With a seventh Victorian farm confirmed to have poultry infected with avian influenza, small scale poultry owners have been given a checklist of how they can reduce the risk of the highly contagious disease spreading.
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On Monday the Victorian chief veterinary officer Graeme Cooke confirmed another outbreak of the disease in the Golden Plains shire, near other farms where the disease was contracted and within the restricted movement zone.
There are two current restricted movement zones, one in the Golden Plains shire, and one centring on the town of Terang, an hour and a half to the west.
For households with non-commercial poultry in this containment zone, Agriculture Victoria has issued a housing requirement for all birds.
"Housing birds is an effective method of minimising direct contact with wild birds that can carry the disease with no apparent symptoms," Dr Cooke said.
"The order will reduce the risk that more birds will contract avian influenza; however, it will not eliminate the risk of spread."
Agriculture Victoria said that if poultry owners did not have a suitable building to house their birds, then efforts must be made to separate them and their food and drink from wild birds that may be carrying avian influenza, such as by putting up netting.
However, it is not just poultry owners in the restricted zones urged to take care to minimise risk.
The Victoria state government has issued a checklist of measures poultry owners can follow to ensure they keep their birds healthy and prevent further spread of the deadly disease.
There are a number of measures that can improve hygiene, including being careful with water sources as small as a puddle, which could be used by wild birdlife.
Other small initiatives that could stop the spread of the disease are as simple as using clean egg cartons when sharing farm eggs with friends or family, preferably new, or at least ones kept separate from the birds.
The full list of preventative measures to follow are:
- Regularly clean your chicken coop including feeders, drinkers and equipment.
- Frequently replace nesting materials.
- Always washing hands with warm water and soap after handling birds, eggs or other materials in the coop.
- Try to avoid contact between chicken and wild birds, rodents or pets.
- Keep your bird's feed and water clean of any droppings or animal waste.
- Your birds should drink the same water as you - town, bore or tank water.
- Keep birds away from potentially contaminated water sources such as streams, dams, ponds and even puddles.
- Feed your birds good quality feed from a reputable feed-mill.
- Keep new birds separate from your existing flock for 14 days after they arrive on your property.
- Keep records of where you buy poultry from and if possible, their vaccination history.
- If you attend bird shows do not allow your birds to mix directly with others.
- After showing keep the birds separate from the rest of your flock for 14 days when you return home.
- Minimise visitor contact with your birds. If visitors need to handle your birds make sure they wash their hands with warm soapy water before and after handling. Visitors should cover their footwear before handling birds.
- If you are selling or giving away eggs, use new cartons if possible or keep reused cartons clean and away from birds.
- Know the signs of disease and immediately report large or unusual numbers of dead or sick birds or sharp drop in egg production to your vet.
Domestic poultry owners are also being advised on what symptoms to look for in possible cases of avian influenza, with Agriculture Victoria saying early detection could help minimise the size of any outbreak.
It said signs of a sick bird could include:
- ruffled feathers
- unusual head or neck posture
- inability to walk or stand
- loss of appetite and reluctance to drink
- droopy appearance
- swollen head, wattle or comb
- drop in egg production
- breathing difficulties
- diarrhoea
- sudden death.