Jul 27

Jul 27 Bird Flu 2025 –Protect Your Backyard Flock – Protect Yourself

Hey! Backyard Chicken Folks! Take This Survey!

The CDC has asked for my help in spreading the word about a survey of backyard flock owners in the United States that they are conducting. Tell the CDC what you know and feel about bird flu!

Since March 2024, 70 cases of avian influenza A(H5) (or H5 bird flu) have occurred in humans in the United States, mostly among workers exposed to infected dairy cows and commercial poultry. However, cases have also occurred among backyard flock keepers.

CDC would like to learn more about you, your flock, and how much you know about H5 bird flu. This knowledge will help them improve their message, and better reach out to you with information about bird flu and how you can best protect your flock and yourself.

The survey was scheduled to be open through the end of September 2025 - but due to the government shutdown, it continues to be open. And here’s the link.

Bird flu outbreaks in the U.S. come and go. Outbreaks come because they are infectious diseases and they spread. For bird flu, the spreading mechanism is usually infected wild migratory waterfowl. They travel long distances, don’t recognize national borders, and often carry the virus asymptomatically.

Outbreaks go because when a new one occurs, U.S. animal health experts unleash a robust tried-and-true strategy developed during past outbreaks. This approach has consistently helped contain the disease.

Until this time. The bird flu du jour that is raising havoc in the U.S. is known as “clade 2.3.4.4b”, which is a subgroup of the H5N1 avian flu that has been bouncing around the planet since 1996. Clade 2.3.4.4b was first detected in the U.S. in some wild birds in the Carolinas in December 2021. It first appeared in domestic poultry in Indiana in February 2022. Since then, it has spread across the U.S and is showing no signs of going away. It’s one seriously nasty, tenacious virus.

To date (July 2025), over 174 million commercial poultry birds have been culled in the U.S. The disease has been found in over 80 other mammal species now—just this month (July 2025) it has been detected in skunks in a number of Texas locations, harbor seals in Maine and Massachusetts, and a domestic cat in Oregon. There is strong evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmission among wild sea mammals such as sea lions, marine otters, porpoises and dolphins. And there is one proven case of direct mammal to mammal spread at a Spanish mink farm where over 50,000 mink were eventually euthanized. Direct mammal-to-mammal spread is alarming because such transmission could bring the virus a step closer to human-to-human transmission and an ensuing pandemic. It’s in dairy herds in many states; thus, it’s in dairy products. 70 people have become infected, and in January of this year, the first human died.

There’s growing concern among backyard poultry keepers about this disease. Are our backyard flocks at risk? How can we protect them? If my flock becomes infected, what should I do? And what about people? Are we in danger of this bug infecting us?

After some research, here are my best answers to those important questions.

How Do I Protect My Flock?

This current circulating strain of bird flu has indeed infected backyard flocks. Your flock is at risk, so it is important for you to understand that risk and take the necessary preventative measures.

I’ve written a number of articles about various infectious diseases that affect chickens. In each of those articles I’ve included a section on protecting your flock from infectious diseases carried by other chickens. All those rules apply here, but there’s also another important consideration. You also have to be vigilant against avian flu carried by wild birds.

Protection From Other Infected Poultry

Commercial chicken operators have way too many chickens crammed into not enough space. Because of the size and density of commercial flocks, these operators have to be vigilant to prevent disease. We backyard flock folks need to be as serious about protecting our birds from bird flu as the big commercial guys. Bird flu does strike backyard flocks. Frequently. It is serious, so we need to be serious with our precautions. Here’s my list:

Don’t visit other coops.
Don’t allow any unnecessary people near your chickens or in your coop.
If you must allow a caregiver or someone else in your coop, and they’ve been in contact with another coop or flock, make sure that they’ve showered and changed clothes before visiting your coop. My chicken sitter has a dedicated pair of boots just for my coop that she keeps at my house.
Don’t attend coop tours, don't enter poultry barns at the fair, don't go to swap meets or anywhere else where there are live chickens. And since you’ll probably do some or all of those things, shower and change your clothes before you visit your coop. And be sure to have dedicated shoes or boots that are only for your coop.
If you introduce new birds to your flock, or you take a bird to a show or exhibition, quarantine that bird for at least four weeks.

The USDA has a robust on-line resource center on biosecurity called “Defend the Flock.” Take a look at that and think about how you can best implement their suggestions.

Protection From Infected Wild Birds

Wild birds are avian influenza reservoirs. They often carry the virus without showing signs of illness, and spread it far and wide as they migrate. Your backyard poultry can catch the virus by direct contact with these infected wild birds, or more likely, by coming in contact with objects or environments contaminated by them. Imagine your ducks swimming in a pond where infected wild ducks had been swimming, splashing and pooping. Or think of wild birds stopping for a bite to eat at your outdoor chicken feeder, or at the spot in the run where you scatter scratch grain.

The main carriers of avian flu are water birds like ducks, geese and swans and shore birds like gulls and terns. Raptors such as eagles, hawks and owls can contract avian influenza by eating infected birds. And vultures and crows can become infected by eating infected dead birds.

