YO GEORGIANS! :)

[livhatcher]

I'm seeing extreme panic in way too many folks about their flocks as far as this disease goes and not enough about the government's overreach in their "kill zone" approach. JMHO.

Note that almost all of the affected are commercial operations. They are mono-cultures, crammed into close quarters with zero immune systems. One germ will spread like wildfire through one of those warehouses. Backyard flocks are not the threat, these overcrowded operations are their own worst enemies, but they'll make a kill zone and say they must come kill your flock before it spreads disease. It's not *our* flocks that are the problem and killing them is no solution. When you do that, you threaten rare and heritage breeds that the commercial operations have no part in supporting. And think a minute-why the heck would they get AI, never having been outside? Someone tracked it into the building, or a sick wild bird flew in and was lost/dead among the chickens in the building. So, the claim that backyard flocks are more susceptible does not wash.

My chickens have zero contact with any commercial operation, no matter where they are located. If a wild bird flies into their warehouse or someone walks germs into it, how does that even relate to my flock at all? It was a wild bird or someone who has been tramping around other chicken operations, maybe the inspectors themselves.

They put federal restrictions on killing endangered species. Our heritage birds are that in this climate. You kill them off, you cannot get them back.

Agree 100% and when I see breeders or what I term "sellers" of chicks & eggs on Facebook using the disease as an opportunity to market themselves as better or to exploit the rarity of what their product is, my blood boils. It's the fastest way to ensure I never buy from them.

 

[brucifer]

I'm seeing extreme panic in way too many folks about their flocks as far as this disease goes and not enough about the government's overreach in their "kill zone" approach. JMHO.

Note that almost all of the affected are commercial operations. They are mono-cultures, crammed into close quarters with zero immune systems. One germ will spread like wildfire through one of those warehouses. Backyard flocks are not the threat, these overcrowded operations are their own worst enemies, but they'll make a kill zone and say they must come kill your flock before it spreads disease. It's not *our* flocks that are the problem and killing them is no solution. When you do that, you threaten rare and heritage breeds that the commercial operations have no part in supporting. And think a minute-why the heck would they get AI, never having been outside? Someone tracked it into the building, or a sick wild bird flew in and was lost/dead among the chickens in the building. So, the claim that backyard flocks are more susceptible does not wash.

My chickens have zero contact with any commercial operation, no matter where they are located. If a wild bird flies into their warehouse or someone walks germs into it, how does that even relate to my flock at all? It was a wild bird or someone who has been tramping around other chicken operations, maybe the inspectors themselves.

They put federal restrictions on killing endangered species. Our heritage birds are that in this climate. You kill them off, you cannot get them back.

I know I'm being Mr. Cynical again, but the price of chicken meat and eggs have been depressed for awhile, and with Easter just around the corner, the commercial poultry industry would love to get the price of eggs up, up, up! For example, for over a year now, Food Depot has run a sale at least once a month for bone-in, split fryer breasts for 88¢ per lb (+10%), and my local ALDIs has had eggs for as low as 49¢ per dozen. Heck, that's not much more than the price that some vendors charge for a single paper-pulp egg carton.

The petroleum industry has used the scare-marketing model for years when they wanted to raise the price of fuel. Notice how the price of gas would suddenly spike when a threat of a war or a pending OPEC deal was announced through the media, yet once a scare would pass, the price of fuel over the course of a couple of months would gently float down like a feather. Perhaps the poultry industry has taken notice and is using the same marketing methods vis-à-vis the GDA. I mean, wasn't there an AI scare just before last Easter as well? I could be wrong, but I believe the price of eggs jumped to over $2 per dozen.

Anyway, the N7 virus found in the commercial operation is a lightweight strain. None of the thousands of depopulated chickens appeared sick. The virus was detected through a poultry blood sample. I'm not worried for my flock at all. I hope you're not worried for your flocks either. It is a bummer though that swaps, flea-market sales and poultry shows have been cancelled.

 

[speckledhen]

I know I'm being Mr. Cynical again, but the price of chicken meat and eggs have been depressed for awhile, and with Easter just around the corner, the commercial poultry industry would love to get the price of eggs up, up, up! For example, for over a year now, Food Depot has run a sale at least once a month for bone-in, split fryer breasts for 88¢ per lb (+10%), and my local ALDIs has had eggs for as low as 49¢ per dozen. Heck, that's not much more than the price that some vendors charge for a single paper-pulp egg carton.

