Avian flu on the rise......again

California is getting hit hard with the Avian flu. Apparently because of all the excess moisture. Be prepared for shortages of eggs and prices increases, again. If you haven't got your own chickens yet, maybe you should plan to do so.

Last month, Mike Weber got the news every poultry farmer fears: His chickens tested positive for avian flu.

Following government rules, Weber's company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens — 550,000 birds — to prevent the disease from infecting other farms in Sonoma County north of San Francisco.

“It’s a trauma. We’re all going through grief as a result of it,” said Weber, standing in an empty hen house. “Petaluma is known as the Egg Basket of the World. It’s devastating to see that egg basket go up in flames.”

A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest.

The highly contagious virus has ravaged Sonoma County, where officials have declared a state of emergency. During the past two months, nearly a dozen commercial farms have had to destroy more than 1 million birds to control the outbreak, dealing an economic blow to farmers, workers and their customers.

Merced County in Central California also has been hit hard, with outbreaks at several large commercial egg-producing farms in recent weeks.

weather.com...

a reply to: StoutBroux

Wouldn't everyone rushing out to obtain and raise their own chickens risk an even more rapid, and wide-spread, outbreak of the disease?

You know why Chicken crossed the road? "Cause this Old Rooster was across the street and pretty Miss Chicken thought that he was sweet". That's a true story.

We have a nice big pine martin and a fox that come into the yard almost every day. They would both love if we got them chickens. Our mice problem disappeared when the martin became our neighbor or tenant. He does like homemade bread and popcorn. I think he sits on the deck and watches TV through the patio door sometimes. Tracks come right up to the door and it appears he sits down there looking inside.

If I was ten years younger, maybe I would consider getting some chickens, but the only way I would get chickens now is if I had them in an attached porch addition so I could walk out into the porch and feed them and collect eggs.

I'll do what I did last time. I'll stop buying eggs till the price goes down.

Thanks for the heads up.

a reply to: Mantiss2021

No, not at all. Chicks aren't the spreaders. Having your own small flocks equals more control. For a family of four, who uses approx. 2 dozen eggs a week (which is a generous estimate by most standards) 4-6 high producing hens would suffice. This is very doable on a very small piece of ground. And remember, breed has a LOT to do with production. Not all birds are created equal.

As scientists and others are saying Avian flu is spread from migratory birds. Using tarps, fabrics or hard covers in combination of their housing should provide the needed protections if this is true. They used to blame backyard chicken keepers but it was obvious that backyard chickens were not getting ill and commercial production ones were.

I am about 5-6 miles as the crow flies from a Hutterite colony. They've lost two rounds of all their birds, in the many thousands in ONE year, I haven't lost any and keep anywhere from 30-80. Migratory birds fly over my property as well. I never covered my birds and let them free range and then because of predators, fenced in about 1/4 acre to keep out predators. But the last 3 years I have kept them more enclosed because of predatory issues getting over my 5' fences and my worry about the Avian flu. None of the backyard chickens I am aware of have had ANY Avian flu.

The odd thing is, Most of those commercial farms, NEVER let their birds out. In fact, the Hutterites let only a couple employees into the actual facilities, and booties and protection must be worn. They are very strict about it yet they had Avian flue two times within a year and lost all their fowl.

I have opinions but I'm not 'educated'. But I can't help but think it's something in the food, their litter choices....it's weird. And for all the hundreds of millions upon millions of poultry birds destroyed in the last five years alone, they should be vaccinated. When I buy chicks they are vaccinated against the two most common chicken diseases of Marek's and Coccidiosis. When I started out buying chicks I didn't choose the vaccinations but later on I decided to go with it, an additional 50 cents per chick. Personal choice. But I don't buy chicks often because my hens will hatch their own or I will incubate and hatch from my own eggs. After all, I have roosters!


SO, get your own chickens, control what they are putting in their bodies, control what you are putting in your body and have your own eggs.