Poll: Are you free-ranging or not due to Avian Flu?

[DuckDuckSook]

Hello Friends!

I was wondering if you are free-ranging your backyard flocks or not due to Avian Flu?
I'm looking to start giving my chickens more time out and about in the spring when predators aren't lurking as much and they have more cover.
However, I don't know if I shouldn't let them out due to Avian Flu concerns. What are you doing?
If you could, please post where you are located since that might drive your decision. I'm in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

 

[Mrs. K]

Please follow the laws if there is an Avian Flu break out near you.

 

[Red Mangrove]

My 50 birds are 100% free range. The door on my coop is wide open all the time and not a single bird sleeps in there. They all prefer to roost in trees

I've never paid any attention to rumors of sickness and not once have my birds been ill. Nature is healthy and nothing to fear. Being caged in a small area is what makes chickens sick

 

[Shadrach]

My 50 birds are 100% free range. The door on my coop is wide open all the time and not a single bird sleeps in there. They all prefer to roost in trees

I've never paid any attention to rumors of sickness and not once have my birds been ill. Nature is healthy and nothing to fear. Being caged in a small area is what makes chickens sick

I tend to agree with this. There isn't much point in confining chickens in a run if it doesn't have a bird proof cover for a roof.
The recommendations for confinement are here in the UK at least to try and protect the big egg producing concerns, not your backyard chickens.
If you are near waterfowl migration routes or have an open pond or large water source close by then closing this off and keeping feed and water in a covered run is likely to be more effective than locking the chickens up with the stress it causes them.

 

[Isadora]

Unless you have a bird proof covered run, I don't think keeping them confined is going to keep them safe from ai. You haven't mentioned your setup so you may actually have something bird proof, but a lot of people don't. I think more people keep their birds confined because they're concerned about predator issues right now.
My whole flock free ranges but that's because I have them for pest control.
I'm in western indiana

 

[centrarchid]

The only my opinion. These avian viral diseases have been around all along and have been infecting chickens and other domesticated poultry at the same time. In the flock management systems in the past where they birds are in mixed age flocks and not confined in large and densely packed groups, the impacts of the diseases where minimal even though death-loss and productivity reductions did occur.

What has changed is the commercial development of much larger flock sizes maintained at much higher densities and each flock represents a single age-cohort with MINIMAL genetic variation as a result of selection for high and uniform production. These commercial flocks are the ones that are far more vulnerable to the diseases of interest and the main driver for the need of biosecurity as we know it today. As before, our smaller backyard flocks can harbor the pathogens of interest, and potentially be a reservoir from which the commercial flocks become infected.

The commercial flock owners may be trying to protect their flocks by eliminating influence of backyard flocks. This done through restrictions imposed by the government. This is even the case when the far more important vector and reservoir for the diseases are the wild birds.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello Friends!

I was wondering if you are free-ranging your backyard flocks or not due to Avian Flu?
I'm looking to start giving my chickens more time out and about in the spring when predators aren't lurking as much and they have more cover.
However, I don't know if I shouldn't let them out due to Avian Flu concerns. What are you doing?
If you could, please post where you are located since that might drive your decision. I'm in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

I'm also in SE PA, I free range half days, we have active hawk situation in this area right now. Just saw the fat lard this morning.

 

[Sally PB]

My birds have never free ranged. That isn't because of AI, it's because of the predators I have in the area. They are in a covered run. Have been, will be.

 

[3KillerBs]

I do not free range for a number of reasons.

However my run is open.

I am currently allowing them into the run because I am risk-juggling with potential behavioral problems in raising some young cockerels and don't want to have 25 or so birds with 4 males (will soon choose 1 of 3 to keep), in the 16x16 coop only without access to the roughly 25 x 25 foot run.

A report of AI nearby would change this.

 

[Hopin]

I live very near a waterfowl refuge. I built my coop and run intending to keep out sparrows, and covered to keep out fecal contamination. I plan to let them out more after the migration season is over.