The petroleum industry has used the scare-marketing model for years when they wanted to raise the price of fuel. Notice how the price of gas would suddenly spike when a threat of a war or a pending OPEC deal was announced through the media, yet once a scare would pass, the price of fuel over the course of a couple of months would gently float down like a feather. Perhaps the poultry industry has taken notice and is using the same marketing methods vis-à-vis the GDA. I mean, wasn't there an AI scare just before last Easter as well? I could be wrong, but I believe the price of eggs jumped to over $2 per dozen.

Anyway, the N7 virus found in the commercial operation is a lightweight strain. None of the thousands of depopulated chickens appeared sick. The virus was detected through a poultry blood sample. I'm not worried for my flock at all. I hope you're not worried for your flocks either. It is a bummer though that swaps, flea-market sales and poultry shows have been cancelled.

I'm your Cousin Cynical. I don't buy this. Why are they killing thousands and thousands of healthy birds? Everything they do sounds fishy. If people would just realize they don't care about your flock's health. They want your flock GONE in favor of big agri-biz.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I'm your Cousin Cynical. I don't buy this. Why are they killing thousands and thousands of healthy birds? Everything they do sounds fishy. If people would just realize they don't care about your flock's health. They want your flock GONE in favor of big agri-biz.

Every broiler house stands to profit on a total loss of flock they get paid by head at market value + 10% where as the chicken slaughter houses don't take the chickens that cannot walk and they are paid by the head that ends up T the production facility alive! At what ever rating the market is for that day usually lower than overall average price. So If it's a total loss the farmer stands to gain a profit larger than what he/she normally would !

 

[PapaChaz]

I'm making up a bunch of tin foil hats to sell. Going to be a special price, just 3 easy payments of $19.99, order NOW and get the second one free, just pay the additional shipping and handling.....

 

[speckledhen]

I'm making up a bunch of tin foil hats to sell. Going to be a special price, just 3 easy payments of $19.99, order NOW and get the second one free, just pay the additional shipping and handling.....

It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you.

When state vets voice their opinion that they don't think "normal" people should keep chicken flocks, that is very telling. My friend in KY has been round and round with the state vet who is a member of her local swap group on Facebook that has an actual physical swap attached to it.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I'm making up a bunch of tin foil hats to sell. Going to be a special price, just 3 easy payments of $19.99, order NOW and get the second one free, just pay the additional shipping and handling.....

I have two friends here that run broiler houses that info comes straight from them so what's the thing about tinfoil hats for?

 

[GAMarans]

Fortunately, it's not a bad strain of avian flu (HPAI). However, "as a precaution the affected flock has been depopulated." Depopulated? That's new term for me. I guess words like "destroyed" or "terminated" were too harsh for the general public.

Here's the entire text from the GDA:

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 27, 2017
Office of Communications
404-656-3689

Confirmed H7, Presumptive Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Commercial Flock in Georgia​

A flock of chickens at a commercial poultry breeding operation located in Chattooga County has tested positive for H7, presumptive low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). This is the first confirmation of avian influenza in domestic poultry in Georgia. Avian influenza does not pose a risk to the food supply, and no affected animals entered the food chain. The risk of human infection with avian influenza during poultry outbreaks is very low.
The virus was identified during routine pre-sale screening for the commercial facility and was confirmed as H7 avian influenza by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. As a precaution the affected flock has been depopulated. Officials are testing and monitoring other flocks within the surveillance area and no other flocks have tested positive or experienced any clinical signs.
The announcement follows similar confirmations from Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee in recent weeks. The Georgia case is considered a presumptive low pathogenic avian influenza because the flock did not show any signs of illness. While LPAI is different from HPAI, control measures are under way as a precautionary measure. Wild birds are the source of the virus. Avian influenza virus strains often occur naturally in wild birds, and can infect wild migratory birds without causing illness.
“Poultry is the top sector of our number one industry, agriculture, and we are committed to protecting the livelihoods of the many farm families that are dependent on it,” said Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black. “In order to successfully do that, it is imperative that we continue our efforts of extensive biosecurity.”
The official order prohibiting poultry exhibitions and the assembling of poultry to be sold issued by the state veterinarian’s office on March 16, 2017, remains in effect. The order prohibits all poultry exhibitions, sales at regional and county fairs, festivals, swap meets, live bird markets, flea markets, and auctions. The order also prohibits the concentration, collection or assembly of poultry of all types, including wild waterfowl from one or more premises for purposes of sale. Shipments of eggs or baby chicks from National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), Avian Influenza Clean, approved facilities are not affected by this order.
Owners of poultry flocks are encouraged to closely observe their birds and report a sudden increase in the number of sick birds or bird deaths to the state veterinarian’s office at (855) 491-1432. For more updates and information regarding biosecurity tips visit www.ga-ai.org or www.allinallgone.com.

