In South Africa, a disastrous bout of Avian influenza, commonly known as avian flu, has decimated egg and chicken populations. This has caused major shortages and price increases in South Africa.

Avian Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that can affect chickens and other poultry. Outbreaks of avian flu can be devastating to poultry farms, leading to significant losses and, in some cases, the culling of entire flocks.

However, with the right precautions and a well-thought-out plan, you can protect your chickens during an outbreak and take steps to rebuild your flock stock afterwards. In this blog, we will discuss how to ensure your chickens stay safe during an avian flu outbreak and what to do once you've experienced one.

It is important to implement Biosecurity measures before, during and after an outbreak. You can minimize the damage to your operation if you can contain the outbreak in one enclosure or coop.

Follow the steps below to stop the spread of avian influenza.

Biosecurity Measures: Implement stringent biosecurity measures on your farm. You can implement this by having disinfectant foot baths or boot covers for in and out of the chicken housing and having your personnel change clothes or shower between enclosures or coops.

Ensure that there is minimal vehicle and human traffic in and out of your premises and thoroughly disinfect vehicles before entering the premises.

Isolate your farm: Keep wild birds away from your premises as they can easily spread the virus from place to place.

Isolate New Birds: Quarantine new birds before introducing them to your flock to prevent the introduction of the virus.

Hygiene: Maintain clean enclosures. Move your birds to another clean enclosure and deep clean the coups or enclosures. This is because the avian influenza virus is mostly spread via spit and manure. Brush scrape and shovel off manure, feathers and other materials as disinfectant will not penetrate organic matter or caked-on dirt. Rinse all surface areas with water and then apply and only use the area once completely dry.

Rebuilding Your Flock Stock

Once the avian flu outbreak is under control, it's time to rebuild your flock. Here's what you need to do:

Start Fresh: ensure that your coops are completely cleaned out and disinfected. Avian Influenza can survive up to 3 months in the faeces of infected birds It is sometimes more practical to replace all feeding and watering equipment rather than cleaning these as you can easily miss cleaning in nooks and crannies and risk another outbreak. AgMarket Online Marketplace offers a range of poultry products at leading prices which can be delivered to your door, click the link to view the available selection.

Source Birds from Trusted Suppliers: Buy replacement birds from reputable suppliers with a proven track record of disease management. Quarantine these animals in their enclosure for 10 or more days.

Avian flu outbreaks can be devastating for poultry farmers, but with careful planning, prevention, and management, you can protect your chickens and your business. Always work closely with local agricultural authorities and a poultry veterinarian for gui