Canada: Urban hen owners take precautions amid unprecedented spread of avian flu

Other urban hen owners in Calgary have gone as far as to keep their birds inside until the risk subsides.

By Sarah Offin
Global News
May 2, 2022

Excerpt:

While chicken farms have seen most of the infections, there have also been cases in small flocks, including backyard hens.

“If they have access to wild birds. If they have access to bodies of water that wild birds have access to… basically once they’re outdoors, they’re at a higher risk right now,” said Teryn Girard, a poultry veterinarian with Prairie Livestock Veterinarians.

The City of Calgary says mandatory training for urban hen license holders covers avian flu prevention measures. That includes a requirement to keep birds in a fully enclosed run, limiting access to the hens and using designated footwear.

“If they don’t have any open water on their property then it’s not a big risk, especially if it’s in urban centres,” said Wozny.

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Rent the Chicken only gets its chickens from trusted sources and not from backyard flocks. Wozny added that she also now briefs her renters on preventative measures.

“We just let our renters know that they shouldn’t have chicken playdates,” she said. “They shouldn’t expose their rental chickens to other chickens.”

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