Chicken bald back

[gavclojak]

I'm so very sad, we have had several BHWT rehomings cancelled and I'm so sad for those hens that would have been given a new start. I am aware of other rehomings going on but I have to say I think BHWT are 100% right in this decision however hard it is.

 

I personally rehome from foal farm in biggin hill and they have open fields and birds roosting in the stables we use.

 

We will just have to double our efforts once we have been given the all clear

[Grandmashazzie]

Sad news indeed.Is it only me or do these precautions seem over the top. I get it for commercial premises but for backyard small flocks, if they got flu would some die and some be ok. I am thinking if there is a human epidemic of flu generally some die but we all build an immunity to that strain. I wonder is it a bit like badger culling for TB thought to work but on flimsy evidence.

[jesschicken24]

If even one of your birds gets bird flu they will ALL be culled. You also risk passing it on to other animals as well as people.

 

Edit: Also you don't become immune to the flu, it's a virus which evolves as infects more animals. That's why there is no cure.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-flu-confirmed-in-backyard-flock-in-yorkshire

[Cat tails]

You can get some degree of immunity to the flu, but as Jess says, it evolves quickly.

 

With the Mexican flu of a couple of years ago, older people were less likely to be affected as it was the same strain (H1N1) as the Spanish flu of 1918. It then killed milions of people and those surviving had more resilience against it. This is partly passed on from mother to child, but it does water down over generations. Young people were much more at risk as it was a flu strain, that hadn't been around for ages and thus less likely to be recognised by the immune system.

 

They will definitely cull all your birds (including others likes parrots) if you have a chicken that has the flu (or in the Netherlands, flu like symptoms. They don't wait for the test results).

People are mostly safe from this flu, but this particular strain has been found in humans in the past. They want to prevent another big outbreak like the Spanish flu too.

[Grandmashazzie]

I do find it worrying that they would cull without waiting for results We have all had birds die for no apparent reason.

[Cat tails]

I do find it worrying that they would cull without waiting for results We have all had birds die for no apparent reason.

 

They culled all 6600 birds at the poultry place I got my first 3 from, before definite results were in. But I guess in those cases it's more of a confirmation as the vet did already see the sick/dead birds.

[Grandmashazzie]

Yes Cats Tails I can see it more than one. But if one of my girls died it could be anything,from heart,etc.

[The Dogmother]

This is true; a friend had a bird die recently, and another with snuffles, so they notified DEFRA and had all the necessary tests done - it wasn't AI

 

I am no fan of the occasional stasis seen in some Government agencies, but if DEFRA hadn't acted, and it was AI, just think of the uproar which would ensue.

[Grandmashazzie]

That is reassuring,that they did tests and waited for results. I would be concerned that they would demand a cull.

[The Dogmother]

It is possible that they had doubts anyway about it being AI