# It's our Responsibility



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes, it's our responsibility to do smart things while the country is facing the flu outbreak. What we do or don't do in the foreseeable future can and will affect future breeders or backyard poultry keepers. 

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with AFIS. The government program put in place to be able to track disease in flocks and herds. When it was first introduced it was solely geared to commercial production, ignoring the small livestock holder. The rules they had in place put restrictions on everything from being able to move a chicken from farm A to farm B within the same geographical area to going to poultry shows. People that liked to trail ride were expected to fill out forms, do notifications about the movement from their farm to a trail.

Quite a few folks fought hard to make them realize that these restrictions had a negative impact on folks who attended shows, had swaps or sales or simply wanted to go on a trail ride. And they succeeded. 

To keep from undoing all the work that caused them to modify those requirements we have to think before ordering or shipping at this moment. If we order birds or eggs from outside of our state borders we are putting others at risk for not only flu but the very heavy handed regulations that were in place just a few years ago.


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## Jabberwocky (Oct 7, 2013)

I am glad that my hatching is over.. And am not planning on adding more to my flock either. With this flu now world wide. Hunkering down and protecting my flock is my priority one mission now. I have been a bear on (not that I wasn't before) cleaning and watching my flock. As my wife and I were talking yesterday. We are thankful to be able to have a supply of fresh eggs. So are our neighbors..  The price of eggs in my area ticked up a few more cents last week. That was according to my neighbor.

This is the latest from yesterday. Lets keep our flocks safe. 
http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/
3 July 2015 
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - Republic of Korea
3 July 2015 
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - Saudi Arabia


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

While I am concerned about my oldies where I live now, I can not imagine the stress others are experiencing in the already affected states. There is so little that they can do since they have determined the virus will travel on the wind. 

Hunkering is the smartest thing we can do right now.


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