It seems like ages since I parted with them - Bird Flu

John C · Post by **John C** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:36 pm

It seems like ages since I parted with the last of my ducks and then today we have an outbreak of Avian flu confirmed in Scotland ! Like most people I'd tried to put it to the back of my mind and forget it ! But now its here ! I try not to listen to the scare mongers but it still gives me the shudders thinking about it !
We have had so many food related scares over the years ,that one of these days the scaremongers are going to get it close to right . Lets pray its not this one .
When it last hit the headlines ,so called experts said that it was a matter of when not if the virus mutated. (happy people ) What I can't understand is this ! Flu normally does the rounds like wildfire . In the countrys that have had it before us why hasn't there been reports of thousands if not millions of wild birds keeling over ? We just hear of the odd bird here,the odd bird there . Are they keeping it quiet or is it just not happening ?
In the meantime I supose I'd better get back to doing some more wild bird proofing !

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:14 am

John, it is very doubtful that wild birds are the problem. Awhile back on this website, there was a link to a website on this topic which contained a very intelligent expose of the topic. As usual, the problem is politics/greedy corporations.

Kathy

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:10 pm

It seems, according to RSPB that domestic flocks infect the wild birds - then of course, the wiild birds may spread the disease.
My hens are still outside as they are feral! More than a bit worried but the sheep are concerning me more - this is the first year that the raddle has not given a pretty exact lambing date. Still waiting for the first ones, overdue by 4 days.
Jo

dai · Post by **dai** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:32 pm

Jo, don't worry bout your ewes! There must be about 5,000 sheep in our village, and almost every one has been 3 weeks later than expected this year- they just didnt hold first time.

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:49 am

Jo, it is obviously very efficient using a raddle and getting lambing dates but obviously it has its downside. I note the date that each ram went to his ewe group, get them in a few days short of 5 months later and wait for the babes to appear, which they tend to do over the next 3 weeks (although there is always one who is very late). It may be haphazard but it works for us. Got them in last week, 8 have lambed so far about 30 to go. Good luck with yours.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:37 pm

The Theory is that wild birds have a level of immunity to the birdflu, that hatchery birds don't. Once the virus gets into a warehouse shed of poultry, it has more chance to mutate into something more serious. If the virus then escapes back out into the surrounding countryside again, it causes a lot more trouble. Without the big poultry houses to incubate this virus and provide lots of closely packed birds for the modified virus to develop, I doubt we'd have any trouble. But of course, its all the back-yard poultry keepers who are to blame. The commercial growers in some parts of the world are using the birdflu scare as an excuse to reduce competition.

You're right John. Where are the thousands of people coming down with the birdflu? If a pandemic does break out, the first thing the authorities should do is shut down the public transport system and all the schools. The number of colds circulating in them is horrendous. Washing hands and wearing face masks should do the rest.