Avian influenza found in South Carolina

[3KillerBs]

I have, sadly, put my hummingbird feeder into storage.

My SIL still has hers on the other side of the property.

 

[Iluveggers]

I have, sadly, put my hummingbird feeder into storage.

My SIL still has hers on the other side of the property.

Yup. No bird feeder or hummingbird feeder out for me this year either sadly.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It’s been a month since our one positive HPAI case in Oklahoma, a wild duck found in my county. Confinement of the guineas fowl has been hard on them so I’m thinking about letting them out this weekend… Anyone else have criteria they are using for when to set their birds free?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

It’s been a month since our one positive HPAI case in Oklahoma, a wild duck found in my county. Confinement of the guineas fowl has been hard on them so I’m thinking about letting them out this weekend… Anyone else have criteria they are using for when to set their birds free?

There has only been 1 case so far in my state (texas) and it was a couple hundred miles away. My flocks have remained completely free-range so far.
If a case was found in my county (or just across the border in oklahoma), I would plan to keep my flocks penned until temps rose sufficiently to hopefully knock back the virus for the summer.

But that's easy for me to say since none of my chickens have been penned up yet. If they had been, I would now be struggling with the issue same as you are, especially since green grass and bugs are now in view. And keeping them penned also creates a lot more work to keep their housing clean.

 

[RubelliteRose]

It’s been a month since our one positive HPAI case in Oklahoma, a wild duck found in my county. Confinement of the guineas fowl has been hard on them so I’m thinking about letting them out this weekend… Anyone else have criteria they are using for when to set their birds free?

We haven't had any cases since the beginning of February. I kept my flock confined to the run through February and most of March, but we let them free range now. We also never have waterfowl on our property and we have already had temperatures in the 80s this month.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We haven't had any cases since the beginning of February. I kept my flock confined to the run through February and most of March, but we let them free range now. We also never have waterfowl on our property and we have already had temperatures in the 80s this month.

We do have a pond and it attracts shorebirds - a great blue heron and American egret visit often. The pond and shorebirds have been my major concern. Temps are warm and dry here, but I don’t know how long it could survive in the pond water. However, I think I’m reaching the end of what I can expect from 28 guineas in full mating season, when the males are at their most aggressive.

 

[Lelilamom]

It’s been a month since our one positive HPAI case in Oklahoma, a wild duck found in my county. Confinement of the guineas fowl has been hard on them so I’m thinking about letting them out this weekend… Anyone else have criteria they are using for when to set their birds free?

We've had several cases in my state, the closest about 100 miles away. We have a wildlife and duck refuge on our property and ducks and geese fly over my birds daily. I kept everyone penned up for over three weeks and decided to let them out on warm sunny days last week. I have broody hens that are furious at the traffic in the coop and one hen abandoned her eggs after 17 days because she was constantly kicked out of her nest.

None of my neighbors are confining their flocks so I decided not to isolate my flock. I find it very suspicious that so many whole flocks are being wiped out even when no birds test positive, simply because birds nearby are getting it.

Lastly, we have two DEC officers for our entire county. When someone shot a deer 50 ft away from my children's bedroom window at 2 AM, neither had the common decency to do anything about it. I have little respect for that organization at this point.

 

[3KillerBs]

I find it very suspicious that so many whole flocks are being wiped out even when no birds test positive, simply because birds nearby are getting it.

There's nothing "suspicious" about that.

It's standard management practice for a disease that can wipe out millions of dollars worth of agricultural animals and destroy farmers' livelihoods.

 

[Nellzmom]

Lelilamom said:
I find it very suspicious that so many whole flocks are being wiped out even when no birds test positive, simply because birds nearby are getting it.


I know I’ll be corrected if I’m wrong, but flocks with “no birds test[ing] positive” haven’t been “wiped out.” Only those flocks
with tested-positive members have been depopulated. Birds nearby ( within the surveillance zones) are being *tested* but only depopulated if a flock member tests positive.

Just trying to be precise (and verify that I’m understanding correctly the process I’ve been watching) as my birds are also feeling the strain of being under plastic as the temps rise. I’m looking at adjustments since Canada geese have taken to flying directly over our setup in the past two weeks ).

 

[RoyalChick]

Apologies if I already asked this and am repeating myself. But do geese poop while they fly or do they wait until the land for the day?
I ask because I have geese flying over but way high up and not landing anywhere near.
I am guessing someone with experience of geese knows the answer to this!