Songbirds are at low risk of carrying the disease, but they are not entirely without risk. And since there is a chance of a random songbird asymptomatically carrying avian flu, the USDA recommends that if you have backyard poultry that you take down bird feeders or keep them far away from you flock.

Biosecurity is all about keeping your flock from coming in contact with wild birds and things that wild birds have contacted.

Make sure wild birds can’t get into your coop.
Cover and enclose outdoor feeding areas with fencing or only feed your flock indoors.
Clean up spilled feed.
Don’t allow your poultry access to ponds that are visited by wild birds.
Get rid of any large puddles that could attract migrating waterfowl.
Get rid of birdfeeders or keep them far away from your flock.

Signs of Bird Flu

The first signs you may notice that indicate something’s not right with your flock is when one or more hens appear sick—they will be inactive and stand alone in a corner with their head and tail down, or they’ll never leave the roost. Egg production will be down. Their combs can turn dark, and their feathers can appear ruffled. Chickens may have their beaks open, gasping for breath. They may have extreme diarrhea. Sadly, the next sign is unmistakable. Many chickens will die suddenly. If this happens in your coop, it’s NOT a done deal that your flock has avian flu, but it's certainly a sign that something is very wrong and that you need to reach out for help.

I See Signs of Bird Flu - Now What?

If you are confronted with the nightmare of most or all of your chickens becoming sick or dying, call your vet immediately. If you don’t have a vet, call your state animal health official. Here is a list of the animal health official to contact in each state. Or you can call the USDA's toll-free number directly at 1-866-536-7593.

Birds from your flock will be tested. If the test is positive for HPAI, by law, your entire flock will be euthanized on site. Then, veterinary health officials will test every flock within a 6-mile radius. If any other positive flocks are discovered, each flock will be retested periodically until no more positive cases are discovered. No chickens will be euthanized in neighboring flocks that test negative. By law, you will be compensated for the loss of your birds. But not for your suffering and heartbreak.

How Do I Protect Myself?

Of the seventy confirmed or suspected human cases of bird flu since 2024 that have been reported by the CDC, over half contracted the virus by exposure to infected cows. Most of the remaining cases were on large scale poultry farms. But there have been cases of people getting sick from contact with their infected backyard flocks. The single reported avian flu death was a person over the age of 65 in Louisiana with underlying medical conditions. The Louisiana Department of Health has reported that the patient contracted bird flu after exposure to both wild birds and a backyard flock. We backyard flock folks need to be vigilant. All of us.

Poultry infected with avian flu can spread the virus via their saliva and mucous, but the most likely source is their poop. Normal, healthy chickens poop indiscriminately and everywhere. Chickens sick and dying with avian flu probably have diarrhea. So, yes. Virus-laden poop will be everywhere. Consider every bird, every object, and every surface in your coop to be infected. The virus may also be present in moisture droplets and dust in the air. If you suspect your flock has avian flu but you have not yet had confirmation, observe your flock from only a distance. If it is absolutely necessary for you to enter your coop and have direct contact with your birds, you should wear personal protective equipment such as goggles, an N95 mask, and disposable clothing and boots. The CDC’s guidance for personal protective equipment for people working with animals is here. The seasonal flu vaccine is important for protecting you from seasonal flu, but it will not protect you from this epidemic strain of bird flu. If your flock is ultimately confirmed to be infected with HPAI, follow the guidance of the public official in charge of your incident.

If you become sick within ten days of your chickens becoming ill, you should isolate at home—away from the other people in your household. Your doctor or clinic can help you get tested by your state or local department of health and will advise you about further monitoring and isolation.

Living in the New Normal

Avian Flu has become embedded in wild birds—it is endemic and it persists in all seasons, year-round. We can no longer think of avian flu as a passing threat. It’s become a permanent part of our world. In the past, government agencies worked together and managed to stamp out every big outbreak. But this time, things feel different. The old strategies aren’t working as well. Plus, mandates from the highest levels of our government are negatively impacting programs while hundreds of government scientists in key positions are being shown the door. It’s hard not to worry about what comes next.

The good news is that, for now, the risk to people is still very low. Humans can only catch this disease from infected animals; not from each other. The nightmare mutation that would allow it spread person-to-person hasn’t happened. Still, viruses never sleep. So, neither can we.

So where does that leave us chicken keepers? Let’s just say we’re living in the new normal. Avian flu may never disappear completely, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. We can stay informed. We can take smart precautions to protect our flocks. We can speak up for solid, science-based policy. And we can support the research and innovations that help us keep our birds healthy.

We might not be able to stop avian flu from existing—but we can keep it from controlling how we live or how we care for our chickens. The world has changed, but our role as excellent stewards of our backyard flocks has not. Stay watchful. Stay hopeful. And keep caring for and about the chickens in your backyard.

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In this article I have used the terms “bird flu” and “avian flu” interchangeably. Both terms refer to the same disease and mean the same thing.