# 2015 Bird Flu



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The other day someone mentioned keeping wild birds away from their birds due to the possibility of spreading bird flu. I stink when it comes to explaining things but did come across this article this evening that explains quite a bit on how easily its spread.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/machinery-workers-even-wind-spread-bird-flu-report-n376006


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Indiana has a ban on the transportation of all fowl. That means no showing of my sons ducks at the 4H fair this year.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I would be in lock down myself if I lived any where within a 100 miles of the breakouts. 

A few years ago they had an ILT breakout in a commercial farm. It managed to leave there and infect several backyard flocks.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Less than 100 miles from me.
https://www.michfb.com/MI/Farm_News/Avian_influenza_confirmed_in_free_ranging_Michigan_geese/
lots of them flying through Michigan.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I grew up in Macomb County. Before moving here we lived in TN and had Canada Geese visiting our big pond all of the time. Now I'm glad we don't have open water at this new place.


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

This is pretty scary! I'm going to make sure and implement good hygiene and hope like heck we are ok. We lost our last flock several years ago to predators and finally decided to try keeping again. I don't know if I would start over again if anything were to happen.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Zamora, have you checked out your state's rules when it comes to bird illness? TN was more liberal with non commercial poultry breeders. Unless it was a disease that could cause serious damage to other flocks, like the current flus or ILT, they did not cull but did provide support to the bird owner. And now that I've stopped to think about it, ILT was not an automatic cull. It was left up to the flock owner how what they wanted to do.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Yeah the bird flu is some scary stuff. I have cardinals that all of the time are getting in with my little man however it is the same pair that has been here for 3 years and they are pretty much friends with him now. I don't think I need to worry, but I still have him away from everyone where he is a retired fighting rooster. It is the only pen where the cardinals go. They can get in the other coops but don't they just love little man and he talks with them all the time. I was doing my evening rounds last night and couldn't help but notice I had 2 cardinals and little man roosting on the roost. Then the light from the flashlight hit the other end of the roost and there was 2 young cardinals there, so I guess it's a family thing now. 

Luckily though we ddon't have water around where we are so no water fowl to speak of.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Even with the bird flue, that is an absolutely adorable thing to have going on. What would be ever better is if they got so accustomed to you coming and going they just stayed put.


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