HPAI bird flu strain H5N1 found in British Columbia

[sierraforest]

While I know a few other threads exist on this topic, I'm specifically posting for those of us in the Pacific Flyway on the West Coast. Like many others here, I've been watching the unusual progression of this specific strain coming from Europe/Asia since January, and am concerned about the volume of cases and speed it's traveled latitudinally across flyways. This release from the Oregon Department of Agriculture reports on the strain being found in a bald eagle in B.C. earlier this month. What are folks doing to try to keep flocks safe? In our case, it's impossible to keep wild birds off our property, so frankly, we're considering humanely euthanizing our two girls (ducks) before the flu reaches our area and infects them (which would be a terrible way for them to go). For a few reasons, we can't risk coming into contact with it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

While I know a few other threads exist on this topic, I'm specifically posting for those of us in the Pacific Flyway on the West Coast. Like many others here, I've been watching the unusual progression of this specific strain coming from Europe/Asia since January, and am concerned about the volume of cases and speed it's traveled latitudinally across flyways. This release from the Oregon Department of Agriculture reports on the strain being found in a bald eagle in B.C. earlier this month. What are folks doing to try to keep flocks safe? In our case, it's impossible to keep wild birds off our property, so frankly, we're considering humanely euthanizing our two girls (ducks) before the flu reaches our area and infects them (which would be a terrible way for them to go). For a few reasons, we can't risk coming into contact with it.

Oh, this is bad juju.

Most folks in affected areas are keeping flocks indoors or making runs impervious to wild birds and keeping flocks penned. I am in Northern California. I may move mine indoors now. Good thing I just cleaned out my garage....

 

[Weeg]

I live in Washington, though the BC cases are a real threat to me. We're right in line with the BC birds and their flyways. I am still frantically trying to get my ducks under cover, but its hard when you have a lot of them. Especially with predator proofing.
How is everyone going about keeping their birds indoors? Just dedicating a room to them and putting them in there?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I live in Washington, though the BC cases are a real threat to me. We're right in line with the BC birds and their flyways. I am still frantically trying to get my ducks under cover, but its hard when you have a lot of them. Especially with predator proofing.
How is everyone going about keeping their birds indoors? Just dedicating a room to them and putting them in there?

That's what we planned when vND was raging on SoCal. We have a big workshop. We were going to set up a kennel in there. We have screened windows in the shop. They can have the whole thing. We will just move all the stuff that's in there to the other shed.

I'll have to figure out a way to get the duckies some way to swim at least a few times a week. I'll give them buckets for drinking and dunking their heads, but swimming.....

 

[Aunt Angus]

And I'll have to cancel my chick and gosling orders. Forgot about that....