How are you preventing Avian Flu in your flock?

[MROO]

How's everyone holding up? It's been a while since the last post, here.
It's been relatively quiet here (east coast, US) since May, so restrictions on feeding wild birds have been lifted (not at MTY place, yet, though!) I'd been thinking "So far, so good." Apparently, I was premature. There's been a significant wild bird outbreak (mostly black vultures) right across the Delaware Bay, in New Jersey. So much for letting this summer's babies free range for a bit. {{{ ... sigh ... }}}

 

[K0k0shka]

How's everyone holding up? It's been a while since the last post, here.
It's been relatively quiet here (east coast, US) since May, so restrictions on feeding wild birds have been lifted (not at MTY place, yet, though!) I'd been thinking "So far, so good." Apparently, I was premature. There's been a significant wild bird outbreak (mostly black vultures) right across the Delaware Bay, in New Jersey. So much for letting this summer's babies free range for a bit. {{{ ... sigh ... }}}

We've had a large outbreak among seabirds along the coast of MA and the islands. Nothing reported in my county and the surrounding area, but I'm not bringing out my wild bird feeder quite yet. The birds can still find food out there, the growing season isn't over yet. I usually only bring it out in the winter when there's nothing else to eat anyway, so I might do that again when the snow begins to fall. I don't free range my chickens, so nothing has really changed there either.

 

[Iluveggers]

My girls have been staying in their covered run, and walkway to the garden (not covered, but never see othrt birds there. I really want to let them into our veggie garden soon, but there are occasional cardinals, sparrows, and some tiny yellow wild birds that perch on the posts and my bean tepees a few times a day. Do you think they pose a horrible risk? We have a hawk that flies over a few times a day, but if I put them on garden cleanup duty I’ll stay out there with them as a human hawk deterrant. Thoughts?

 

[K0k0shka]

My girls have been staying in their covered run, and walkway to the garden (not covered, but never see othrt birds there. I really want to let them into our veggie garden soon, but there are occasional cardinals, sparrows, and some tiny yellow wild birds that perch on the posts and my bean tepees a few times a day. Do you think they pose a horrible risk? We have a hawk that flies over a few times a day, but if I put them on garden cleanup duty I’ll stay out there with them as a human hawk deterrant. Thoughts?

Small birds don't seem to be the ones most affected, though they are certainly not immune. I'd say the risk is small, but not zero. If it was just small birds, I'd probably let my chickens into the garden to do clean-up occasionally. But my situation is a little different in that we have wild waterfowl that fly overhead regularly, to/from the nearby river, ponds and swamps, and waterfowl have been significantly affected, so in my case I'm keeping my chickens in their covered run just in case.

 

[Folly's place]

It's never zero risk, even with you right there! As far as AI is concerned, we are thinking about locking our chickens in again, as the wild fowl migration is ramping up.
Mary

 

[MROO]

We've had a large outbreak among seabirds along the coast of MA and the islands. Nothing reported in my county and the surrounding area, but I'm not bringing out my wild bird feeder quite yet. The birds can still find food out there, the growing season isn't over yet. I usually only bring it out in the winter when there's nothing else to eat anyway, so I might do that again when the snow begins to fall. I don't free range my chickens, so nothing has really changed there either.

Hopefully, the winter cold will kill the virus off.
In the meantime, I don't free range anymore, either, but my birds have contact with natural ground in their run. I like to put my babies out to "graze" - under direct supervision, of course - a few times to get them acclimated to whatever's in the soil. We have a pretty high coccidia load, here, and it helps to harden up their systems before they integrate into the main flock. Since they can't go out in the grass to play, I may build them a dust bath using soil from the run. If anyone has other ideas, I'm open to suggestion, We'll lick this monster, one way or another!

 

[Folly's place]

Cold won't kill this virus! Freezing is a way to store viruses generally.
Having a solid roof over the run keeps wild bird poo out of it, so those areas will be safest.
And those 'coop only' shoes or boots, that don't walk on uncovered ground.
I'd love to think that things will be better this fall and next year, but am doubtful. it would be nice though.
Mary

 

[MROO]

Cold won't kill this virus! Freezing is a way to store viruses generally.
Having a solid roof over the run keeps wild bird poo out of it, so those areas will be safest.
And those 'coop only' shoes or boots, that don't walk on uncovered ground.
I'd love to think that things will be better this fall and next year, but am doubtful. it would be nice though.
Mary

Unfortunately, you're probably right. Cold didn't kill Covid, so I can't imagine it would do in the flu ... but a Gal can hope! I keep footgear hanging in my coop (it's a walk-in) and no one goes into the run at all except for the occasional clean it out, so we're good there. My coop is a converted playhouse with two oversized sandboxes (both covered) as runs. I'd like to convert the swing-set's A-frame to a walk-in run. I have most of what I need, except for the half-inch hardware cloth. That stuff's like gold, around here, right now - and about as costly. I'm thinking of putting a little bug in Santa's ear. I wonder how big a stocking I'd need?

 

[MROO]

My girls have been staying in their covered run, and walkway to the garden (not covered, but never see othrt birds there. I really want to let them into our veggie garden soon, but there are occasional cardinals, sparrows, and some tiny yellow wild birds that perch on the posts and my bean tepees a few times a day. Do you think they pose a horrible risk? We have a hawk that flies over a few times a day, but if I put them on garden cleanup duty I’ll stay out there with them as a human hawk deterrant. Thoughts?

I had a hawk take a pullet just a dozen feet away from me! After that, I kept the dog with me. My birds haven't free-ranged in almost two years, though, since the virus first showed up just over our (very close) state line. I cut lots of fresh weeds and grass for them and put the garden "pulls" and deadheads in with them, but it's just not the same as watching them have a blast in the grass!

 

[raingarden]

Hopefully, the winter cold will kill the virus off.
In the meantime, I don't free range anymore, either, but my birds have contact with natural ground in their run. I like to put my babies out to "graze" - under direct supervision, of course - a few times to get them acclimated to whatever's in the soil. We have a pretty high coccidia load, here, and it helps to harden up their systems before they integrate into the main flock. Since they can't go out in the grass to play, I may build them a dust bath using soil from the run. If anyone has other ideas, I'm open to suggestion, We'll lick this monster, one way or another!

AI virus will die if exposed to 77F or above for 24 hours. So, if you have a night time high of 77 F or above, it should clear the virus locally. The migrants from the north are the danger.

There have been recently reported cases in Alberta and Quebec