I don't think that's really logical. Chickens are stationery birds with a limited range. They can't spread it outside their range, which is tiny. Much smaller than wild birds for most. Sure the birds would spread it equally quickly among themselves, as there are also so many of them spread over a wide area also? Unless it is their feed is attracting many wild birds to congregate and thus take infections to other flocks. In which case one would think all feeding stations would be a problem, not just chickens. I'm not saying it's wrong, just that I don't understand the reasoning. I'm also complying. I just don't get the reasoning. It smacks of looking like you're doing something to me. |
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Green Rosie |
I view it like this:
The greatest risk at the moment is from migrating birds bringing the disease to new areas where they can potentially infect the wild bird population and any outdoor poultry (ducks/chickens etc). The wild birds can spread the disease amongst themselves and the risk of them infecting each other increases as they gather around poultry feeding stations/water ... and possibly even bird tables. Take the backyard poultry out of the equation and there are fewer points of contact for wild birds. So the wild birds are probably still the main vectors of the disease but small poultry flocks act as gathering points where infection can spread more easily in an otherwise more disparate wild population. Does anyone know if there were any restrictions on feeding wild birds during the 2006 outbreak? |
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yummersetter |
We've hidden the chicken feeders and penned the hens in a covered run. It's irritated the rook and jackdaw raiders that were born and raised within a few metres of the chicken house immensely but I don't think the incoming wild birds and pheasants even notice, they're all fat, sozzled and shrieking with joy about the fallen apples from two acres of fruit trees. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
wellington womble |
I quite agree, GR. I would imagine that wild bird feeding stations encourage a greater variety and number of wild birds to congregate and are much more of a risk. I suspect chickens are neither her nor there. It's like blaming an old people's home for an epidemic, and ignoring pubs and shopping centres. Sure, the residents will get it, but they certainly won't be spreading it far, and they'll get it from people who go to other community gatherings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
chez |
I think one of the points is that domestic poultry provide a contact with humans. So humans can then spread it. So if the chap who works at Bernard Matthews visits his aunty who has a few hens, who get it from wild birds and he drives through infected faeces in her drive and then goes to work in the same car and has it on his tyres, it spreads. I suppose the same goes for the wild bird feeding stations. I wonder what's happening at places like Slimbridge? Are they closing for the duration? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
dpack |
it isnt as much about spreading it as such but if a human with say an H1N1 (this years special offer ) strain also got the birdy version the virus can gene swap and potentially create a real monster.
the potential direct damage from a birdy strain is mostly to the birdy industry as in humans it usually isnt much worse than a very bad cold and does not easily transmit either bird to human (drinking blood is a bad idea) or human to human. |
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SteveP |
If anyone wants to track the H5N8 cases, a link taken from http://recombinomics.co/ has it plotted on google maps.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=1aNOepBDPUd0zdRnQE1UbSW8djsk&ll=48.811159431015916%2C10.67871096875001&z=6 A long URL sorry. |
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chez |
Interesting, thank you. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Green Rosie |
From a French site I am following it looks like there is a handful more cases n the SW of France plus one in the Alps but nothing, to date, anywhere else. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Treacodactyl |
Poultry gatherings are now also suspended:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/poultry-gatherings-suspended-following-avian-flu-case |
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Green Rosie |
A wild duck in S Wales has now been identified with bird flu. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Treacodactyl |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-38405889 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
dpack |
hope the keep em in precautions work for those who have.
the bbc might be right about transfer of "this strain" to humans but i think i remember some cases of bird based strains being transferred to humans among Asian poultry workers via the birds blood which some drink warm as a snack while working at slaughter time. who linky about transfer of h5n1. the current avian strain is h5n8 but that is no reason to get all vampiric with this years xmas dinner. |
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Bodger |
There were cases of humans getting bird flu out in places like the far east but they were virtually living and sleeping in the same rooms as their birds. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
dpack |
linky to why good biosecurity makes sense even for a few birds. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
efwellywoman |
Has to be said that though I had expected it to be a complete and total pain, my birds are actually loving it in the polytunnels - mainly strawed down, but I'm digging a patch a day in each tunnel for them to scratch in & have been able to keep them in their normal groups (42+26+23) so not getting any social issues so far. They are so happy that I'm even beginning to think of doing the same thing again next winter - no mud, no torrents....I even sat in with my Welsummer flock this morning for a teabreak (yes I was properly footbathed....) Does anyone else over winter their birds in polytunnels? Any thoughts or experiences to share?
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NorthernMonkeyGirl |
I know they're used in some permaculture places to clean up in between cropping periods. Don't see why overwintering inside would be a problem, given sufficient ventilation and predator security I imagine the natural light would be good for them over winter? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Green Rosie |
I was going to put my ducks in the polytunnel but for me it was to complicated - I'd need to fox proof the outside and clear a lot of thing out of there that would otherwise get pooped on. How do you deal with fox security efwellywoman? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NorthernMonkeyGirl |
Extended to end Feb
https://www.farminguk.com/news/OFC17-Poultry-housing-order-to-be-extended-until-end-of-February-due-to-bird-flu-risk_45233.html |
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chickenlady |
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efwellywoman |
I was going to put my ducks in the polytunnel but for me it was to complicated - I'd need to fox proof the outside and clear a lot of thing out of there that would otherwise get pooped on. How do you deal with fox security efwellywoman? |