Is there anyone who currently keeps a small flock of chickens at home and intends to keep them over the next few months?
What sort of precautions are you taking to prevent interaction with wild birds?
Do you think it is necessary to fully enclose a coop? If it is a wire enclosure to prevent chickens from flying out and wild birds from flying in—is that sufficient?
I chose to get rid of my small flock about 2 months ago….You may want to consider that wild birds flying overhead may poo thru the wire top…I dont know if that is paraniod or not but something I would keep in mind…Also I dnot know if the wild birds would be attracted to the smell of the feed you use…
I had considered the poo issue, but not the idea that wild birds might be attracted to the feed.
They are my dad’s and he really wants to keep them. He figures (rightly so) that fresh eggs would be a real treat. I think I’ll just have to convince him to better enclose their yard…and, also, to sanitize shoes going in and out of the yard and coop.
Kristikaylene,
A secure pen attached to the coop should do it. The chicken wire should keep all wild bird out. We added hog wire and lined the entire pen with screen, overlaid with chicken wire to keep insects out. We put a roof on the top of the pen. You may need to educate your dad about being more pristine in dealing with his flock. Also, guard against visitors who might bring the virus on to your farm.
My great-grandmother had a large turkey farm and also raised chickens during the pandemic of 1918. She sold the eggs and the turkeys for money to support the family. She and her children and disabled husband survived by staying as isolated as possible. None of her large, free-ranging flock were affected by what was presumably AI while a pandemic raged around them in the country-side. I wonder why that was?
I am starting to wonder if we will have an H2H pandemic before we have AI in birds here in the US?
I was surprised to see people ordering chicks at our local feed store..One of my daughters had a small flock.( 20) They butchered them a couple of weeks ago..Just to be careful..Regardless of a panademic or not I don’t think its very cost wise to have chickens..
I was surprised to see people ordering chicks at our local feed store..One of my daughters had a small flock.( 20) They butchered them a couple of weeks ago..Just to be careful..Regardless of a panademic or not I don’t think its very cost wise to have chickens..
I have a small hobby flock, about 35 layers and a couple roosters. I am going on a Caribbean cruise next week, and these birds won’t be around by the time I get my first sunburn.
They are over 3 years old, so i just gonna dress em and use em for stewing and stocks…
No since on taking any chances…
I’ll take a look at the whole situation next Fall and see if I wanna order more.
mnmary: It is NOT cost effective, but the eggs are fantastic. And it’s fun. And the kids love having the chickens around.
nawty
nawtybits..Oh, I didn’t mean keeping chickens in general wasn’t cost wise..I love the fresh eggs..I meant in regard to them getting sick~
We have six free range hens on our small farm, and we are moving in the direction of a closed pen. Unfortunately, we live in NW Washington, and there are many migratory waterfowl close by. I feel it is quite likely H5N1 will be in my back yard by fall, if it is not already here. The three or four eggs a day we get from the chickens would be a nice back up source of protein and vitamin A, if supplies at the supermarket were interupted. I may later, but am not inclined right now to chop the heads off the chickens. We will see how things progress.
They should be enclosed. I have a flock of about 40. We haved them coop up. I see no reason why you can not keep them safe. But precaution and preperation is key. We keep them isolated and knowone goes in there except my wife and I. Special Boots clothing ect.. Eggs are washed in a diluted bleach solution.
My few chickens and ducks will be moved indoors once the bf gets to this continent. Who knows, it could already be here. I live in a flyway and my concerns are the birds flying overhead depositing their droppings where my free range birds are and the wild ones stopping to visit the feeders that used to be here.
I am going to make a very long hoop house (a type of green house made with pvc pipe and plastic and very common in the Pacific NW) that leads out from their building so they can partake of the many grubs, worms, and grass. When finished, it will keep all gifts dropped from the sky away from them.
Their coop is fairly large for chicken quarters and they could easily live without the hoop house but I think they would be healthier and happier with exposure to grass.
We have already put some precautions in place. I have a pair of “chicken shoes” that are to be worn in the chicken area only. I have a pair of “house to chicken house” shoes that are worn from the back door to the chicken house. These shoes are never ever worn into the house.
Am I able to go by my rules that I have put in place? No! But I try hard and soon it will sink in that I really need to pay attention and do it correctly. I’m trying very hard to remember to change but I’ll tell you there have been many days when I realize that I’m wearing my “house to chicken house shoes” in the chicken house. :( I’m a slow learner. These are actions that I am going to have to be more aware of until they become habits.
I no longer butcher birds (Oh joyous day!) and my birds are people shy which suits me just fine. I’ve done my share of butchering in prior years and now I just give away the older chickens.
I also keep other people away from my birds not that people ever want to go and visit them. Everyone where I live has or has had birds and they are not so uncommon as to create attention. However I did have an insurance salesman ask what my Blue Swedish duck was. He said he’d never seen a duck before. <g>
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