Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is a concern but not an emergency (yet).
Written by Dalia Monterroso, The President of Chickenlandia
You may have heard in the news that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been confirmed in wild birds, factory poultry houses, and backyard flocks in some areas of the United States. To find out if your community has been affected, click this link.
Many folks aren’t aware of this, but Avian Influenza is very common among wild birds. Most of the time, it’s what’s called Low Pathogenic, which means it’s not as dangerous to the wild bird population, poultry houses, or small backyard flocks. Sometimes, however, a circulating strain is very threatening to the poultry industry. Such is the case with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Learn more about HPAI by clicking here.
My job as a Backyard Chicken Educator is to give you the best information I can while empowering you to feel confident in your chicken-keeping journey. I want to let you know that I’ve been through previous HPAI cases in my community and I likely will again in the future. If there are active cases where you live, it’s important to follow the guidelines suggested to you by your local authorities. If your community does not have active cases, following the simple suggestions I offer in this video will help to hopefully avoid all manner of disease in your flock, as well HPAI. Just click the play button below to watch the video.
Good luck out there, friends! Let me know how you’re feeling about all this in the comments.