From a Small Farmer: What You Need to Know About the Bird Flu

For the last two weeks I've promised an article on the current Bird Flu situation in the U.S. Well here it is! There's more going on than meets the eye, but also more hope than you might have been given by news outlets to this point.

There are many factors involved in the current egg situation in the U.S., so please bear with me as I do my best to explain what I know in a way that makes sense and doesn't take too much of your time.

What are Bird Flu, HPAI, and H5N1?

Before I begin using a bunch of bizarre terms, let me explain what I'm referring to.

Bird Flu is the laymen's term for avian influenza. Avian Influenza is like the common cold, except it is contracted and spread by birds.

HPAI stands for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, a type of Bird Flu that is highly contagious and more easily transmitted between birds.

H5N1 is a strain of HPAI. This strain was first discovered in domestic geese in Hong Kong in 1996 and is said to be responsible for the current Bird Flu outbreak in the U.S.

Bird Flu has been around for a long time; the first case of widespread Bird Flu is thought to have occurred in Italy in 1878. But this recent H5N1 strain, which began spreading across the U.S in 2022, is said to be the deadliest "evolution" of Bird Flu yet. We'll get into that later.

Are millions of chickens dying from Bird Flu?

While it's true that the H5N1 strain of Bird Flu is the primary cause of widespread egg shortages, it wasn't necessarily the cause of death for the tens-of-millions of commercially-raised birds that have already died in the U.S. this year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA...or, as Joel Salatin likes to say, the "U.S.-Duh") has decided that the best way to slow and control the Bird Flu outbreak is to kill every bird on a farm that has been infected, even if only one bird is to test positive.

The USDA and the media are kindly referring to this as "culling", but ask any farmer and they will tell you that culling is a practice of removing unwanted animals from your flock or herd. An animal is generally culled because it's sick, weak, or has genetic or behavioral traits that are undesirable. And depending on the situation, culling often means selling said animals; not just killing them. For example, we will cull cattle that do not respect our fences and cannot be rotationally-grazed with the group by selling them to a farm with a different program. 

Killing the birds that are suffering from Bird Flu is culling—killing every bird on a farm, even if it's perfectly healthy, is extermination.

So the truth is, we don't know how many birds have died from the flu, and how many birds were killed which might have recovered. The USDA does not distinguish this in their reporting.

Do I think this is the best approach? No, but I think it's the best solution for our current situation. First, you must understand what they are dealing with here. 

Why are they exterminating millions of chickens?

When you raise meat chickens (broilers) 20,000+ per group in barns with little-to-no sunlight and no fresh forage or even soil, they will develop with weak immune systems. So naturally, these chickens are extremely vulnerable to disease and have a very high mortality rate when infected; some barns have reported beyond 90%.

Even some fellow pasture-raised poultry producers have reported mortality rates of over 75% within 72 hours, which is scary. This isn't fake news—the Bird Flu is a real issue.

So there's a good chance as a poultry farmer that you'll lose most if not all of your birds anyhow, especially if you raise them in a barn. This part may be obvious to some.

The part that is less obvious involves economics. And this is where it gets hard for me to not go down too many rabbit holes. :P

Put simply, there is more financial incentive for poultry farmers and the corporations they produce for to kill all of their birds at the first sign of disease than there is to try and nurse sick chickens back to health, or even continue raising asymptomatic and now-immune birds. 

Why is there incentive for farmers and corporations to have their chickens exterminated?

First, our government compensates both these farmers (the contract growers) and large corporations (who own the birds) for birds killed in an effort to control HPAI.

It's important to note that they ONLY get compensated for the birds exterminated by the USDA, not the birds that actually die from the Bird Flu. This program incentivizes the extermination of as many birds as possible, as soon as possible. 

Second, the life cycle of a chicken is very short, and the cost of running a poultry barn is huge. If a barn loses 90% of it's birds to Bird Flu, it loses money caring for the remaining 10%. Then there is a quarantine period for any farm that has been contaminated by Bird Flu. It's much more efficient and economical to empty the barn right away so you can begin progress towards full production as soon as possible.

So why would they sit back and let 90% of their chickens die from Bird Flu then try to raise the remaining 10% at a loss when they can report to the USDA at the first sign of disease and get compensated for letting them kill all their birds???

And, specifically for the large poultry corporations (and even more specifically, when they're all affected), there are additional gains to be made from unusually high prices during the shortages that result.

My heart goes out to any farmer who loses a flock, big or small. It's such a terrible experience to go through, even before you feel the financial ache.

This just seems like too ideal of a system for the large poultry corporations, especially if there is a current or projected surplus of inventory in the market. 

How is Bird Flu affecting store shelves?

You may have noticed that the cost of chicken meat in the grocery store has not gone up near as much as the cost of eggs. There's a simple explanation for this.

