Want to protect your flock from bird flu? Here's what you need to know

CEDAR RAPIDS — When Caden Dorrance was young, he wasn't saving his pocket money for Lego sets or new games. Instead, he was saving money to buy chickens for his own backyard.

“I’ve always loved birds,” said Dorrance, a sophomore studying environmental science at the University of Iowa. “And I’ve always been an avid bird watcher and bird watcher.”

Dorrance got her first six chickens when she was in eighth grade. Currently, he has four city chickens. Their names are Hei Hei, Louise, Big Bird, and Esther.

He returns home to Cedar Rapids every few weeks to check on the birds and clean their coops. When he goes to college, his father takes care of them and gives them fresh water and food. Most recently, Dorrance visited the chickens to prepare the coop for winter.

Although bird flu continues to be a concern in Iowa and across the nation, with millions of birds infected, Dorrance said he is not worried about his flock contracting the virus.

The current bird flu has been a problem in Iowa for years, since March 2022, when the virus was discovered in a backyard flock of fewer than 50 chickens and ducks in Pottawattamie County, the state's westernmost state.

Since then, a total of 63 Iowa herds have been infected. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. About a quarter of them were backyard flocks.

Two of the recent cases of avian influenza detected in Iowa were from commercial herds. These included a flock of about 60 chickens, ducks and geese in Clinton County, eastern Iowa, and a flock of about 34 chickens and ducks in Monona County, western Iowa.

These two private bird flocks are just a small portion of the 6.8 million birds affected during recent fall migration in Iowa. Two commercial egg-laying facilities in Sioux County, each housing millions of chickens, accounted for most of that.

Protecting your flock from bird flu

USDA guidelines recommend that owners of backyard flocks take steps to prevent the spread of avian influenza by restricting access to birds and ensuring clean clothing, footwear, equipment, and hands. There is.

This is the advice Dorrance uses to keep his chickens safe. He said he only wears boots when cleaning and caring for the chickens and coop. We also make sure to wash our hands before and after caring for chickens to minimize contamination in the chicken house.

“I go hiking and things like that, and when I go outside I'm exposed to a world of pollutants,” Dorrance said. “That's why I only wear one pair of shoes when I go to the backyard.”

Jean Wiedenheft is the land manager for Indian Creek Nature Center and cares for the center's chickens at Etzel Sugar Grove Farm near Marion.

Wiedenheft once taught at the nature center. backyard chicken course It educates Iowans on how to raise healthy chickens in urban and suburban areas.

“You are probably the person most likely to infect your herd,” she said.

Wiedenheft said the most common way for flocks to become infected is by people caring for the birds, who carry the virus in their shoes and coats.

“What's actually spreading things is the feces and urine on people's shoes,” she says. “That would be the main thing that would spread something.”

To avoid the spread of influenza, Wiedenheft recommends that chicken owners in urban areas avoid visiting other flocks. It's also a good practice to clean your shoes and boots before and after going to the chicken coop.

Wiedenheft said it's also important to keep chickens away from geese and ducks, as they can transmit avian influenza.

Bird flu attacks multiple internal organs in chickens, causing organ failure.

“In many cases, the chickens die within 48 hours,” Wiedenheft said.

In addition to washing boots and coats before entering the chicken coop and not visiting other chickens, Wiedenheft recommends keeping backyard chicken coops clean and free of mice and other rodents. Recommended.

Wiedenheft also advises owners to store chicken feed securely in bags or metal drums so other birds and animals cannot access it.

Dorrance said that even before the bird flu spread to Iowa, he tried to keep the coop clean and reduce harm to other animals around the coop.

“We also don’t encourage a lot of things. [other] Birds come to your backyard through bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths, etc.,” Dorrance said. He said they used to have feeders and bathing areas, but “in recent years we haven't put in a lot of stuff that would scare away a lot of other birds.”

Wiedenheft said cats can also be affected by bird flu. Farm cats are the most susceptible, as they may try to eat dead birds and can be infected with influenza indirectly.

Wiedenheft said that if one chicken in a flock becomes infected with avian influenza, the entire flock is likely to become infected. This is why entire flocks are culled when avian influenza is confirmed.

Wiedenheft said flock owners should separate chickens from the rest of the flock if they start behaving strangely.

“If I see a bird acting strange outside, I set up another small room and put it in there and give it food and water so I can quickly separate it,” she said. . “In a home situation, you might end up putting it in the garage.”

Dorrance said it's important to spend time with your chickens so you can easily tell if they're sick or acting differently.

Protect yourself from bird flu

As the virus spreads, it poses an increasing threat to people, especially in the past year since versions of it emerged. started infecting cows.

At least 67 people in the United States – including oHe's from Iowa. — I got a virus, ACWe have contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost all of them came into contact with infected cattle or poultry on commercial farms.

The virus usually causes mild symptoms in humans, but recently someone in Louisiana died after infection. The person is believed to have been exposed to the virus through backyard flocks or wild birds, and is the first person confirmed to have died from the virus.

The Louisiana Department of Health said the person was over 65 years old and had “underlying medical conditions” that could make the infection more severe.

The CDC has issued guidelines on how humans can protect themselves from avian influenza. If a bird in your flock is infected with the virus or you think it may be infected, CDC recommendsWe recommend:

Iowa City Chicken

Many cities in Iowa, including some in eastern Iowa, allow residents to keep chickens as long as they comply with the rules set forth in their ordinances.

Cedar Rapids residents need a permit from the City of Cedar Rapids to keep a flock of chickens in their backyard. Cedar Rapids City Chicken Ordinance Only allow 6 birds per backyard flock.

To apply for a backyard permit, residents must complete the Urban Chicken Course at Indian Creek Nature Center. Wiedenheft said the course is offered multiple times a year and can be completed in one day.

other Cedar Rapids requirements include::

“Applicants must demonstrate that they have completed a course on raising chickens and submit a site plan showing where the birds will be kept that meet the requirements of the zoning code. Permits must be renewed annually.” Seth Gunnarson, Cedar Rapids Zoning Administrator, told the Gazette in an email.

He said urban chicken permits can be revoked under provisions of the city's urban planning regulations, but he was not aware of “such a situation.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and the environment for The Gazette and is a corps member for Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. .

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