| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Mollie |
Posted - Mar 21 2006 : 3:47:24 PM
Hi everyone!! I'm back from cyberspace!! As a teacher, I'm on spring break, it's been crazy. So nice to relax and find my "farmgirls" again.
I have not paid much attention to “Bird Flu” but there is hardly a day goes by without a major article in our newspaper. This morning in the Birmingham News the headline is “ER doctor says bird flu could swamp hospitals”. This is from the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital, a major medical facility.
Last week U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt said wild birds infected with a virulent strain of bird flu are expected to arrive in the U.S. later this year.
Mark Holden, a chicken grower for Tyson Foods in Ellijay, Ga., is not taking any chances. Every seven weeks a group of his chickens is tested before the birds are sent to be slaughtered. All people who enter or leave the chicken houses must walk through disinfecting baths. And visitors and workers must wear plastic booties over their shoes. "Even though we don't have any outbreak now, we want to take all the precautions we can to protect our product," said Mr. Holden, who has been in the chicken business for 10 years and lives across the street from one of his chicken houses.
United States poultry producers like Tyson, Pilgrim's Pride and Gold Kist sell 26 billion pounds of chicken each year. The Egg Safety Center said that consumers should not worry about eggs being infected with the avian flu virus because sick hens either stop laying eggs or lay poor-quality eggs that would not be acceptable for sale.
Tyson, Pilgrim's Pride, KFC, Chick-fil-A and Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits all say they have formed internal avian flu task forces that meet regularly and include top executives and leaders from different departments. The question is not if, but when," said Don Perry, a spokesman for Chick-fil-A. "You can't put big nets in the sky to prevent birds from flying here."
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| JennyWren |
Posted - Apr 02 2006 : 10:25:37 AM
Hi Marianne,
Yes, it is quite a change for the farmers. It was sad too, for those who were not able to house their birds. But they have a proactive attitude, because of the B.F. being there already. I am pretty sure as soon as it hits here we will all be the same way. No sense inviting trouble, if we don't have to.
My family were all bakers too, my Mom's side of the family were all from the South (Bavaria), my father's side of the family were from the Northeast (Prussia)! In Germany today there still are so many bakeries, because people only buy what they need for the day. I love it. When we visit this summer, I am going to bring back some German sourdough starter.
Take care,
Carla...
If you treat an individual as what he is, he will stay that way, but if you
treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.
-- Goethe
www.jennywrensurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
| Mari-dahlia |
Posted - Mar 30 2006 : 5:22:22 PM
Carla,
How terrible for the farmers there. I am of German heritage(3rd generation) and most of my relatives still live there. My grandmother was from a farm family and owned alot of property (pre WW1) It was the only way they survived after WW1. Then she was sent here to work and send back money in 1926 when she was only 15. My grandfather was a master baker and came over also, he was from BAvaria. The family still runs the same bakery they have been for over 100 years.
Now I am the only farmer, and I can't imagine keeping my birds inside all the time.
Marianne |
| MullersLaneFarm |
Posted - Mar 29 2006 : 12:20:36 PM
WNV is still alive and well (and killing livestock & humans) in IL, especially in the NE part of the state.
There is so much more the government could do to arrest WNV, but they refuse ... follow the money trail. Killing mosquitos won't put $$ in the government hands like the Agri-Biz will if they get NAIS passed
Cyndi
Say NO! to National Animal ID
http://www.NoNAIS.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Illinois_Against_NAIS
Joshua 24:15
Muller's Lane Farm
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com
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| Ginastjoe |
Posted - Mar 28 2006 : 7:19:40 PM
Cyndi, I tend to agree with you on the subject. It feels like a scare tactic, IMHO.
H5N1, which is serious in both humans and avian, has been around in both species specific forms for at least 100 years. It is the rate of geographic advance that is different (however, when you consider the loss of habitat wild birds have faced in the last few decades it does not shock me to learn of disease passing from wild to domesticated birds in such an accelerated manner).
Whoever said it may be time to just turn off our TV's is probably right on! Media coverage only aggravates the fear and alludes to Avian Flu being a pandemic. However, AF is not yet pandemic. Each year 100's of people die of E. coli problems in food in this country alone, yet our US officials do not seem to be concerned with food processing standards. I could go on and on regarding this oversight...
Please check out NPR's interview about a recent study in Nature (a leading scientific journal): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5297299. Perhaps it will give you a better understanding of the differences between Avian and human forms of H5 and H7 strains of flu. For one, Avian forms bury themselves deep in the respiratory organs while the human forms lives higher up in the lungs. For the Avian and Human forms to mutate into a deadly human only form, the avian flu form will have to enter the lungs of someone already carrying a live virus of the human form. It is a rarity, indeed (altho, I understand that it is not impossible either.) All news coverage as alluded to this as already occurring,but only laboratory experiments have forced a mutation. The people who have died (which is not to say is not heartbreaking) were in serious contact with infected poultry and may have had immune problems. Media leaves holes in their stories.
