Avian Flu

[bwoods11]

Saw this brought up on the beef/venison thread. What do you guys think, how is this virus being transmitted? The reason I am very curious is my county had the very first outbreak (Pope) in MN. At the time there were basically no waterfowl in the area with the exception of maybe 100 ducks & geese in one river 6 miles from the turkey barn. No migration. The DNR tested all the droppings in that area nothing showed up.

A couple of birds in the wild have been found dead. A hawk and an owl. Not likely feeding on ducks/geese or turkeys.

This is a tough one, I would be interested in hearing any theories?

 

[BJE80]

Its got to be wild bird to farm bird transmission. Has to be. Right? I hope? :eek:

 

[wiscwhip]

They are very concerned that this strain of avian flu virus may be airborne. In that case there is nothing anyone can do, as it does not take direct contact with other infected birds or bodily fluids from those birds to transmit itself. Scary!

 

[BJE80]

They are very concerned that this strain of avian flu virus may be airborne. In that case there is nothing anyone can do, as it does not take direct contact with other infected birds or bodily fluids from those birds to transmit itself. Scary!

Say it is airborn. Is the virus flying miles between barns?

 

[wiscwhip]

Some are afraid that it might be. Or it is being flown to within wind blown distances of those farms after being picked up downwind of an infected farm by a bird that is carrying it. In other words, the carrier bird doesn't have to actually land in the chicken yard of the new farm to infect it, it could be a few miles away and then the air would do the rest.

 

[wiscwhip]

Can eggs be frozen and eaten later, or do they get nasty in some way after the freeze/thaw process? They are still .99 cents a dozen by me, for the mean time at least, I could pick some up and freeze them.

 

[wildfire]

Not an expert, check food source. How was man cow disease being transmitted?

 

[Catscratch]

I don't know about your situation but I wouldn't rule out the hawks or owls as several of them are migratory. Virus's can also be carried long distances while airborne. There seems to be a link to flu outbreaks on the west coast and dust storms in China. Supposedly the virus gets airborne in China and is carried to the US in the jet stream.

 

[kabic]

Can the flu survive in the chicken\turkey litter that may be spread on fields as fertilized?

 

[wiscwhip]

Can the flu survive in the chicken\turkey litter that may be spread on fields as fertilized?

I would think that would be a definite possibility. As with any human or swine flu virus, it is contained within bodily fluids/secretions, so I don't see why it would be any different in the case of avian influenza.

 

[West Branch]

Can the flu survive in the chicken\turkey litter that may be spread on fields as fertilized?

I know a guy that spreads manure for a 1+ million layer farm and they haven't been allowed at the farm since shortly after the flu was discovered in MN. All cases were many miles away, but the owners aren't taking any chances. And he only hauls manure for that one farm. I doubt much poultry litter has been spread in Central MN in the last 1.5 months. Only the feed mill is allowed to bring in trucks and they go through deep cleaning on the way in and out.

 

[leexrayshady]

Peta terrorism? What a great way to cripple the poultry industry

 

[sandbur]

Peta terrorism? What a great way to cripple the poultry industry

I have wondered the same thing, or terrorists from other countries.

One large turkey facility broke 3 or 4 days after that day with the very strong west winds. They seem to be blaming airborne.

 

[foggy]

Feels allot like "mad cow" disease a few years back. Maybe I'm just jaded by so many epidemics. Still.....scary times we live in. What is next?

 

[sandbur]

Feels allot like "mad cow" disease a few years back. Maybe I'm just jaded by so many epidemics. Still.....scary times we live in. What is next?

Except for a handful of cattle, mad cow was outside of our country. And the present avian influenza is not known to infect humans.
During my days work, I drive many turkey barns than no longer have birds in them. This is right in the heart of Mn. ag country.

 

[bwoods11]

Airborne is scary, but really looks like it in this case.

 

[wiscwhip]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/egg-farms-hit-hard-as-bird-flu-affects-millions-of-hens/ar-BBjNkb0

 

[SD51555]

I've never been inside a large poultry barn, but I wonder if sparrows going between barns and water aren't picking it up from other birds at the water. Some days its a regular midwest serengeti at the ponds in my dad's pasture. Bird is dying by the waters edge, predator bird capitalizes on it, ingests it, done deal.

 

[sandbur]

I've never been inside a large poultry barn, but I wonder if sparrows going between barns and water aren't picking it up from other birds at the water. Some days its a regular midwest serengeti at the ponds in my dad's pasture. Bird is dying by the waters edge, predator bird capitalizes on it, ingests it, done deal.

How about sparrows in the feed supply before it even arrives at the farm?

 

[UP Powers]

At opening day of NRA in Chicago today. I spoke to an industry expert in the egg industry on the avian flu. He is claiming that the overall chicken market is exposed to this flu. I don't know who has ever been in a egg facility, but these are not hermetically sealed. There are birds like sparrow and pigeons flying around ONCE in a while and its not an operating room. The guy went on to say that turkey is going to sky rocket in price and if not contained it's going to literally rock the poultry market if hits anything but the egg market. When and if this hits the Arkansas market and Tyson is affected, you might as well cancel any dinner plans that involve chicken unless you get your checkbook out. The guy I was with runs a pizza chain in the top 10 in the country, his mouth dropped and my mouth dropped. This guy said, if this is not contained it could be worst thing to ever hit the commercial chicken industry in recorded history. I was speechless. It's pretty scary.

Here is another factoid.. USDA doesn't monitor pricing like they do on the beef market. The beef numbers are published weekly on a USDA average on hang weight. Chicken is reported...kinda.