Avian influenza found in South Carolina

[NanaK]

For one, if any of you have had the misfortune of seeing how poultry is treated on the commercial scale

I am in a very rural area. Born 57 years ago right in this very area. I am surrounded by poultry operations and hog farms. I do not see inside the barns but I know what's in there. I do see the open trucks that take them to slaughter. Sad and sickening. I know people have to eat but I wish there was a better way.

 

[bayareapilot]

Actually, commercial chicken keepers make tremendous efforts to keep their birds healthy and adopt very stringent biosecurity protocols -- to the point that if you work on a commercial chicken farm you are not permitted to own poultry at home.

There are a lot of people who are either emotionally or financially invested in spreading horror stories about commercial poultry, but the idea that birds are being abused is SILLY.

Only a complete idiot would mistreat the animals upon which his life and livelihood depend -- even if only for financial reasons because a mistreated animal is an unproductive and unprofitable animal.

Do they? So tell me how come every time I hear of some horrendous situation it's coming from a commercial poultry farm in the Central valley? I challenge you to be sent the rest of your life in a container that's only large enough for you to turn around in a circle and that's how you spend the rest of your existence. That sort of thing induces stress on any creature. When you induce stress on a creature it increases their susceptibility to pathogens. The stock is expendable in their view they have more they can put right in their place dump out the cage toss the animal to be plucked hopefully killed humanely but maybe not and then they stuff another one in its prison.

So as soon as you can tell me you're going to subject yourself in being in a box for the rest of your life that's just big enough for you to turn around in and poop and pee through a metal grate you can come tell all of us about what a great thing it is. Again you subject any creature to stress and they're always going to be far more susceptible to pathogens. End of story.

 

[Iluveggers]

Back to Avian Influenza?

 

[bayareapilot]

I am in a very rural area. Born 57 years ago right in this very area. I am surrounded by poultry operations and hog farms. I do not see inside the barns but I know what's in there. I do see the open trucks that take them to slaughter. Sad and sickening. I know people have to eat but I wish there was a better way.

I work as a flight instructor. . Often some of the longer flights with flight students when they're at their cross-country stage involve flying over cattle farms in the Central valley. Even flying at 3,500 or more feet the stench of the conditions that these creatures are compelled to live in comes all the way up into the cockpit. I recognize these creatures are eventually killed and sold as food, but it would seem there should be a right way and a wrong way to do such things. Looking down at some of the slaughter houses from the air I can't even begin to imagine what the stench must be on the ground and the cattle waiting in long long line standing hoof-deep in manure and wet looking cattle yards, waiting to be slaughtered hopefully humanely but probably just as often not.

I'd starve if I were a vegetarian but when you see conditions like these creatures have to live through in a rather miserable existence, you wish there was a better way.

 

[aart]

Could we keep it that way and not turn it into a Covid thread?

Was thinking much the same......but another C word....Conspiracies.

 

[3KillerBs]

Do they? So tell me how come every time I hear of some horrendous situation it's coming from a commercial poultry farm in the Central valley?

People love sensationalism and scare stories and both make money and feed their egos off badmouthing others.

Avian Influenza is devastating for commercial poultry farmers and they're sweating bullets trying to keep their birds healthy. Your birds are at far greater risk from the old lady down the street who has never heard of Avian Flu and wouldn't DREAM of taking in her feeders lest the wild birds starve.

Scaremongering and sensationalism about the supposed evils of commercial chicken farmers is both foolish and unproductive.

 

[NatJ]

This about parrots
<snip>
The parrots at the residence had succumbed to the virus, and MDARD is working with the birds’ owners to finalize a flock plan, preventing further disease spread.

If all the parrots are dead, why do they need a "flock plan"?

Does that mean they have other birds?

Or does it just mean they are not allowed to get any other birds until their place is free of the disease? (That's probably what it does mean, but calling it a "flock plan" seems silly if it really is a "no birds until ___" plan.)

 

[NanaK]

Probably. I would think disinfecting of the premise would also be part of the flock plan particularly if you wanted more birds. I think there is a 'wait time' too. You'd want to make sure it was gone.

 

[Molpet]

Probably. I would think disinfecting of the premise would also be part of the flock plan particularly if you wanted more birds. I think there is a 'wait time' too. You'd want to make sure it was gone.

Yes they have to sanitize and dispose bedding under the watch of USDA approved and wait 150 days

 

[Sueby]

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?

I waited for 30 days of no infections in my state & then let the girls back out. I don't know what's right or wrong, but that's what I did. I check the APHIS site daily.

I will say I cringed when 2 geese flew over while I was sitting on the deck though.