Anyway, sorry so long to get this out. I just feel we should have all info before being scared. We survived the West Nile scare of 2003 (remember that one???) Inexpensive, easy to use tests do exist for poultry slated for our food supply. It comes down to money and blame and being scared of backyard poultry will not make H5N1 go away. |
| MullersLaneFarm |
Posted - Mar 28 2006 : 10:54:04 AM
Personally, I believe the USDA and large producers are trying to scare the general public so there is a outcry to mandate premise id and animal id.
Why are they (powers that be) doing much about West Nile Virus or Lyme disease?? No money in it is my guess.
but let them put a scare in the American public so that small farmers and homesteaders find it cost prohibative to raise their own food - now THAT would put $$ in big Agri-Biz pockets
Cyndi
Say NO! to National Animal ID
http://www.NoNAIS.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Illinois_Against_NAIS
Joshua 24:15
Muller's Lane Farm
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com
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| JennyWren |
Posted - Mar 27 2006 : 9:55:30 PM
Hi...
I found the website, where I read about the vaccine for bird flu. I am German and so many of the sites I visit are either German or European. www.runnerduck.net/avian_influenza.htm This is very interesting. Starting last fall, in Germany if poultry/fowl could not be kept indoors the birds had to be culled. It was devastating to many farmers, but they faced heavy fines if they did not comply.
Take care,
Carla...
If you treat an individual as what he is, he will stay that way, but if you
treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.
-- Goethe
www.jennywrensurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
| JennyWren |
Posted - Mar 26 2006 : 10:26:17 PM
Hi Marianne,
I am going to have to go back and look tomorrow (I better get to bed soon!) I think I was reading about some vaccines that they were maybe testing.. I could swear I read something about how the birds with the vaccines were better able to survive the bird flu.. than the ones who were not vaccinated.
Thanks for letting me know...
Take care,
Carla...
If you treat an individual as what he is, he will stay that way, but if you
treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.
-- Goethe
www.jennywrensurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
| Mari-dahlia |
Posted - Mar 26 2006 : 4:32:48 PM
Carla,
most of the large hatcherys have to test the parent birds and do have vaccines available and they do not cost much either. You get a certificate saying that both parents test negative. But I do not think there is a vaccine for bird flu yet. |
| JennyWren |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 3:57:50 PM
I think your advice and links are really helpful. I remember my grandmother talking about the flu of 1918. She too said it is always good to think for yourself, and if something does not sound right, keep getting the information you need and think for yourself. She too kept her children home from school. No one in their family got sick. But other friends lost children during that time.
Carla...
If you treat an individual as what he is, he will stay that way, but if you
treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.
-- Goethe
www.jennywrensurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
| westernhorse51 |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 1:40:15 PM
Eileen, thanks for the web-sites, very informative.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 1:28:58 PM
Thank you, Eileen, for your knowledge of this. In 1918 I think it was easier to have a year's supply of essentials. In this day of having everything, that is surprising but true. Folks were more self sufficient then. I appreciate your information. I hope this does not happen to us here in the US. But we must be sensible and prepared (as much as possible).
"Sell cleverness and buy wonder" |
| Eileen |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 09:30:58 AM
Just thought I would jump in here to give you a couple links that could help you all decide what you want to do with this. Our Government has been slow to get this together compared to other governments around the world.
I would say , do not panic but do take this seriously and think about what you would do to protect your families if there is an outbreak. Don't borrow trouble but do be prepared.
In the book written about the topic of the 1918 pandemic most survivors stayed away from public places and kept there children home from school during the worst of it. Having on hand a years supply of staples to eat and water available would be of some consequence if this does actually develope.
I have learned in my studies that it will come in 3 waves if it does develope and that the 20 to 40 year old bracket of people will be thew most vulnerable as they will not take the necessary precautions due to thinking that they are not as vulnerable as their older or younger counterparts. The links below have a lot of valuable information for you to look over so that you can make an informed decision about how you will handle this possibility.
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab3.html#social
http://www.urbansurvival.com/week.htm
There are a lot of links at the bottom of this page.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| Mollie |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 06:21:47 AM
I don't want to "borrow" trouble either but there is another old saying that says, "Forewarned is forearmed" meaning you need to keep your antennae up. I grew up on a farm with lots of chickens and fancy geese if that were my situation now, I would at least try to keep abreast of the news on bird flu and not say I won't think about it until it lands on my doorstep. You only have to remember about hysteria in Europe over a number of animal related diseases to see what it does to the market place even if it's rumor and not fact. If I raised chickens/ducks for my own use I would be less concerned than if I was selling the fowl and eggs for income. Obviously the big "boys" Tyson are taking this seriously as it means $$$$ to their companies. If and I suppose "when" bird flu mutates to humans it will mostly be the elderly and sick that will be at the most risk. I really brought up the subject because many people on this website don't just raise fowl for recreation/personal use but rely on it for an income and if a large portion is devoted to this, it could mean a lot to surviving on the farm. My parents were dust bowl/depression generation and I suppose some of that rubbed onto me in that I know how quickly things can be taken away from you, and therefore sensible preparations are not silly. |
| JennyWren |
Posted - Mar 24 2006 : 09:12:27 AM
Hi...
