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Beth Bach's avatar

My largest contamination potential seems to be from wild birds entering the pen to look for leftover scratch. I’ve considered netting the entire pen but I think they’ll just end up sitting on the poles used to support netting. I have a backyard flock of ten currently in 500 sq ft of space. Numbers have been as high as 35 but that was a lot of work and needed a lot more room. I do not free range because chicken poop everywhere is very unpleasant. I learned they very early in. I’ve kept chickens for about 14 years now. I do have a vet clinic who sees chickens if I need a professional assessment. I do morning and evening observations to see if anything is off.

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Laura T RN BSN's avatar

Thank you! So important to write down or photograph type and lot number of feed

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Beth Bach's avatar

What kind of food security measures should a feedstore have? What is the goal? Simply to ensure the feed is not spoiled? What else?

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Michele Pfannenstiel DVM's avatar

Foot baths at the front of the store would be a great start. Tire wash on the way out. Signage telling people to change their shoes would even be helpful!

Getting seperate trucks that deliver to on farm v off farm...so from the feed mill trucks don't drive from a farm delivery to a feed store to a farm.

Trucks are a big way Foot and mouth gets spread in endemic countries

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Beth Bach's avatar

Wow. Okay, yes makes total sense and I don’t know of a single one in all of Texas who does this who sells to the small flock keeper. It does make me realize I need to take more of my own precautions before I come back to my place. I used to do all that when I was visiting poultry places. I don’t visit other places anymore but I do go to feedstores for chicks and feed. This is a serious crisis brewing so thanks for the huge wake up call on it.

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Grace Cooper's avatar

What about contact with wild birds such as sparrows in the barn?

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Michele Pfannenstiel DVM's avatar

Clean up after them as best you can and try and get them to nest away from the other barn animals. It is hard.

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Kate Quigley's avatar

I've refenced/fenced over my goose pen and the chickens and blocked the entrance more for my chickens and plan on covering my pigeon flight pens. It has already dramatically cut back on the amount of feed lost to the sparrows/starlings. Once it doesn't freeze everynight I am going to have foot baths for each of my enclosures.

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Susan Knowles's avatar

Great advice our rabbity was destroyed when the buyer's truck brought a virus from OR up to our rabbits near the Canadian Border!

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Michele Pfannenstiel DVM's avatar

OMG that is awful. All my rabbits got pastuerella … I think it was my cats 🐈 sigh

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Susan Knowles's avatar

How sad for you, also!

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Ben Pfannenstiel's avatar

I Miss our chikens

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