Kinda Terrified!

[Laineybug]

So just read a bunch of terrifying posts about New Castles in Az on FB. It's in Coconino county and I am in Pima which is in vail/Tucson. However, it kinda has me scared for the Fair we have coming up in about 2 weeks. Would they cancel the shows if it got close? And is there any prevention methods I could do? I don't want to end up culling my flock of like 45 birds, they are my babies, I love them. Some of my first memories with them. Any advice moving forward with this? Is there anything I should know?

 

[Kathy Golla]

@Morrigan , @Brahma Chicken5000, @h2oratt, @lissalischicks what do you think?
@Laineybug The feds are recommending if you take poultry to a fair you quarantine the bird for 30 days before you reintroduce and practice bio security in and out.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Firstly forget about attending that show even if it doesn’t get cancelled. Do you really want to possibly risk bringing vND back with you?
If you are able to I would recommend keeping your flock confined to a covered run until the case has been resolved.
Up your biosecurity significantly. That means no buying new birds or selling birds from your flock-for now at least.
All visitors whether they have poultry or not and even if they haven’t come into contact with poultry should be made to wear plastic bags on their shoes if they go near the poultry. Sanitize your shoes when going to the feed store.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Agreed. Basically, you should be acting as though every bird but yours is infected.
See if you can find a way to get feed online, maybe.

 

[Laineybug]

Yea. I will look into it. It's about 350 miles from us and its one case so far so I have to wait and see. I am gonna take this advice very seriously though. Its going to be hard though because Pima county fair is huge and super important because of the auction and the thrill of showing. Thank you! Keep you posted

 

[staceyj]

So just read a bunch of terrifying posts about New Castles in Az on FB. It's in Coconino county and I am in Pima which is in vail/Tucson. However, it kinda has me scared for the Fair we have coming up in about 2 weeks. Would they cancel the shows if it got close? And is there any prevention methods I could do? I don't want to end up culling my flock of like 45 birds, they are my babies, I love them. Some of my first memories with them. Any advice moving forward with this? Is there anything I should know?

I don’t live there anymore, but used to live right where you are!
In all honesty, I would not even consider going to the fair this year. Not even if my kids were in 4-H and were looking forward to it all year.
Part of what they are supposed to learn about is good animal stewardship.
That is completely antithetical to attending then returning home and putting your own flock at risk by carrying the virus home on your bodies
Or
By exposing your own healthy bird at the fair then bringing them back to your flock as a carrier.

Just my opinion. But wanted to share because of the location.

Editing here to add that culling your whole flock would definitely cancel out the fun of the auction or the thrill of showing.