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

[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.

 

[K0k0shka]

I don't free range for any reason, so avian flu hasn't really made much of a difference for me, except that I don't let outside people into my run anymore and the family changes shoes when visiting the chickens. Tiny birds like sparrows can physically still get into the run, but I keep my feed in the coop, so they have no reason to go in the run and so far I haven't seen them try. Sparrows and other small non-migratory birds are not a big risk anyway, it's mostly waterfowl and migratory birds that are the problem.

 

[centrarchid]

If avian flu can get into bio secure commercial settings, they it can get into enclosed flocks as well. The big farm operations have been investing far more in the process because they must.

 

[Audi0]

I have all different types of game chickens from American gamefowl, to Sumatra gamefowl, from Indian Rampuri Asil gamefowl, to Belgian Game (Brugse type). I keep all of them confined during the late fall through the winter just for piece of mind, and because most of the free range goodies are gone come the cold parts of the year. Never had a problem with predation in the past (EVER!) do to my chickens being smarter, and more anti predator then most standard farm type breed because they are gamefowl chickens, that still retained their wild game instincts. During the spring, summer, and early-mid fall they have free rain of multiple acres in the country. I also have been a strong believer of preventative measures when it comes to keeping my chickens immune systems strong, and healthy by putting organic apple cider vinegar in their waterers (use plastic waterers not metal waterers when using ACV). I put 2 tsp ACV per gallon of water. I do it every water change. ACV has antibiotic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties which keeps their system strong so not to catch these sicknesses that are going around. While everyone elses chickens are getting sick, and or dying from these sicknesses, and or running to get all different types of vet recommended chemical medications to treat them, my chickens have stayed heathy, and disease free for 30 years. Never had to worry like most do. I also put rosemary, oregano, and marigolds (more natural antibiotics) in their food. I also use organic coconut oil which I feed them (along with the organic ACV they drink in their water) to keep the internal, and external parasites away from them do to the acidity of the ACV they drink, and the luric acid in the raw organic coconut oil which rids the chickens of said parasites. Parisites don't like the raised acidic blood of the chicken and stay away, and out of them which also helps keep them healthy, and their immune systems strong (disease free). And your not going to find a lot of information on how well these holistic measures work except from holistic people who have studied these measures, and applied them with great success. Most vets, and farm supply store will tell you holistic measures won't work because they have to sell, or push the pharma chemical meds which in the long run are more harmful then good to the chickens. These chemical meds might work at curing the sickness, but its hard on their system, and you have a chance that a resistance can happen. And you have to throw away their eggs for 2-3 weeks (a waste), and it taints the chickens meat to eat. You might as well buy your unhealthy tainted meat, and eggs in the store because thats what your doing with your backyard Chickens, which in turns is not heathy for you, or your family.

How do you add the coconut oil??

 

[Egzermalda]

I have Muscovy (8) and Cayuga (5) ducks on a large natural pond that is visited by literally 10's of thousands of migrating waterfowl. Everything from Pelicans and Tundra Swan, Snow and Canadian Geese to Coots and Mergansers. Teals and Gadwalls etc. etc. My chickens (8) also live on the shore of the pond. The coop is "attached" to the pond with an enclosed "runway". All free-range 100% day and night. The chickens do put themselves to bed in the coop at night, but the door is left-open to the run and there is another door from the run to the great wide-open. There is no way I could or would deny my waterfowl access to the pond. They literally spend 80% of their days and 100% of the nights on the pond. The pond is the reason I have them. About 5 Coots have "domesticated" themselves and come and eat with my poultry and are always nearby on the pond. The Coots will come closer to me than the Cayugas.

Last Fall I had 3 suspicious deaths, A young Guinea died overnight with no prior sign of illness, a young Turkey died after ~12 hours of neurologic signs a day after the Guinea. And about a month later I lost one Muscovy to a similar ~12hour neuro sickness. During both the death incidents the other Muscovy were mildly anorexic and lethargic for a few days, but recovered. I did not have the Cayugas or most of the chickens at that time. The one chicken I did have was "off" for a day or two, like the Muscovy. There had been a few cases of HPAI identified in my state during that time period.

So, I am hoping that any losses will be minimal and and thereafter my flock will have some natural immunity. Which may indeed be exactly what happened. Or I could be in for some major heartbreak, but I got poultry with the intention of establishing a sustainable free-range flock, not to keep them locked up.

 

[Serenityintheverse]

I had been keeping them in the run earlier this year. We have migrating ducks and geese all over where I live. But the way my runs are set up I can't possibly keep wild chickadees out of them so I gave up. The chickens hated it and I hated it and the way my neighbors feed wild birds and squirrels it was just a losing battle. I have been at war with the chickadees for ages.

Yep...hate those ****ers. Eating me out of house and home

 

[Mugwumpgame]

How do you add the coconut oil??

I scoop several globs out of the jar with a spoon and put it on a old dish and let them go at it.

 

[KRack]

I didn’t make any changes because of AI. My flock free ranges. I’m also in PA.

 

[Sammster]

I kept my girls inside their run until most of the wild birds migrated in the fall. I can't say yet what I'll do, come spring. They love the yard, so much. I did take down our bird feeder and birdbath, last year. Didn't see the point in inviting birds. But, of course we still get birds. Just not as many.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm in the FL Panhandle area of the "Wiregrass". Technically, we are under two flyways, but the majority of the birds split to one flyway or the other before they reach our property.

Also, as a practical matter, I can't afford the cost of caging and roofing just under 100 birds (at my highest flock count) in an amount of space I would consider adequate. I briefly had them contained to a 40x60 area - they reduced it to sand clay and mud in months, its taken two years to partly recover.