Bird 'Flu

Out for a walk yesterday, we met a mute swan - but it was making a strange noise!! oo-er!! Made our dog very happy - she loves it when swans talk to her!! (She's not too good at reading swan body language - she reckons all tha wing flapping means they want to play!)

 

Psittacosis! Well known amongst parrot owners!

And Fran - great you got in there with some common sense info! I heard that someone asked if the fact that government scientists where all suited up when testing dead birds meant there was something to be concerned about - well, no! It's to do with protecting the specimen so it doesn't become contaminated and corrupt the results of the tests. Same as forensic testing.

Other than that, I agree with the rest of the posts - no sense in living in a dugout "just in case"! Not what life was intended for!

 

Worried about bird flu? Marinate your chicken in Lemsip....Sorry

 

Good idea Rosietu!!

 

Apparently cats can get it too. Which is why on the first confirmed cases in Denmark people rushed their cats to the vet asking for them to be put to sleep "as a precaution"!!!! Gee, I don't know if any vet recommended the people put themselves to sleep as well as a precaution, but I hope they did!
In Germany and Switzerland there were 6 cats found to have bird flu in the same area, all strays close to an outbreak point amongst birds, all taken to vet care and NOT put to sleep - and amazingly, all 6 cats survived and are clean of the virus! (Another cat in Northern Germany, the part of Germany where the virus was first found, had died of the virus though.)
Last week they confirmed the virus in a poultry farm in Germany. About 100kms away from where my parents live. My parents live on a farm and have some chickens and ducks and were told (months ago actually!) to keep them all indoors in the shed now. My mum preferred to have a go at the ducks as they are difficult to keep inside - easier to transfer them to the freezer right away :( , but the chickens have since lived inside the shed. Luckily they don't have all that much poultry, just enough to be self-sufficient for eggs and the occasional Sunday lunch treat...

It is a very tricky situation but no need to panic whatsoever for anyone not closely working with poultry - and I am looking forward to going to Fife soon again for a weekend! Love the area!

 

Bird Flu, what about Thrush?

 

FANTASTIC!!!!

 

I don't think people with thrush look that contented, Dave - it's blinking itchy!! What a fantastic photo!! :D

 

Aaaaaah! Lovely pic DW.

 

Last year we watched nest building to hatching and leaving the nest.Fingers crossed for this year!
Shortly after I had taken the pic the young thrush disappeared. About an hour later we found it in our bedroom where it had left a deposit. It had hopped through the front door, across the conservatory and up a steep flight of stairs.

 

:( Here we go! Bird Flu in Norfolk, the heart of chicken/turkey breeding. It would be a shame if those idiots who were abusing the turkeys at Bernard Matthews' 'factory' were to get ill wouldn't it?
BTW it's well-known in these parts that turkeys and chickens have been ill-treated like that for years but BM's keep denying it - just talk to some of his workers!

 

dont do BM on principle...... I also thought it was restricted to waterfowl and poultry?? Not garden birds?? Also - cats got it from eating/ killing infected birds?? Same as the pine martins in Germany???
Mind you, I think the media aren't going to be happy until we all run around hysterically panic-buying, shutting ourselves in our houses and wearing masks, turning up to hospital if we have a sniffle.....
I was really angry with a Mum in Sainsbury's just before Easter - her young child grabbed a Cream Egg from the shelf - she said (in a Vikky Pollard voice) "put that back - it'll give you bird flu!" ..... good grief, no wonder we have a generation with eating disorders.....

 

Honey Bee, she didn't, did she????
For crying out loud, that's beyond being stupid! What are people thinking?????

 

Well I got so fed up with Edward the other day I grabbed him by his neck and told him that if he ever hissed at me again and tried to stop me leaving my property I would do what Paladin has told me to do with him!

Does this mean I will get bird flu???

 

:eek:
Interesting! What exactly did Paladin tell you to do with him, Waco? Do tell :D