The avian flu is deadly to birds in North Carolina. Here’s how to keep your flock healthy
Whether you raise birds for a commercial operation or as a hobby, it’s important to know how to protect your flock from getting sick amid a highly contagious strain of avian flu that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of birds in North Carolina.
The first positive sample in a commercial flock in North Carolina was announced Wednesday, in a turkey operation in Johnston County. The 32,100-bird flock was killed, and other flocks in a 6.2-mile zone are being tested, officials from the state Department of Agriculture reported.
State wildlife officials have also confirmed the deaths of four wild birds from the avian flu strain. A total of 144 cases have been detected in wild birds across the state, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The virus can lead to a host of symptoms, including lack of energy, swelling, diarrhea, nasal discharge and even sudden death in birds, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Here’s what to know in order to keep your birds healthy, and what you’ll need if you plan on housing them on your property.
How can you protect your poultry from avian flu?
Enhancing biosecurity, or measures to prevent the spread of harmful viruses and bacteria, is the key to protecting your birds from illness, the USDA says. The department offers these tips to keep your flock healthy:
Limit the amount of germs your birds come into contact with by disinfecting your shoes, clothes, hands, egg trays, flats, crates, vehicles, and tires.
Isolate any birds returning from shows for 30 days to look for signs of illness before letting them interact with the rest of your flock.
Buy birds from reliable sources so you know they are healthy.
Prevent visitors from having contact with your flock, and avoid visits to other farms.
Keep wild birds and rodents away from your flock.
Do you need a permit to keep birds at home?
In Charlotte, a $40 permit is required to keep any domestic fowl on your property, including chickens, turkeys, and pigeons. Permits must be renewed annually, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Care & Control unit.
Before a permit is issued, your property must be inspected to ensure animals are a minimum distance from the property line. Officials will also make sure your animals do not “endanger the health, safety, peace and quiet of nearby residents,” CMPD says.
Here’s what you need to know before filling out a permit application online, according to CMPD:
If you do not have a shelter for your birds, Animal Control strongly recommends you do not begin construction prior to being contacted by an inspector.
All birds on your property must be physically restrained by a coop or fence.
You’ll need a government-issued ID to keep birds on your property.
Observer reporter Mary Ramsey contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 12:54 PM.
