Newcastle disease is spreading fast in California backyard flocks!

[Bonnie Gruenberg]

Poultry buyers use caution when buying birds from southern California. Virulent Newcastle Disease is spreading quickly, it appears.
The first infected flock was identified on May 18th. Since then, there have been *106* confirmed infected flocks in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and now VENTURA county. ALL are exhibition and/or backyard flocks. Many thousands of backyard chickens in or near these groups have been euthanized. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...kUZFvs6-6fpRBYklGbqZeWn5-hFleSn6BdlRkQDKFRsj/

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

 

[Birds of a Feather]

Oh, no!

 

[BlueBaby]

I heard that this started from the poultry shows over there, and then spread to the whole flock once the owner's brought them back home.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thanks for the update ...

 

[micstrachan]

I’m just sickened by this. Scared for my flock in Northern California.
A local flock of juncos is driving me crazy. Can’t keep them out of my run and don’t want them spreading illness (or parasites) to my girls. Had to get some out of the coop when I got home late after board meeting tonight. I really need to replace the chicken wire top of my run with hardware cloth, but haven’t gotten to it. Used bird netting at first, but wild birds were getting hurt and I didn’t have the heart to let that continue. Sorry, went a little off topic there.
This Virulent Newcastle’s epidemic (?) is scary.

 

[Bonnie Gruenberg]

I hear you. I have sparrows that get right into the netting.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I talked to a woman who works for the USDA and she said that the Newcastle disease was brought in from a fighting cock from Mexico.

 

[GrannyHeeney]

Had to dig a bit but here's the symptoms:

How to spot Newcastle disease

• respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling.
• nervous signs characterised by tremors and paralysis and twisting of the neck.
• unusually watery faeces (diarrhoea) that are yellowish-green in colour.
• depression.
• lack of appetite.

 

[igorsMistress]

From what I understand the biosecurity measures taken by inspectors there won't help the situation. Good luck to those of you that live there.