The Bird Flu has taken a toll on both broiler (meat chicken) and egg farms across the U.S., but there's a major discrepancy in price fluctuations due to the different nature of these businesses.

A broiler is butchered at 7-8 weeks of age, and most poultry barns are raising them year-round. This provides an extremely quick turnaround, and allows the broiler industry to catch up to replenish it's supply easily.

Laying hens on the other hand take about 5 months to begin consistent egg production. They are also more seasonal; for free-range egg producers, there is an optimal time of year to replenish your flock, creating gaps in the production of pullets (young hens.)

When you exterminate one broiler, you remove one whole chicken from the store shelf, and it takes only 2-3 months to replace it. But when you exterminate one laying hen, you remove six eggs per week from the store shelf, and it takes 5-6 months at best to replace the first egg.

When you do the math, it's easy to see how the egg supply can disappear exponentially quicker than the chicken meat supply—and how it takes so much longer to catch-up!

How is Bird Flu affecting David's Pasture?

Well, so far it hasn't. We have never experienced a Bird Flu outbreak on our farm—at least not that we've been aware of.

We raise our chickens, both laying hens (raised by my partner farms) and broilers (raised by yours truly), outside with ample access to fresh air, sunlight, forage, and room to be a chicken. We also move them regularly so that they are never stuck in their own manure. In our winters, when it's too cold to move them around the pasture, the hens get access to a high tunnel (an unheated greenhouse of sorts) that provides a dry, warm place for them to hang out and deep bedding that gets rotated to keep the birds clean. We feed a non-medicated ration of GMO-free grains, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics that is fresh and also free from junk fillers. 

By prioritizing good animal husbandry and welfare practices, as well as proper nutrition, we develop birds with healthy immune systems and effectively minimize the risk of Bird Flu affecting our flocks.

For all we know, our birds have had it multiple times over and experienced no symptoms.

But we know that we aren't exempt; I have heard several stories of similar pasture-raised chicken flocks dying from Bird Flu this year. These were flocks that, as far as I can tell, were cared for in exactly the same way as ours. We will continue to follow best practices to promote healthy birds and mitigate risk on our farms, and cross the Bird Flu bridge if we must come to it.

Our greatest fear at this time is that a government official would randomly decide to test our birds, with or without our knowing, and find a positive case of Bird Flu. Because, as I stated previously, all they need is one positive PCR test to determine the fate of an entire farm.

Why are they testing for Bird Flu with PCR tests? 

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests rapidly copy and amplify small amounts of specific genetic material (DNA or RNA) to detectable levels, allowing precise identification of viruses, bacteria, or other organisms.

You probably heard about these during 2020's COVID-19 situation, when they became the global test of choice for COVID testing, and the subject of much speculation.

Many scientists and researchers criticized the use of PCR tests during that period because of their tendency to give false positives.

In my basic understanding of PCR, it performs multiple cycles of amplification to identify what exists in the material being tested, and there is a correct number of cycles to be performed.

The trouble was that many tests were being incorrectly (and sometimes intentionally) run for too many cycles, resulting in false positives. And the same thing may now be happening with poultry.

Where did the H5N1 Bird Flu come from?

This is a great question, and one I hadn't even thought to ask before. But the Beyond Labels Podcast recently opened my eyes to multiple recorded lab leaks that reveal a common source of the supposedly "evolved" strain of Bird Flu.

It was first "discovered" in 1996 in domestic geese in Hong Kong by a scientist who had already been doing research on HPAI and happened to be based in the same region.

While many experts claim that HPAI H5N1 is a natural mutation developed amongst wild birds, and carried from Europe to North America by the same, there is evidence to suggest that this strain was man-altered and leaked from not one, not two, but three labs.

Several labs across the world have been known to perform serial passage and Gain-Of-Function (GOF) experiments with HPAI H5N1. At least two of these labs have experienced personnel exposure in recent years, and additionally, the USDA Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) in Georgia with a history of performing GOF research in HPAI, reported cross-contamination between Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) and HPAI samples after receiving them from a CDC lab back in 2014.

At least one of these laboratories is known to receive funding from The Gates Foundation, and all of the labs in question receive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The simple fact that within a year, HPAI H5N1 was found in both domestic minks in the Netherlands—in the same region as one of those labs—and in ducks just a couple hundred miles from the USDA SEPRL in Goergia, is enough to raise an eyebrow and question whether or not this was actually spread from the EU to NA by wild ducks.

Are they vaccinating chickens for Bird Flu?

Yes and no. In the U.S., vaccines for Bird Flu exist, but widespread vaccination against HPAI is not yet common practice.

USDA policies have historically avoided vaccination, largely due to international trade implications. Vaccinated chickens can test positive for Bird Flu antibodies, making it difficult to distinguish between vaccinated and infected birds. This means exports of poultry products could be restricted by countries wary of importing potentially infected meat or eggs. 

