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September 05, 2006
Big Bad Bird Flu
Chickens all over the Mid-Atlantic region are shaking in their little chicken boots today, after hearing about the discovery of avian influenza in the feces of some of Maryland's wild birds.
The type of bird flu that was identified has been found in North America in the past, and is different from the H5N1 strain that has been responsible for the deaths of both birds and people throughout Asia and other parts of the world since 2003.
Although officials note that the strain found in Maryland is not harmful to humans, the situation is making some of us wonder whether the disease will mutate into a more highly pathogenic form, and whether it will spread from wild birds to the millions of commercially-raised broiler chickens that live in the region.
The poultry industry will tell you that chicken farms exercise a high level of "bio-security" to ensure that their animals are raised in a tighly controlled environment with no potential of contracting diseases from wild birds.
However the chickens - and anyone else who's ever been in a commercial poultry barn - will tell you that chicken operations are not at all "bio-secure." In fact, people, feed and bedding move in and out of chicken barns' wide open doors every day, allowing the feces of wild birds to be easily tracked inside.
Anonymous sources inside the chicken community say they've heard squawking that the birds feel unsafe and are fed up with the lack of biosecurity, although so far none have been willing to speak out publicly about the situation.
Read more:
CONFIRMATORY TESTS BEING CONDUCTED ON MARYLAND WILD BIRD FECAL SAMPLES
Posted by gwen at September 5, 2006 03:14 PM
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Comments
Not all of us trapped in the madness of the large scale poultry production system blame small scale independent poultry farmers for Avian Flu.
Being one of those large scale poultry producers, I know that there is plenty to worry about for the farmer. There will be no compensation for contract poultry farmers if flocks are depopulated on their farms. We do not own the chickens, poultry companies do. Therefore, they will reap the benefits of compensation by USDA.
Should an outbreak occur and small scale independent poultry farmers have flocks depopulated you are entitled to compensation as you own the birds.
Very few independent small scale poultry farmers are aware of this compensation as it is a well kept secret. Under the law, any flock ordered destroyed by USDA, the owner of the birds will be compensated. This comes under USDA Animal & Plant Health Investigation Service (APHIS). Make yourself and others aware of this law in order that should an outbreak occur and flocks are ordered destroyed, you will be fairly compensated
Posted by: Carole Morison at September 19, 2006 10:12 AM | Useful? Then Digg It.
Bio-security or not, the large-scale producers have nothing to worry about. They have placed all the blame on the shoulders of small producers and backyard poultry hobbiests. These scape-goats will feel the brunt of mass culls as USDA depopulating death squads gas poultry without verifying contaigon and then leave them to rot on the bewildered owners property. No warning, no justice, no recompense. We have to protect our nations poultry suppliers and people from this sort of thing after all.
Meanwhile, this sort of flawed thinking will wipe out a diverese, healthy and perhaps naturally resistant poultry population as well as causing untold hardship on people who rely on their small scale poultry for a living or life.
The large-scale businesses count on a certain amount of loss per day. It's built in to the madness. Their "bio-security" often amounts to locking the chickens into massive poultry houses on vast, sterile tracts of land without a drop of water or blade of grass to deter the wild flu vector birds. These cooped up chickens have weakened immune systems from the toxic air they breath and stress of their conditions. By the very nature of their conditions they are both a host and source of any number of diseases. These sorts of operations should be stopped, changed and improved before the diversity of the poultry population is wiped out by virucidal zealots looking to make a show, to make people feel safe, to be seen to be doing something.
Posted by: Podchef at September 5, 2006 05:18 PM | Useful? Then Digg It.