Raising any kind of poultry may seem simple enough if we only take the housing, temperature, feeding and hatching into consideration. The major issue faced by most poultry owners is disease. Avian flu is one such disease that can hit quite hard and kill the birds at one go, causing loss of expense and effort.
Poultry can be affected by disease in many ways, through the dirty shoes of people who walk in, tires of vehicles, dirty cages and through other animals such as dogs, cats and pigs.
The first preventive measure would be to keep poultry separated from livestock, and since chicken are sensitive, keep them separated from ducks, geese and other birds. Ducks can become affected with avian flu and show no symptoms and carry it on to the chickens. Keep the poultry away from water containing bird droppings.
Keeping the farm isolated by not allowing too many visitors to the farm and ensuring all the vehicles are left outside the farm and if vehicles have to enter, then there should be a facility to get the tires washed at the farm entrance. Workers who need to come in to take care of the birds, should be given separate footwear near the entrance. Any cages or equipment coming from outside should be washed thoroughly.
Dead birds can pose a huge problem to other birds if not discarded immediately in a proper manner. They can be placed in either a plastic bag or a carcass bag and disposed off, either by reporting their death to the concerned authorities, burying them or burning them. Even sick birds should be sent to the veterinary physician immediately.
Ensure a high level of hygiene in the farm. It is a good idea to keep the nose and mouth covered when sneezing and taking even more care when people have cold. Wash all farm equipment including cages, pens and other containers at least once a week. When new poultry is bought, it is necessary to keep them away from the existing flock for a couple of weeks just to ensure they are healthy.
The first thing is to be able to detect avian flu and there are several signs to look for in the birds, beginning with the most obvious, such as loss of appetite, inability to stand and diarrhea. There are other not so obvious signs, such as droopiness, swelling of the head, blood from the nose, less egg production and eggs with soft shells.
If there is an outbreak of avian flu in the neighborhood, it is a good idea to increase all the preventive measures and not to visit other farms as well as not bringing any new birds.
Preventive measures can be taken by ensuring cleanliness and providing utmost care to the birds, if you do not want to see your investment going down the drain.
Others claim that there's comparatively little risk, and that an epidemic, if it does happen, will probably not occur before next winter at the earliest, and may not be as widespread or as severe as was first thought.
If, like many others, you're confused and anxious about bird flu, here are some basic facts you need to know.
1) There are several forms of bird flu, all potentially fatal to birds, but only one of which is dangerous to humans.
2) At the moment, bird flu's spread almost exclusively by contact with infected birds. At present it can't normally be passed from one human to another. (The only exceptions known are isolated cases where people have been nursing family members in extremely close proximity.)
3) For the virus to mutate into a form which CAN be transferred between humans, it needs to be caught by someone who's already infected with a normal human type of flu - and, according to the World Health Organization, the resulting blending of the flu strains needs to be repeated seven times.
That's quite possible, of course, but it can be made less likely by careful management of cases of ordinary flu.
4) If the virus does mutate (they often do), there are many other ways it can develop which don't necessarily involve human-to-human contagion. It could even mutate in a way which makes it relatively harmless, or even one which makes it impossible for humans to catch.
5) Governments worldwide are taking steps to cull infected birds and inoculate the healthy ones, and looking at other ways to contain and overcome the problem, such as a temporary ban on imports of live birds from areas which have so far been affected by bird flu.
6) Scientists worldwide are working flat-out to identify and mass-produce a vaccine, and to develop ways of minimising and treating the infection. Many governments are arranging to buy and stockpile massive quantities of the vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
7) Flu epidemics happen every winter, and all of them cause deaths.
8) All flu viruses are potentially lethal, but almost all are survived by far more people every year than die of them.
9) The much-quoted 1918 outbreak caused so many deaths partly because the countries it affected were exhausted and underfed after 4 years of the most devastating war mankind had ever known, and many people simply didn't have the strength to fight infection.
That flu strain also came from birds, but many flu strains do, including several which have proved much milder.
10) The avian flu virus is a particularly severe one, and medical science has yet to develop a totally effective antidote -- but it is survivable, and at present relatively hard to catch.
The real danger will come if it becomes able to spread easily between humans. So far, there have been far more deaths from SARS than bird flu.
You can keep up-to-date with any changes in the situation by checking with your doctor or the World Health Organization... but in the meantime, be positive. One of the biggest boosts that you can give your immune system comes from a healthy lifestyle, a vigorous, energetic attitude and a keen determination to meet the challenge, and surmount it.
That clear intention can help you mobilise all the resources of your mind and body to prevent, or if need be to recover from, infection. Go for it!
Both Matthew Smith & Aislinn Oconnor are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Matthew Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate, Pets and Modelling. Matthew Smith has been working with poultry for many years. Advice is offered on keeping and .. Matthew Smith's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Aislinn Oconnor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Empowerment. Aislinn O'Connor is a motivational writer and personal development consultant specialising in helping you to use your inner, subconscious mind to transform your life and circumstances. For helpful tools and lots more information, visit. Aislinn Oconnor's top article generates over 590 views. to your Favourites.