A woman from Northern Alberta shares steps to prevent the spread of bird flu among chickens in the backyard.
When it comes to how many serious backyard chicken owners need to take bird flu, local expert Monique Webb, who runs a chicken license certification course, said she believes biosecurity should be taken seriously at all times.
“I think it’s really, very important to have healthy backyards and healthy animals. And we stay healthy with good biosecurity, “she said
On April 12, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Nate Horner reminded poultry farmers of the importance of biosecurity measures and early detection to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
“Alberta’s poultry farms recently tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which was previously found in migratory waterfowl, backyard flocks and commercial poultry flocks in the eastern United States, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and other countries. in Vancouver, “Horner said in a statement.
According to the website of the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA), avian influenza (IA) is a contagious viral infection that can infect several different species of birds. There are two categories of “bird flu”, which are based on the severity of the disease caused by birds. It has low pathogenicity (LPAI) and high pathogenicity (HPAI).
The CFIA has confirmed eight cases of HPAI in the province since the disease was first discovered in Alberta on April 3.
Locations include Mountain View County, Camrose County, Wetaskiwin County, Paintearth County, Kneehill County and Ponoka County, all of which have been found in poultry flocks.
All infected premises are under quarantine and an investigation has been launched by the CFIA. The CFIA will introduce traffic control measures on other farms in areas where infected birds have been found.
Webb said that prevention is better than response, and COVID has taught us that preventing the spread of the disease is easier, cheaper and less traumatic than dealing with an outbreak.
“These diseases exist all the time. Just what weight are we dealing with? ”She said.
The CFIA said bird flu is spreading to wild bird populations around the world and is a significant national concern as birds migrate to Canada.
Webb said the problem for the backyard and other local poultry farmers is that the area is in the natural pattern of goose migration.
“Here we see geese and what geese do [is] they poop everywhere, ”she said.
Webb said she teaches biosecurity in her courses and she teaches people that if their property is returned to a rainwater pond, there is a chance there will be more wild birds in the area.
“So if you have chickens in the backyard and you’re near such a water source, then you need to have extra biosecurity,” she said.
Web recommends taking care of your shoes and changing your shoes when you enter your yard where your chickens are.
People who are not close to water sources still need to be careful, as wild birds can fly.
“Then the feces can contaminate your coop, so an additional measure people can take at this point is to cover the area of the coop with tarpaulin,” she said.
Webb said it’s important to be conscious when you’re in your yard about things like goose feces. And if there are any concerns, Webb said she told people not to let the chickens graze in the yard, but to keep them in the running area, “so they just potentially don’t walk through the grass in your backyard, which can to be contaminated with wild bird droppings, “she said.
In addition, the biosecurity measures that Webb recommends are similar to those we have seen at COVID, which include social distancing, not bringing chickens to visit other chickens, quarantining new chickens for 14 days and washing hands before and after handling of chickens.
“[Wash] your hands before and after visiting foreign flocks of chickens. [Wear] different shoes and clothes if you interact with individual flocks of chickens, ”she said.
There are rare cases where HPAI viruses, such as H5N1, can cause disease in humans, the CFIA website said, and “human transmission has occurred through close contact with infected birds or highly contaminated environments.”
Horner, in a press release, assured the residents of Albert that there is no risk to food safety and the risk to human health is extremely low.
Webb said the reaction to the news that avian influenza had reached the countryside among the people she spoke to was mixed.
Some of the landowners she spoke to told her they were thinking of expanding their herd, but decided to stop those plans. Other people told her they felt confident in their biosecurity practices.
“It simply came to our notice then. But it’s definitely on everyone’s radar, “Webb said.
If a case of HPAI is suspected in a herd, one should report it to the CFIA or the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian.
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