Bird Flu & Agribusiness

Watch the skies. Bird flu is coming.

There has been considerable concern about wild birds spreading bird flu to our domestic flocks. Agribusiness is always quick to assure us that the industrial flocks are safe because they are kept indoors under strict biosecurity controls. The danger is with free ranging organic flocks because they are allowed to mingle with wild birds.

This is a nice theory, but the facts don't support it. The spread of H5N1 doesn't follow the migratory routes and seasons. It does follow major roads and railways. Bird flu is hitching a ride on shipments to and from factory farms.

Factory farms are perfect disease incubators. Large numbers of homogeneous animals are crowded together in a stressful environment. A virus can evolve rapidly into a more virulent form.

Wild birds and small backyard flocks are the victims. The disease spreads from the factory farms to them. Many small-scale poultry farmers get their feed and chicks from industrial sources. The chicks become infected at the factory and spread the disease to new flocks. Then there is the "poultry litter". Poultry litter is whatever falls onto the floor. This can include bedding, spilled feed, feathers, and fecal matter. It's one of the standard ingredients in chicken feed, as well as other industrial animal feed.

Small backyard flocks provide genetic diversity and maintain a number of older, endangered breeds. The meat and eggs produced is much healthier for us. They give many hobbyists a great deal of pleasure. It would be a trajedy to lose them in the mistaken belief that it will prevent a pandemic bird flu.



Grain has an excellent briefing on bird flu.
http://www.grain.org/briefings/?id=194