Risk of Infectious Bursal Disease

Deadly Infectious Bursal Disease Virus has been detected at two egg farms in New Zealand, which will threaten Australian farms if it reaches here. The virus is highly contagious and spreads quickly though flocks kept in high densities, but Clinical disease is associated with bird age and mainly affects young hens 3 – 6 weeks old so the pullet rearing sector of the industry is at risk. Chickens that are immunosuppressed by early IBD infections do not respond well to vaccination and are more susceptible to other diseases. Strict biosecurity needs to be practiced, including not allowing anyone on farm who has recently visited New Zealand.

Bird flu in UK is impacting on producers

Outbeaks of avian influenza are devastating for the egg industry - as was seen in NSW last year and is now being experienced in Europe. Here's a report about the latest outbreak in UK.
http://www.theranger.co.uk/News/Producers-face-stockpiles-waiting-for-movement-licences_25114.html
Egg farmers in Australia, and everywhere else need to heed biosecurity principles to protect their own businesses and their fellows in the industry.
All egg farmers here are currently paying for the greed of one or two farmers in NSW who risked everything to make a quick buck.

Biosecurity on free range farms

Following the Avian Flu outbreak at a major poultry farm in Young, NSW, we've had a number of enquiries about the issue of biosecurity on free range farms. All hens on that farm have now been culled, but there has been a second outbreak on a nearby farm.

Clearly all farms should address biosecurity issues in conjunction with their Quality Assurance and Food Safety programmes - but some don't. Until an enquiry has been completed into how this outbreak (or outbreaks) started, no-one knows why this happened.

Intensive farming always generates potential for rampant disease outbreaks but until the dust settles, no-one should be pointing fingers.

We have amended our Biosecurity and Poultry Disease Risk Management paper which is available on the download page of the Freeranger website and we will be including more biosecurity info in our workshops.

It's disappointing (but not surprising) that the new Federal Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce chose to buy into the issue saying that free range farming is to blame. An investigation into how the outbreaks started needs to be conducted before blame can be attributed.

Here's a Youtube video which is useful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vijE9bszf64&feature=player_embedded

Egg Farm Biosecurity

Work on an Egg Farm Biosecurity Manual is nearing completion, according to Duncan Rowland, Executive Manager Biosecurity Services at Animal Health Australia.

“Over the past few months AHA has been working with its industry members to update their on-farm biosecurity manuals. Recent industry endorsed publications include a Farm Biosecurity Manual for the Duck Meat Industry; Grazing Industries Biosecurity Reference Manual (covering cattle, sheep, goats and alpaca) and a Pork Biosecurity Reference Manual,” Dr Rowland said.

We wonder who he has been talking to in the egg industry?

New bird flu hard to detect

An outbreak the H7N9 strain of avian influenza in China has seen the introduction of some strong biosecurity measures there and in some other countries. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation says that unlike other bird flu strains, this new virus is hard to detect in poultry because the novel virus causes few signs of disease in animals.
"Unlike H5N1, where chickens were dying on a large scale, with this virus we don't have a red flag that immediately signals an infection. This means farmers may not be aware that virus is circulating in their flock. Biosecurity and hygiene measures will help people protect themselves from virus circulating in seemingly healthy birds or other animals," said Juan Lubroth, Food and Agriculture Organization chief veterinary officer.

Gold Coast Health has put emergency department doctors and GPs on alert for symptoms of the bird flu in patients who have been to China.

There are 20 flights a week between the Gold Coast and China and the Federal Government has warned that the H7N9 virus, which has so far killed nine of the 28 people it has infected in China, has a higher likelihood of spreading because the virus has already infected humans through direct contact with poultry.

Guinea Fowl still making itself at home

The Guinea Fowl which appeared at the farm a little while ago is still here,  thinking that it is part of one of our flocks!

Trying blend in with the Isa Browns.

I'm not sure this is good biosecurity for the farm, but the Guinea Fowl seems happy.

New biosecurity sign for the gate

We have just organised a couple of biosecurity signs for the farm. One will go on the front gate and one will be used at the next set of gates to indicate to people that although we welcome visitors, we need to know they are coming.

The risk of spreading a variety of diseases to our hens is serious, particulary if families have chooks at home or even pet birds in aviaries.

Although all our hens are vaccinated against the most likely diseases they may encounter, it would be dumb to take risks.