There is also research showing concern for the potential of further mutation of HPAI as a result of mass vaccination. However, due to the recent scale of H5N1 outbreaks, the USDA and industry stakeholders are revisiting this approach, and limited trials of vaccination are now underway.

The USDA recently announced $100 million in funding to be awarded to organizations for the development of a vaccine effective against HPAI H5N1. Their APHIS website states: "While USDA is exploring the viability of vaccinating poultry for HPAI; the use of any vaccine has not been authorized at this time."

Are they vaccinating cattle for Bird Flu?

Yes, the USDA is currently allowing experimental vaccinations to be administered to cattle, and according on their website "these cattle and their products do not present a risk to human health and will stay in normal production."

This means that some beef and milk on store shelves or in school lunches may have come from cattle treated with experimental vaccinations for HPAI H5N1.

Will David's Pasture vaccinate for the Bird Flu?

We currently do not vaccinate our birds and we will not vaccinate against Bird Flu. Our approach continues to focus on preventive care—emphasizing a healthy living environment, proper nutrition, and natural exposure that builds immunity.

Can the Bird Flu spread to humans?

Yes, although human infections have been extremely rare. According to the information I can find, the H5N1 strain is primarily a bird-specific virus, not known to be adapted for transmission among humans. Human cases usually involve direct, close contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces. Thankfully, person-to-person transmission is extraordinarily uncommon.

Even so, the U.S government and other organizations have made funding available for the development of human vaccines against HPAI. In January, the Biden administration's Department of Health and Human Services announced it will award $590 million to Moderna to accelerate the development of influenza vaccines, including to protect against bird flu.

How can we avoid major egg supply disruptions moving forward?

The current crisis once again highlights major vulnerabilities in our centralized, industrial food system (and possibly the dangers of Gain-Of-Function research!) and the inevitable costs of cheap food. One of the best ways to buffer against future disruptions is to support and expand local, decentralized food production.

Small-scale farms that prioritize natural, humane, and healthy animal husbandry practices, and who sell to their local region, are inherently more resilient. Farms like ours rarely experience devastating disease outbreaks because their animals enjoy stronger immune systems and healthier conditions. We are also the last farms to be impacted by supply chain issues, since we primarily rely on other small, local businesses, and sell directly to consumers in our local regions.

You can actively help by choosing local food producers who raise their poultry and livestock humanely and sustainably. This supports the local economy, improves food security, and ultimately provides better nutrition for families and communities.

At David's Pasture, we're committed to fostering exactly this kind of resilient food system. Your continued support helps ensure a future where we aren't vulnerable to large-scale supply disruptions—and your eggs keep coming consistently from happy, healthy hens.

Can I raise my own laying hens?

Absolutely! Raising chickens in you own yard gives you control over what may be your most critical staple food. And raising your chickens outside with good animal husbandry gives you a leg up on many of the issues that plague large-scale poultry producers. 

There are many great resources out there for raising backyard chicken flocks, including books, videos, and online forums. Or just ask a friend who already has chickens how they got started.

If you aren't 100% sure that you're ready to become a backyard flock owner and you just want to get your feathers wet, you can also rent chickens from your local Rent-The-Chicken homestead.

Rent-The-Chicken provides the chickens, coop, feed, a how-to guide, and all the equipment you need. They delivery everything to your house in the spring and collect it in the fall. And if you fall in love with them during that time, you can even choose to "adopt" the chickens. Click here to learn more about Rent-The-Chicken.

Conclusion

Okay, I'm done rambling. 😅

Hopefully, if nothing else, I've informed you enough to make you question the popular narrative. And I encourage you to continue viewing the situation with an open mind. None of us got to this point in our health journey without allowing part of our belief to change. There is a lot of information being spread right now and much that is still unknown.

But here's what we do know:

~ The Bird Flu is real. Commercial flocks, small-farm flocks, and backyard flocks alike are all being affected by this and often with 75%+ mortality within 72 hours.

~ There is heavy financial incentive from the government—for better or worse—for all farmers and poultry corporations to have their chickens tested and killed if positive.

~ Most testing for HPAI is being done with PCR, which has been known to give false positives.

~ Laboratories in multiple countries have been doing serial passage and Gain-Of-Function research on HPAI over the past few decades.

~ The first discoveries of H5N1 in recent years occurred near two of these laboratories.

~ Vaccinations for HPAI are not yet being administered to poultry in the U.S, but they are being administered to at least some cattle.

~ Humans are still at low risk for HPAI, but vaccinations are being developed against it.

And lastly, we desperately need a more resilient food system that promotes our local economies, healthier people, and regenerative agriculture practices. We need to get away from giant mono-cultures and diversify our production. And we need consumers to give power back to the farmers.

I know I didn't cover everything here; I could dig into this for days. But I hope this was helpful and I welcome any specific questions you may have! Please contact me directly through our contact page or comment below.

In good eating,

Your farmer,
Remi Kesten