The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Cearbhael]

Congrats to McCoy Poultry on that new color!! Very pretty, as all the laced patterns are!!

 

[McCoyPoultry]

Congrats to McCoy Poultry on that new color!! Very pretty, as all the laced patterns are!!

Thank you very much we are about to order 6 to 10 chicks depending on how much I get for my goats lol

 

[Cearbhael]

OMG the channel 4 news in Mpls, just announced that the 9th confirmed case of Avian Flu has struck. All cases have been Turkey Farms and each case has involved 30,000 to 65, 000 Turkey's. I am staggered by the numbers and how fast it is spreading! So far it has not struck any chicken farms but Golden Plump is your usual "commercial" farms and all use enclosed multi floor coops with all chickens "contained". As cruel as I feel commercial chick farming is, it does protect them from wild fowl. Turkey's around here seem to be kept in HUGE open pens with cover where the feed is delivered. Obviously they are very vulnerable. I worry about our backyard breeders who may be "free ranging" their flocks. Sounds to me everyone should locking down and keeping their flocks in enclosed runs.

 

[rockinpaints]

OMG the channel 4 news in Mpls, just announced that the 9th confirmed case of Avian Flu has struck. All cases have been Turkey Farms and each case has involved 30,000 to 65, 000 Turkey's. I am staggered by the numbers and how fast it is spreading! So far it has not struck any chicken farms but Golden Plump is your usual "commercial" farms and all use enclosed multi floor coops with all chickens "contained". As cruel as I feel commercial chick farming is, it does protect them from wild fowl. Turkey's around here seem to be kept in HUGE open pens with cover where the feed is delivered. Obviously they are very vulnerable. I worry about our backyard breeders who may be "free ranging" their flocks. Sounds to me everyone should locking down and keeping their flocks in enclosed runs.

We keep our 2015 H5N2 Avian Influenza page up to date with the latest cases if anyone needs up to date information. The latest case in Meeker County, MN was 310,000 turkeys. If th link above does not work you can copy and paste this one http://thefancychick.com/blog/avian-influenza-2015-outbreak/

It is believed it is a breech in bio-security in the poultry farms, you might want to read this page as well

if you haven't already
http://thefancychick.com/blog/poultry-bio-security/

Hope everyone stays safe ( everyone's chicklets that is

) in the midst of this ugly H5N2 outbreak

 

[Cearbhael]

Wow, just found out that the latest Turkey Farm hit by Avian Flu, here in MN, has to destroy 300,000 birds. Seems the numbers are far higher than I thought!

 

[rockinpaints]

I probably should explain the "breech in Bio-security", meaning someone is bringing it into the facilities on shoes/clothing etc. With each new case that is confirmed, the surrounding area is tested, wild birds, water fowl, soil and rodents to try to find the source of contamination. The process goes something like: a 6 mile quarantine perimeter is set up for all poultry. All farms with poultry inside the circle are notified, quarantine and tested over a period of time. No birds in or out till the quarantine is over. (time varies depending on positive cases)

Turkeys are probably hit hardest as they are more susceptible to upper respiratory disease, however there are several cases of chickens - only one case is a commercial chicken farm and that is in WA- the others were back yard breeders.

Hope this information is helpful.

 

[kittydoc]

OMG the channel 4 news in Mpls, just announced that the 9th confirmed case of Avian Flu has struck. All cases have been Turkey Farms and each case has involved 30,000 to 65, 000 Turkey's. I am staggered by the numbers and how fast it is spreading! So far it has not struck any chicken farms but Golden Plump is your usual "commercial" farms and all use enclosed multi floor coops with all chickens "contained". As cruel as I feel commercial chick farming is, it does protect them from wild fowl. Turkey's around here seem to be kept in HUGE open pens with cover where the feed is delivered. Obviously they are very vulnerable. I worry about our backyard breeders who may be "free ranging" their flocks. Sounds to me everyone should locking down and keeping their flocks in enclosed runs.

Not entirely true that this has not struck any chicken farms. There have been chicken operations affected--just not in Minnesota. Turkeys are 100X more susceptible than chickens to this particular strain of virus, though more than one strain of highly pathogenic (very severe) avian flu have been identified this year.

 

[Cearbhael]

When I said no chickens, I was referring strictly to my area, MN. I am aware that other states have had different scenarios, but in MN we are only so far seeing it hit large commercial Turkey farms.

 

[Cearbhael]

Rockinpaints, I am in agreement with you, I think it is being carried in by poor bio security. Of course the news says the suspect wild fowl are bringing it in. I read somewhere, the other day that Investigators at a few of the first hit Turkey farms had ruled out wild fowl. I am getting mixed messages from news sources and official reports as to what is happening in my state. Actually, it is poor bio security in any case, since the wild fowl can land and mingle with the Turkey flocks. I am sure free food does attract water fowl like ducks and geese just like bird feeders attract song birds.

 

[rockinpaints]

Rockinpaints, I am in agreement with you, I think it is being carried in by poor bio security. Of course the news says the suspect wild fowl are bringing it in. I read somewhere, the other day that Investigators at a few of the first hit Turkey farms had ruled out wild fowl. I am getting mixed messages from news sources and official reports as to what is happening in my state. Actually, it is poor bio security in any case, since the wild fowl can land and mingle with the Turkey flocks. I am sure free food does attract water fowl like ducks and geese just like bird feeders attract song birds.

I guess it was my understanding they were closed flocks of turkeys, that the wild birds and water fowl could not mingle with the flocks, and good bio-security was in place, is this not true? I am not sure why there is not more released about it to the public. People who do not have poultry are completely oblivious to the entire situation or the magnitude of the impact it can have.

Even my neighbors and family members who do not have poultry had heard nothing about it through the media (I send them mass emails on updates

). I receive news letters on the latest updates through [email protected], and frequent the USDA/APHIS website. I think knowledge is power and this is most certainly news worthy, it affects all of us in some way even you do not own poultry. And sadly it is going to be crippling to MN.

First cases were reported in December but few people know about it, 5 months later. A bit of road rage can happen and it is televised coast to coast.

I understand not causing unnecessary panic but I think to better protect our flocks we need to be well informed.

Cearbhael sorry you are in the highest danger zone

do you currently have poultry?