I am new to this so please bear with me.. I would like to get a couple of runner ducks this year. For some reason I thought that there was some vaccine that could be given to the poultry and fowl? Is there?
Thanks!
Take care,
Carla...
If you treat an individual as what he is, he will stay that way, but if you
treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.
-- Goethe
www.jennywrensurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
| Libbie |
Posted - Mar 24 2006 : 08:55:12 AM
Frannie - I love the "don't borrow trouble;" it reminds me of what my grandmother said, "Never trouble trouble, 'til trouble troubles you..." Kind of the same, I guess.
I have worried about bird flu, and about whether or not to get new chicks (ever) and you ladies really have some great advice. Not that everyone should do this, but I, personally, am going to build a little better chicken coop, so the little outside birds don't have access, and then I'm going to go on with life, and not worry about it, thinking that I've made reasonable precautions.
Thank you all for this discussion. I've been reading and thinking, and it's helped me come to a decision.
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
| sqrl |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 10:01:15 AM
Well said Miss Frannie!
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com
www.smallsqrl.blogspot.com
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| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 05:11:55 AM
my sister has a great saying that she taught me: 'don't borrow trouble' ... basically, don't worry about every thing that we learn of. of course, i don't believe we should bury our head in the sand .. we should be knowledgeable and take action where it is necessary ... but i have for many years had a saying that has 'gotten me through' times that would have sent me in a tizzy if i'd dwelled on them. i 'jokingly' say that i only worry about two things in life .. one is nuclear war .. the other is the health and well being of my children .. and NOT in that order! my family is so important to me .. and i take care of that worry but putting it all in the hands and heart of a higher being. the nuclear war one ... well, i DON'T EVER listen to the 'news' on tv .. my honey hunk is very aware (but also doesn't worry!) .. i tell him that if he hear's that nuclear war is about to happen .. give me 15 minutes warning so i can call my children and grand-children to tell them how very much i love them.
lordy! in my almost 65 years of life .. there have been so many things to come along that i surely 'over-worried' about .. most of these scary things didn't happen .. and those that did .. well, there wasn't anything i could have done about them anyway! AND .. i survived them all so far!
i once read a wonderful book of interviews written by people who had reached their 100th year in life .. and they were asked "what ONE thing would you change about your life if you could do it over again?" .. and almost to a person .. their response was:
"I wouldn't have worried so much".
again .. this does NOT mean ignoring life and it's boulders in our path .. just simply:
NOT BORROWING TROUBLE
have a grande and glorious day gurlfrenz! xoxo
True Friends, Frannie |
| LJRphoto |
Posted - Mar 22 2006 : 9:38:44 PM
I get really freaked out about this and wonder if maybe i was crazy to buy birds this year. And, then i think about all of the things that people have gotten all worked up about (end of the world, Y2K, back in the 80's when doctors still didn't know how AiDS was spread, and on and on and on) and i think that Michele is right. There is only so much i can worry about. i can be careful and protect my flock as best as possible and that's about it because if this blows over like all the other stuff that i've lost sleep over i'll be sad that i don't have hens that are already laying eggs. i have this discussion with myself about 10 times a day.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
| westernhorse51 |
Posted - Mar 22 2006 : 11:40:37 AM
I wont say much of what I think on this subject because I dont want to upset anyone, BUT I will say there are times when we should all turn off our tv's! I do think we all need to be aware of everything that goes on but I also believe this government gives us the info they want us to have, when they want us to have it.
There were times when I would lay in bed at night and have panic attacks worring over ALL of the horror I hear from the news. How can I protect my family & so on. I do what I can and leave the rest to God. I can't worry over everything because for me, it will make me physically sick. I am "thrilled" that I am 54 y/old because with this wonderful age, I do very little worrying. I keep up on news but now only ONCE a day instead of ten. I dont want to live in a bubble and thats what I was doing to myself. So, yes we should be aware and we should do all we can and then LIVE.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
| Mari-dahlia |
Posted - Mar 21 2006 : 5:03:53 PM
There are many strains of bird flu and there have been for years. There is only one that is serious and is the one that has crossed over and killed people in other countries.
The migrating birds with the virulent strain, do not mean much unless they quantify it as the deadly strain ( I forget the letter number classification for the disease).
Currently every case of avian flu has eventually been attributed to chicken to chicken contact or people that have worn contiminated clothing etc. Even the ones they had initially said were due to migratory birds.
I am very worried about the flu and the chances of it mutating so that it is more contagious. The people who have died were extremely exposed. In Asia they keep their pets indoors and sleep with them especially in poor weather and the 3 children were playing with the dead birds bodies.
The reason everyone is alarmed and the media is pushing this is because if it does mutate so that we can catch it readily, the virus kills, but so does alot of other things. |
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