have never killed any of my birds, but if it needs to be done, I will do it myself. I've heard the horror stories. NO ONE will do it "for me." I have hatched, raised, nursed and loved every one of my birds. They trust me. If it comes down to it, I will do everything in my power to make sure their end is handled like the rest of their lives - gently, humanely and without fear.

 

[Tumbleweed]

KY, IN... It's getting close to me. . I would not want my birds culled either... but I'd make that sacrifiice to keep it from spreading, if that's what it takes. There's always next year. Or even sooner. 100 days? That's three months and ten days. One hundred days to a healthy flock. A small price to pay.

But, how does our culling our flocks keep it from spreading? It’s the wild bird population that will continue to spread it. I don’t think killing an asymptomatic bird is going to help anything.

 

[sdm111]

KY, IN... It's getting close to me. . I would not want my birds culled either... but I'd make that sacrifiice to keep it from spreading, if that's what it takes. There's always next year. Or even sooner. 100 days? That's three months and ten days. One hundred days to a healthy flock. A small price to pay.

Some bloodlines are hard to get. Not all are ordinary hatchery chickens

 

[raingarden]

But, how does our culling our flocks keep it from spreading? It’s the wild bird population that will continue to spread it. I don’t think killing an asymptomatic bird is going to help anything.

An asymptomatic flock can spread it back to more wild birds and possibly spread it to humans. Once in a human it can mutate into something even worse. The threat of a global human pandemic is real. A few years ago, many epidemiologists thought bird flu would likely be next human pandemic, not a corona virus. Just do what the authorities say.

 

[Tonyroo]

Learn what a virus is and the life cycle of it.

All virus have one goal, it's to exist, and infect as many host as possible even if it doesn't kill the host right away. But as it mutates from various host it strengthens its existence.

 

[Tumbleweed]

An asymptomatic flock can spread it back to more wild birds and possibly spread it to humans. Once in a human it can mutate into something even worse. The threat of a global human pandemic is real. A few years ago, many epidemiologists thought bird flu would likely be next human pandemic, not a corona virus. Just do what the authorities say.

I’m not one to just do what the authorities say.

 

[MROO]

Some bloodlines are hard to get. Not all are ordinary hatchery chickens

That's a major understatement! I have Nankin bantams - only just last month removed from the Critically Endangered list. They are now officially listed as Threatened - only a baby step up from Critical, but it's progress! Worse, my Nannies are rose combed, which are harder to find than the singles. My senior rooster won BIS a couple of years ago at our county fair. It took eight years to get a bird like him and his full brother. Now that my kids have aged out of 4H, we don't have that kind of time to devote to full time chickeneering again. If I lose my flock now, I may never get them back. I am VERY careful!

 

[BDutch]

I’m so sad. I was hoping we had out last HPAI in Mai and chickens and other poultry was allowed to free range outside again within a few days. But..

Yesterday there was another HPAI contamination on a duck farm in the Netherlands.

This HPAI started here in oktober and lasts already 7 months. It is not possible to let poultry free range outside since October and all local eggs we can buy in the shop, are all from confined chickens in cramped situations.

Read: https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animal-diseases/diseases-and-control-measures/avian-influenza_en

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I’m so sad. I was hoping we had out last HPAI in Mai and chickens and other poultry was allowed to free range outside again within a few days. But..

Yesterday there was another HPAI contamination on a duck farm in the Netherlands.

This HPAI started here in oktober and lasts already 7 months. It is not possible to let poultry free range outside since October and all local eggs we can buy in the shop, are all from confined chickens in cramped situations.

Read: https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animal-diseases/diseases-and-control-measures/avian-influenza_en

That's too bad, Dutch, sorry to hear. Hope things clear up soon!