What you need to know about Bird Flu

There is a great deal of concern among backyard chicken farmers at the moment. Many people aren't sure how to care for their poultry during this season. In order to keep your chickens disease-free during this endemic period, we have compiled the most recent information on bird flu here. What is bird flu (or avian influenza disease)?​ Wild birds, captive birds, and domestic poultry (backyard poultry includes chickens, geese, ducks, quail, turkeys, pheasants, guinea fowl, and more) can all be affected by bird flu, also known as HPAI H5. There are two kinds of avian influenza: high pathogenicity (HPAI) and low pathogenicity (LPAI). Infected chickens react with flu-like symptoms when infected with the most common, which is low-pathogenicity avian influenza. Birds infected with the very contagious and highly pathogenic avian influenza die in 90% of cases. How Does Bird Flu Spread?​ Feces from migratory waterfowl are likely to have caused the outbreak, Even though avian flu can spread in a variety of ways, it is most commonly transmitted from one flock to another by infected people or equipment. Usually, this occurs when infected birds are moved to a new location and mixed with healthy ones, such as when chickens are auctioned. As a result, the disease spreads quickly and infects other healthy birds. The disease can also spread through clothing or shoes. The virus can survive up to 100 days in manure. Consequently, any clothing with contaminated manure can still transfer it to healthy birds several weeks/months later. The good news is that avian influenza has not been linked to human illness to date. But how does this affect backyard chickens? Can bird flu affect your backyard chickens?​ It's true that bird flu can affect your backyard chickens, which will likely lead to their deaths. Your backyard chickens aren't like the big commercial farms that got wiped out by bird flu. Since December, more than 160 cases of avian flu have been confirmed in 15 states. Around 16 of the 160 cases involved backyard chickens. Ten percent of infected chickens are from backyard flocks, and ninety percent are from commercial farms. All backyard chickens must be humanely euthanized if any test positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. This prevents the disease from spreading to more flocks. Nearly 50 million chickens and turkeys were euthanized during the 2014-15 bird flu outbreak. This is a map of current H5N1 Bird Flu Detections (as of 4/27/2022) in the United States (Backyard Flocks) - be sure to check the USDA site for regular updates. Bird Flu: What You Need To Know Bird flu symptoms​ Among the difficulties with avian flu is that it can infect healthy chickens that initially show no symptoms of the disease. So healthy chickens can spread the virus, and you won't be able to see the difference between healthy chickens and infected chickens. However, infected chickens are likely to be dead within a few hours of getting highly pathogenic avian influenza. You can only determine whether or not your chickens have the avian influenza virus by having a laboratory test. Bird flu is characterized by the following symptoms:​ A general decline in the desire to move and be active. Blue coloration on the head. Reduced appetite. Watery eyes Huddling and ruffled feathers among flock members Fluid in the comb and wattles Reduced egg production Coughing Bleeding under the skin on the legs Sudden death Make sure your chickens are properly quarantined if they display any of these symptoms. By doing so, the disease can be prevented from spreading. Find out how you can reduce the risk of avian flu in your flock by taking these preventive measures. How to prevent your chickens from getting bird flu​ While it's not possible to 100% prevent your chickens from contracting bird flu, there are some good biosecurity and preventative measures you can take right now to protect your girls. 1) Restriction of wild birds.​ Keeping wild birds away from your chickens is the most effective measure you can take. In other words, you shouldn't feed wild birds or do anything that might entice them to "visit". In the event that you must feed wild birds, do so as far away from your chickens as possible. Afterward, change into clean clothing and wash your hands. As mentioned earlier, wild migratory waterfowl droppings are also a source of avian influenza transmission. You could cover your chicken run with a roof to prevent droppings from falling in. 2) Keep everything clean and tidy​ It is important to keep your chicken coop clean to avoid your chickens getting bird flu. The following steps will help you achieve this: Keep your feeders and waterers clean and do not allow wild birds to access them. All equipment you use with your chickens (shovels, rakes, etc.) should be thoroughly cleaned. Virkon S can be used. Make sure any spilled feed is cleaned up to avoid attracting wild birds. Every week, disinfect the chicken coop thoroughly. This can be accomplished with Virkon S. When handling chickens, wear protective clothing and shoes. You should only wear these clothes and shoes in areas where your chickens are (this means, above all else, that you should not wear them in areas where other flocks of chickens are). 3) Do not share equipment with other flocks.​ While avian influenza is rampant, you should avoid sharing or reusing equipment from your neighbor's chicken flock. Among these are rakes, shovels, chicken troughs, and other chicken equipment. This may seem overboard, but it also includes reusing egg cartons from your neighbors and other friends with chickens. 4) Set a limit on visitors and visits.​ Do not take any of your chickens to poultry events during this period and limit the number of poultry events you attend. Avoid visiting other poultry flocks during this time period as well. To avoid spreading the disease, wash your shoes and clothes thoroughly after visiting another flock or poultry event. To prevent anyone from outside from bringing the disease into your flock, limit the number of people allowed to visit your flock. 5) Do not introduce new chickens into your flock.​ In the early stages of the disease, it is impossible to visually determine whether a chicken is infected. Therefore, you should not add new chickens to your flock. If you are willing to risk the health of your existing flock for 30 days, you can quarantine new chickens to ensure they are not infected. One of the best ways to prevent this disease, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to avoid contact with other poultry. Nonetheless, if you still want to expand your flock of chickens, make sure you buy your poultry from a reputable dealer who takes cleanliness and hygiene seriously. What if my chickens already have bird flu?​ You should contact the United States Department of Agriculture immediately if you suspect your chicken has avian flu. As an owner of backyard chickens, you should report this immediately and seek professional assistance. Without it being reported, your chickens will be suffering a painful death - euthanizing them would be humane. Frequently Asked Questions​ Below are some of the most common questions about bird flu: Q: What happens if I eat an egg from an infected chicken?​ H5N1-infected chickens do not lay eggs normally. The World Health Organization reports, however, that cooking inactivates bird flu viruses present in eggs laid by a bird infected with bird flu. The egg must be cooked thoroughly. Q: Can I eat chicken infected with the avian flu virus?​ If the infected chicken (or duck) is cooked to a temperature above 70°C or 158°F, and its meat is not raw or red, it should be fairly safe to eat. A chicken infected with disease, however, is not something I would eat. Q: Is there a risk of humans contracting avian flu?​ A human illness due to avian flu has not been reported in the United States. However, other countries have reported complications and deaths. At this time, there is no reason to be concerned about the risk to the general public. The possibility that avian influenza could eventually mutate so that it can be spread from bird to human remains a concern. Therefore, it is imperative that you report any case of avian influenza and remove dead birds from your flock immediately. Q: Should I start my first flock now?​ Get chickens if you want! You should be fine as long as you buy your pullets from a reputable dealer and follow the safety measures outlined above. If you're going to add new chickens to your flock in the foreseeable future, be very careful. Conclusion​ At the moment, it looks like the virus is still spreading. The good news is that so far only a few poultry farmers have been affected. Researchers believe they have found a cure for avian influenza, but it hasn't passed clinical tests yet. It's a good idea to isolate the chickens you take from your property for at least 30 days before releasing them when you go to a fair. By doing this, you'll make sure they're healthy and haven't gotten sick.