[pgkevet]

Even netting wll provide little protection against a wild bird sneezing your way.

Isn't it mainly spread (from wild birds) by faeces rather than coughing and sneezing - which is why waterfowl are particularly at risk from contaminated grazing/swimming.

That aside you have to wonder how the lincolnshire flock got infected if they were following the isolation guidance - lets hope it wasn't from buying in infected birds as that would be a big deal (as with the 2001 FMD outbreak)

Netting won't stop bird faeces. Even if it does trap it then the next time it rains...
OK, reducing wild bird interactivity with commercial birds reduces incidence i.e makes it spread a bit slower. If it truely is only spread via bird faeces then next tiem it rains (daily here) every lorry and car will be dripping disease.

[pgkevet]

Infected birds can shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-in-birds.htm

[Backinwellies]

The most interesting bit of that article is about wild birds and agrees with RSPB stuff ..... Wild birds are much less likely to transmit disease than poultry ...... So why are we shutting up our poultry but still allowed to transport poultry anywhere?

[Herdygirl]

Its confirmed that the turkey farm in Lincolnshire was affected by the same strain of bird 'flu that has been found in Europe. Defra have ordered that all poultry must be kept undercover and bio security maintained.

[macgro7]

Sadly government website confirms it:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-identified-at-lincolnshire-farm

[Marches Farmer]

It's worth noting that "most" of the 5000 turkeys died from the disease and the rest will be culled.  Trouble is the symptoms of infection are mostly of the "a bit off colour" variety and the blue tinge of the neck and head would be hard to spot in a turkey anyway.

[Eve]

It's worth noting that "most" of the 5000 turkeys died from the disease

Which shows how virulent it is. Scary!!

[Penninehillbilly]

It's worth noting that "most" of the 5000 turkeys died from the disease

Which shows how virulent it is. Scary!!

I wonder how observant the keeper was? Employee who just paid to feed, didn't notice a few not interested ?
In the meantime, has it been carried OUT of the units?

[ColinS]

It's worth noting that "most" of the 5000 turkeys died from the disease

Which shows how virulent it is. Scary!!

I wonder how observant the keeper was? Employee who just paid to feed, didn't notice a few not interested ?
In the meantime, has it been carried OUT of the units?

The farm is not more than 2 miles from RSPB Tetney Marshes so no shortage of opportunistic wild birds in the area (e.g. gulls) to pick it up if it did get out.

[pgkevet]

I wonder how observant the keeper was? Employee who just paid to feed, didn't notice a few not interested ?
In the meantime, has it been carried OUT of the units?

Academic... it got IN so it's OUT THERE... More likely it'll be the dead birds being badly disposed of that also spreads it. There's stories locally during the F&M outbreak of lorries driving through town with blood spilling out of them on each corner. Even with typical exaggeration there'll be some truth. the intial spread was more to do with the road network than winds and animal migration.

I'm guessing all Gov wants is to slow the thing down so there isn't an absolute shortage of birds/eggs at any one time. It'll clear when it's been through the wild population and they have died/become immune.

[ColinS]

I wonder how observant the keeper was? Employee who just paid to feed, didn't notice a few not interested ?
In the meantime, has it been carried OUT of the units?

Academic... it got IN so it's OUT THERE... More likely it'll be the dead birds being badly disposed of that also spreads it. There's stories locally during the F&M outbreak of lorries driving through town with blood spilling out of them on each corner. Even with typical exaggeration there'll be some truth. the intial spread was more to do with the road network than winds and animal migration.

I'm guessing all Gov wants is to slow the thing down so there isn't an absolute shortage of birds/eggs at any one time. It'll clear when it's been through the wild population and they have died/become immune.

Got in or was brought in? (as per 2007)
I think you will find that the farm had the turkeys in at least 5 sheds so one has to ask how the virus got into most or all of the sheds (which must have happened for “most” of the birds to die before the cull started).

Re-reading the info on the 2007 Bernard Matthews outbreak is rather depressing:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Bernard_Matthews_H5N1_outbreak

Especially the :-
  “The cause of the outbreak was not determined “

The entirely predictable political stances e.g. :-
  “The Hungary link was dismissed by the European Commission on 12 February “

and

“On 11 February the investigation revealed that turkey products were still being transported, in both directions, between the plant and Hungary with EU regulations being cited as the reason why a transport ban could not be imposed ”

And the rapid re-establishment of business as usual:-
  “Bernard Matthews was given permission to resume its shipments of poultry between the UK and Hungary from 17 February even though Defra indicated that Hungarian turkey products remained the "most plausible" cause of the outbreak. “

that was just 14 days after the initial confirmation of H5N1 as the cause.

[Penninehillbilly]

Just seen a large flight of geese heading West, (Hebden Bridge, W.Yorks). Normally I love to watch them, now I'm thinking , 'please, keep going' :-(.

[Rosemary]

Just seen a large flight of geese heading West, (Hebden Bridge, W.Yorks). Normally I love to watch them, now I'm thinking , 'please, keep going' :-(.

"And don't poop while you're passing"

[Womble]

I put my cereal bowl on top of a gatepost this morning whilst I filled up the duck's water bucket. By the time I came back, our resident robin was helping himself to my rice crispies.


Let's face it, if I can't keep wild birds off MY food, what chance have I got with the poultry!? 

[ColinS]

I put my cereal bowl on top of a gatepost this morning whilst I filled up the duck's water bucket. By the time I came back, our resident robin was helping himself to my rice crispies.


Let's face it, if I can't keep wild birds off MY food, what chance have I got with the poultry!? 

You have an especially tenacious breed of robin up there - I was at a croft near Perth last month and the robins only went outside to swap barns.