by John Boyvin
Reporter for the local journalism initiative, Valley Voice
Peggy Eif knew something was wrong the moment she walked into the chickens on her farm in the Burton area on April 21st.
“We saw a [dead] a bird here and a bird there, about five or six, ”she said. “We thought something had entered the yard. And we found a hole in the fence. So we thought it was. We cleaned the birds and put the others back in the coop.
But the next day, the birds were still showing signs of stress – some showed no interest in eating or were huddled in the corners of the pen.
“I knew something was wrong,” she said. “I call them ‘my girls’ – I spend enough time with my children.”
Then more began to die.
“On Friday night, I found a couple on the floor who didn’t look right, and I thought, well, this seems to be going through a phase of stress,” Ife recalls. “Then they began to fall literally dead.”
When inspectors from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) arrived the following Monday morning, she had lost nearly 60 of her 70 birds.
It was not an easy moment, and having to kill her entire herd was “devastating.”
“I’ve had birds since 2006. One who just died was born here in 2012. I have a goose that’s 14. My kids usually die of old age,” she said.
Inspectors arrived and took samples of her birds. A few days later, she received the news: her birds have H5N1, the virulent strain of bird flu.
A handful of Ife’s remaining birds had to be destroyed as a measure to stop the virus from spreading to more areas.
“My husband keeps watching me to see if I’m okay,” Ife told Valley Voice the day before the news. “I stay there, but the more I think about what’s going to happen – I’m sorry when the time comes, I can’t be the one to leave my babies.”
Ife posted her story on several Facebook pages of the community, and word spread to hundreds of poultry farmers in the backyard of the Valley Voice readers’ area that they were on the lookout for bird flu.
Bird flu or “bird flu” is a contagious and deadly virus that can cause birds to get sick or die. There are two strains of the disease, one mild and one virulent. Ife’s flock caught the last one, H5N1, believed to be coming north with the spring migration of wild birds.
Ife says she suspects her birds caught him like that.
“All my wild bird feeders were empty for a few weeks, so I decided to be kind and fill them to feed the wild birds. And I have a lot of feeders, ”she says.
Farmers are urging owners of small herds or backyard herds to remain vigilant and take appropriate preventive measures.
“Measures include eliminating or reducing the ability of poultry to encounter wild birds, reducing human access to the flock and intensifying cleaning, disinfection and disinfection of all things (including clothing and footwear) when entering areas where flocks are housed.” , recommends CFIA.
The Ife flock is not the only case of bird flu in BC. CFIA officials announced a week earlier a confirmed case of a flock of poultry in the backyard in Kelowna. A dead bald eagle has also been found in the lower part of the continent.
This is where the biggest concern lies – the lower Fraser Valley is home to the country’s chicken industry. The last time bird flu passed there was in 2004, 17 million birds had to be destroyed to save the industry.
Avian influenza is rare in humans and generally does not spread easily among humans.
“During an outbreak of avian influenza in poultry, the risk to the general public is very low,” says the CFIA. “Most avian influenza viruses cannot be easily spread by birds to humans or by humans to humans. However, any new influenza virus among the human population is a problem because of its potential to change and adapt for easier transmission between humans.
Meanwhile, Ife begs his fellow poultry farmers in the region to do the right thing: eliminate wildlife sources and report on any dead wild birds they may notice.
“If you have wild bird feeders, take them down,” she said. “If you want to grow up free, there’s always a chance they’ll catch something. But if you’re running, make sure you don’t have bird feeders, and if you’re feeding yours outside, make sure they clean it before the wild birds come in. Bring in the water source for your birds.
Although she has been ordered to kill her birds, it is difficult, Ife says she did the right thing by reporting it.
“I understand why people don’t want to report because of it,” she said. “But if they don’t know where it’s going, they can’t stop it from spreading.”
READ MORE:
• Avian influenza, spreading a debate on bird management
• Remove home bird feeders, empty bird baths to stop bird flu, BC SPCA asks
• Bird flu confirmed in 3 more communities in Alberta: Canadian Food Inspection Agency
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