California backyard chicken owners worried for flock's safety amid avian flu

It’s important for backyard coops to have strong fencing with a cover over the top to protect the chickens from other wild animals who may be carrying the virus.

It’s important for backyard coops to have strong fencing with a cover over the top to protect the chickens from other wild animals who may be carrying the virus.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT IT. CHICKEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND YOU’LL SEE THEM, AND IT’S LIKE, I NEED TO HAVE THOSE OTHER PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND IT. GREG HOUSE HAS OWNED BACKYARD CHICKENS FOR DECADES. IT BECOMES PART OF A LIFESTYLE. IN 2011, HE STARTED A BUSINESS WITH HIS PARTNER, TEACHING THAT LIFESTYLE TO OTHERS. KIND OF A CHICKEN 101 SO THAT FOLKS CAN LEARN HOW TO DO THIS PROPERLY. HE SAYS THERE’S A LARGE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE IN OUR REGION WHO HAVE THEIR OWN BACKYARD FLOCKS. LATELY, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF CONCERN OF HOW TO KEEP THEM SAFE. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE KIND OF STEP UP OUR GAME AS BACKYARD FLOCK KEEPERS. TO HELP WITH THIS. I THINK THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS AS THEY INTERACT WITH THEIR BIRDS. MAURICE PETOSKEY IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE UC DAVIS SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. HE SAYS BACKYARD CHICKEN OWNERS SHOULD BE TAKING EXTRA STEPS TO MAKE SURE THEIR FLOCKS DON’T GET THE AVIAN FLU. THE FANCY WORD WE USE IS BIOSECURITY, AND THAT’S JUST PHYSICALLY SEPARATING OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS, LIKE OUR CHICKENS, FROM ANY KIND OF WILD ANIMALS. THAT MEANS STRONG FENCING AND A COVER OVER THE TOP. DEDICATED CLOTHING AND SHOES TO ONLY WEAR INSIDE OF THE COOP IS ALSO IMPORTANT. PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH BACKYARD CHICKENS ALSO NEED TO START WEARING, AT THE MINIMUM, A SURGICAL MASK JUST TO PROTECT THEIR FACE FROM ANY AEROSOLS THAT MIGHT BE GENERATED. KEEPING THINGS REALLY, REALLY CLEAN. ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA WITH POULTRY. ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO KEEP YOUR FLOCK HEALTHY AND HAPPY. AND HOWES SAYS THE EXTRA STEPS ARE WORTH IT TO KEEP THEIR CHICKENS SAFE AND HEALTHY. THAT’S IMPORTANT ALL THE TIME, BUT ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW. AND IF ONE OF YOUR CHICKENS DOES GET SICK, THEN THEY LIKELY WON’T BE LAYING ANY EGGS. SO THE CONCERN ISN’T NECESSARILY THAT THE FLU WILL BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH THEIR EGGS. IT’S MORE SO OF A RESPIRATORY CONCERN. BUT INFECTED BIRDS GENERALLY DIE. SO PETOSKEY SAYS THEN THE REST OF THE FLOCK H

California backyard chicken owners worried for flock's safety amid avian flu

It’s important for backyard coops to have strong fencing with a cover over the top to protect the chickens from other wild animals who may be carrying the virus.

There are growing concerns among individuals who own backyard chickens about how to keep them safe amid the avian flu spreading in California. Backyard chicken owners should be taking extra steps to make sure their flocks don’t get infected with bird flu, according to Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “We have a lot of people that have backyard chickens, which I'm fully supportive of, but I think those people need to be very cautious as they interact with their birds,” Pitesky said. “I think in addition to wearing dedicated clothing that we don't bring outside when we work with our chickens, I think people that work with backyard chickens also need to start wearing, at the minimum, a surgical mask just to protect their face from any aerosols that might be generated.”He said it’s important for backyard coops to have strong fencing with a cover over the top to protect them from other wild animals who may be carrying the virus.“The fancy word we use is biosecurity, and that's just physically separating our domestic animals like our chickens from any kind of wild animals,” he said. “You have ducks and geese that are flying overhead or that are interfacing with the habitat that is surrounding someone's backyard.”Pitesky said that if one of your chickens is infected then they will likely not be producing eggs. So, when it comes to humans contracting the disease, he said eggs are not necessarily a big concern. “We don't worry so much about eggs per say. I think the worry, because it's a respiratory virus, the two places that birds will shed virus if they are infected is through respiratory effluent and through their feces,” Pitesky said. Greg Howes lives in Sacramento and has two of his own backyard chickens. He said he is taking extra precautions to keep his flock safe, and is hoping others will do the same. “It is very much a concern here in the Sacramento area. This is a waterfowl flyway. We can hear the geese at night. Just heard them a little while ago. It's their droppings that can spread it,” Howes said. “It's really important that we kind of step up our game as backyard flock keepers to help with this.”He recommends keeping your chickens in an enclosed run with fencing and a cover. “A solid cover over it, so that droppings like we talked about from wild birds cannot get in,” he said. “We don't want wild birds getting in close to the chickens and or their feed and water.”He also emphasized that now is not a good time for individuals with backyard chickens to add to their flock. To report an unusual number of sick or dead birds, you can call the Sick Bird Hotline at 866-922-2473.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 more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

There are growing concerns among individuals who own backyard chickens about how to keep them safe amid the avian flu spreading in California.

Backyard chicken owners should be taking extra steps to make sure their flocks don’t get infected with bird flu, according to Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

“We have a lot of people that have backyard chickens, which I'm fully supportive of, but I think those people need to be very cautious as they interact with their birds,” Pitesky said. “I think in addition to wearing dedicated clothing that we don't bring outside when we work with our chickens, I think people that work with backyard chickens also need to start wearing, at the minimum, a surgical mask just to protect their face from any aerosols that might be generated.”

He said it’s important for backyard coops to have strong fencing with a cover over the top to protect them from other wild animals who may be carrying the virus.

“The fancy word we use is biosecurity, and that's just physically separating our domestic animals like our chickens from any kind of wild animals,” he said. “You have ducks and geese that are flying overhead or that are interfacing with the habitat that is surrounding someone's backyard.”

Pitesky said that if one of your chickens is infected then they will likely not be producing eggs. So, when it comes to humans contracting the disease, he said eggs are not necessarily a big concern.

“We don't worry so much about eggs per say. I think the worry, because it's a respiratory virus, the two places that birds will shed virus if they are infected is through respiratory effluent and through their feces,” Pitesky said.

Greg Howes lives in Sacramento and has two of his own backyard chickens. He said he is taking extra precautions to keep his flock safe, and is hoping others will do the same.

“It is very much a concern here in the Sacramento area. This is a waterfowl flyway. We can hear the geese at night. Just heard them a little while ago. It's their droppings that can spread it,” Howes said. “It's really important that we kind of step up our game as backyard flock keepers to help with this.”

He recommends keeping your chickens in an enclosed run with fencing and a cover.

“A solid cover over it, so that droppings like we talked about from wild birds cannot get in,” he said. “We don't want wild birds getting in close to the chickens and or their feed and water.”

He also emphasized that now is not a good time for individuals with backyard chickens to add to their flock.

To report an unusual number of sick or dead birds, you can call the Sick Bird Hotline at 866-922-2473.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

California backyard chicken owners worried for flock's safety amid avian flu

It’s important for backyard coops to have strong fencing with a cover over the top to protect the chickens from other wild animals who may be carrying the virus.

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