07/05/2024
Important information about Avian Influenza
HPAI & the Urban / Suburban Aviculturist
In recent years, production poultry farmers have had to adapt and respond to the new challenges brought by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. What can urban and suburban poultry aviculturists do to protect their flocks from HPAI? There are many ways to monitor your flock’s health from your own backyard and maintain biosecurity on a smaller scale! The University of Minnesota recommends eliminating wildlife exposure, quarantining new birds, and instilling equipment sanitization protocols to start. These include keeping your enclosures covered and cleaning up any excess feed to avoid attracting wild waterfowl, which are the natural carriers of this virus. Practicing frequent hand washing, routine cleaning of feeders and waterers, and designating a pair of shoes just for working with your poultry can also improve your flock’s biosecurity. As always, be vigilant for signs of illness in your birds, including sudden respiratory, neurologic, or gastrointestinal signs, which may be indicative of this fatal disease. With the right information, urban and suburban aviculturists can protect their flocks and help reduce the spread of HPAI. See AAV’s “Avian Influenza Resources” page (https://www.aav.org/avian_influenza) for the most up-to-date information and shareable handouts!
aav.org/blogpost/1787676/500516/HPAI--the-Urban--Suburban-Aviculturist