One thing that this helps to 100% clarify ... private bird sales are still fine. It is only when a multitude of birds from various locations congregate in one place for sales/swap that is banned.

Agreed!! How are they protecting the commercial flocks as they transport them between commercial farms and the processing plants in the open trucks? Lots of opportunities for transmission that backyard flocks do not have.

The ride from "farm" to plant does not allow enough time for any flu to incubate from germ. Therefore that scenario is not one of an concern.

I know I'm being Mr. Cynical again, but the price of chicken meat and eggs have been depressed for awhile, and with Easter just around the corner, the commercial poultry industry would love to get the price of eggs up, up, up! For example, for over a year now, Food Depot has run a sale at least once a month for bone-in, split fryer breasts for 88¢ per lb (+10%), and my local ALDIs has had eggs for as low as 49¢ per dozen. Heck, that's not much more than the price that some vendors charge for a single paper-pulp egg carton.

The petroleum industry has used the scare-marketing model for years when they wanted to raise the price of fuel. Notice how the price of gas would suddenly spike when a threat of a war or a pending OPEC deal was announced through the media, yet once a scare would pass, the price of fuel over the course of a couple of months would gently float down like a feather. Perhaps the poultry industry has taken notice and is using the same marketing methods vis-à-vis the GDA. I mean, wasn't there an AI scare just before last Easter as well? I could be wrong, but I believe the price of eggs jumped to over $2 per dozen.

Anyway, the N7 virus found in the commercial operation is a lightweight strain. None of the thousands of depopulated chickens appeared sick. The virus was detected through a poultry blood sample. I'm not worried for my flock at all. I hope you're not worried for your flocks either. It is a bummer though that swaps, flea-market sales and poultry shows have been cancelled.

Everyone was saying the same thing when so many commercial turkeys were killed last year a few months out from Thanksgiving yet birds were still selling for as little as $.98/lb in November/December.

Don't get me wrong ... there are plenty of times when our government does some shady stuff but I absolutely do not believe it to be the case in this. They don't give two craps about you and me and our flocks ... they give a crap about protecting the investments of their lobbying buddies and the Avian Flu is a million times more endangering to their bottom line than backyard flocks are.

 

[brucifer]

Don't get me wrong ... there are plenty of times when our government does some shady stuff but I absolutely do not believe it to be the case in this. They don't give two craps about you and me and our flocks ... they give a crap about protecting the investments of their lobbying buddies and the Avian Flu is a million times more endangering to their bottom line than backyard flocks are.

I see where you're coming from, GAM; however, the part that I don't like about this AI scare is that the GDA is behaving as if chicken fanciers and non-commercial chicken farmers are part of the problem. We're not, but the GDA is acting as if we are by banning swaps, sales, and shows. We're not spreading AI, so they should leave us alone IMHO. To me it seems like guv'ment overreach.

As for turkey sales in Nov/Dec, cheap frozen turkeys are always supermarket loss-leader items during that time of year. U.S. consumers will determine where they shop for almost all of their holiday food based upon where they can find the cheapest turkey, so large supermarket chains will contract for sources even when fresh turkeys are scarce. What supermarket chains often do to make up for their losses is to attach a minimum purchase to the sale such as with - Turkeys for 49¢ a pound with $20 or more food purchase. Even if the supermarket chain is purchasing frozen turkeys for $1.29 per pound, the store will still sell it to you for 79¢ per pound. The only place you will see a high price increase is for premium fresh turkeys. As a side note, since I don't raise turkeys, each holiday season I stock up and fill my deep freezer with frozen turkeys. I love to smoke turkey in the smoker...but that's another topic.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Talking about turkeys best time to buy them is in the spring time!! Most go for between 35-60c a pound!! I bought two this month at the store