Poultry owners need to protect bird health

The Delaware Department of Agriculture has been warning poultry owners since January to take extra precautions to protect their birds after detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the Atlantic Flyway.

Now, after a case of HPAI was announced in late February in a commercial poultry farm in New Castle County, DDA is reminding owners that biosecurity is the best way to protect bird health.

Biosecurity refers to measures people can take to protect their flock and keep anything that causes disease away from the birds, property and people.

Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.

Wild birds typically do not show signs of illness, but they can shed the virus at high levels in their manure or droppings if infected. In fact, one gram of contaminated manure, enough to cover a dime, can infect 1 million birds. Therefore, Delaware poultry is at risk from exposure if the birds have access to areas where free-flying waterfowl and wild birds are present in the environment. Additionally, if a person steps in contaminated manure while out and about, they can bring the virus back to their domesticated birds, causing infection.

So what can poultry owners do, especially when wild birds fly overhead, dropping fecal matter all over during their migration?

• Keep poultry away from wild ducks, geese and their environment, including ponds, lakes and swampy areas
• Maintain outdoor enclosures with solid roofs and wire mesh or netted sides. Repair any holes or tears that would allow birds or rodents to enter
• Provide feed and water in an indoor or covered area. Change it daily and promptly clean up any spilled feed so as not to attract wildlife
• Wear designated farm shoes when working with birds or use disposable shoe coverings upon every entry to the flock area. If there are multiple chicken houses, keep a dedicated set of footwear in each house. Use foot baths before entering a chicken house
• Wash hands before and after working with birds to reduce disease spread
• Clean and disinfect any equipment or bird housing/coops before bringing them onto the property 
• Wash vehicles and trailers after visiting other poultry facilities and go through a car wash before returning home
• Keep visitors to a minimum. Only allow people who have direct responsibility for taking care of the flock to come in contact with the birds
• Keep track of everyone who comes onto the property at all times by using a logbook. If they had contact with other poultry, have pet birds, or had contact with wild birds (e.g., hunting), do not let them come in contact with the flock.
• When adding birds to a flock, make sure to purchase them from a reputable source. Make sure to keep new birds or returning show birds separated from established home flocks for 30 days.

No matter the size, all poultry farms should be monitoring flocks for any signs of increased mortality or signs of respiratory illness or distress, such as sneezing, gasping for air, coughing, and/or runny nose. Other signs of HPAI in poultry can include swelling around the eyes, neck and head; purple discoloration of the wattles, combs and legs; tremors, drooping wings, circling, twisting the head and neck; watery, green diarrhea; lack of energy, poor appetite; and a drop in egg production, or soft or thin-shelled, misshapen eggs.

Backyard flock owners who notice any of the signs of HPAI in their flock should contact the Delaware Poultry Health Hotline at 302-698-4507 or email poultry.health@delaware.gov with contact information, size of flock, location and concerns. Backyard flock owners will be contacted if a sample needs to be taken. Do not take dead or sick birds to a lab to be tested or move them off-site.

Commercial poultry producers should follow all prescribed procedures and contacting the company they grow for when they notice signs of disease.