How Backyard Chicken Owners Protect Herds from the Deadly Bird Flu Outbreak

Pennsylvania as of last week when the deadly flu virus was spreading to birds across the United States The second largest number of birds in the country after Iowa..Lancaster County Poultry Farm Killed over 1 million birds Earlier this month, there were more than 100 farms within a 6-mile radius under quarantine to prevent further spread of the virus.

It ’s bird flu. Low risk to the publicAnd there were some cases among the chickens in the backyard, Local owner I’m still worried. They are trying to protect the birds they consider to be pets from infection.

Allison Sanka, Chester County Finance Counselor and Small Business Coach I have 5 chickens at home..She said both she and the other chicken owners she knows have been nervous about the flu ever since. Wild bald eagle died last month from an infectious disease in the county..

Normally, she free-ranged her chickens in her yard under her supervision, allowing them to dig worms. However, since hearing about the spread of bird flu, Sanka has taken chickens out of the hut and fenced them.

“They aren’t happy with it,” she said. “They scream very loudly at the door and try to call us. Looks ridiculous, but they generally make a lot of noise if they make a lot of noise. I know we’re going there. “

“Every time we open the door, they try to escape … we are very mean, there are couples who can quickly get out by our side, and we make them I had to run and catch it. “

It’s very difficult to catch a running chicken — like a Rocky Balboa Famously discovered when he chased one for training.

Sankas have boots that can only be worn on chicken parts and are rinsed with bleach and water to prevent accidental introduction of viruses that can spread to infected bird droppings. She used to bring chicken weeds from her yard, but nowadays she just feeds lettuce and treats from grocery stores with food scraps.

She also monitors for signs of respiratory infections in chickens, such as coughing, wheezing, and eye bubbles.

Currently, there is no cure for infected birds, he said. Heather Dijacomo, A small animal veterinarian at the Newtown Square Veterinary Hospital in Delaware County, and a chicken owner. She saw some chickens during her practice and her owner asked her how to protect their birds from the virus.

If the chicken owner has a problem with the bird, he or she should call the Pennsylvania Department of Agricultural and Animal Health Diagnostic Service (717) 772-2852 to see if the bird needs to be inspected. Patty Dan, Clinical professor at the Pennsylvania State Institute for Animal Diagnosis. She said scientists could come to them and wipe the chickens to test for the flu virus at one of Pennsylvania’s three laboratories.

She said backyard chicken owners need to monitor their birds for signs of illness and distinguish them from other birds, whether wild or livestock.

“I’ve been working in this area for over 30 years. Perhaps 20% of my work over the last 30 years has been testing for bird flu,” said Dan.

The last outbreak of bird flu in the United States 2014 and 2015But said it wasn’t as widespread as this outbreak Brian Richards, Coordinator of Emerging Infectious Diseases, National Wildlife Health Center, US Geological Survey.Richards said he and his colleagues have been tracking the bird flu ever since, along with partners from other federal agencies and tribal countries. First case in Canada at the end of last year.. He said he was worried about the backyard chicken owner, who has 13 chickens in his house.

In 2015, about 100 wild birds were affected in the United States and Canada. This time around 700, Richards said.Also this time, more species are affected, including migratory birds such as: Canadian goose..

The virus is not so easy to spread and can burn out as migratory birds move north and disperse rather than gather in large flock. Richards said that was what happened in the 2015 outbreak.

“… at least for wild birds … I hope they are starting to decline compared to the past few months and the level of environmental threats is also diminishing.”

However, this is not the case in Europe. Birds have been dealing with this virus for the past two years.. The virus didn’t go away during the summer, so Richards said he and his colleagues were watching what happened in North America.