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Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

(civileats.com)
310 points greenie_beans | 8 comments | 19 Feb 25 21:46 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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philco ◴[20 Feb 25 19:48 UTC] No.43119264[source]▶
This feels like an insane proposition to me, I'll explain:

1. Soaring egg prices are due to culling + deaths related to the proliferation of H5N1 (Avian Flu).

2. The reason we have been proactively culling is to minimize spread AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, to minimize the number of exposures H5N1 could have to Humans.

3. The reason we want to minimize exposure between chickens and humans is because each exposure of an infected chicken to a human is an opportunity for the virus to jump host, and adapt to better transmit amongst humans. The mutation (mammalian adaptation of the virus) can happen in the chicken before it jumps to a passing by human, or in the human once infected with the virus.

We are only a few minor adaptations away from this thing being BOTH extremely deadly AND extremely transmissible between humans. Worst case scenario. The latest strands found in Canada and now Nevada are extremely deadly, and just need the Human to Human adaptation. With enough at bats, it will have it.

The idea of dramatically increasing the number of humans exposed to sick flocks by having people start their own backyard chicken coops feels suicidal, for humanity.

The latest hospitalized patient in Georgia was exposed through a backyard flock, by the way.

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1. dyauspitr ◴[20 Feb 25 19:56 UTC] No.43119352[source]▶
We have a backyard flock where the run and coop are completely enclosed. So in theory they should be more protected given that no birds or critters can get into that space to give my chickens bird flu.

That being said, I have no faith in the Trump government to do the right things required to stop the spread of this and I feel like we are pretty screwed either ways.

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2. UberFly ◴[20 Feb 25 20:10 UTC] No.43119528[source]▶
Your sample size of one isn't that relevant to the previous comment.
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3. notfed ◴[20 Feb 25 20:42 UTC] No.43119888[source]▶
That wasn't a sample though, it was a hypothesis. (And it brings the question: do cages help?)
4. kelnos ◴[20 Feb 25 20:42 UTC] No.43119893[source]▶
Wouldn't that situation be fairly common for backyard chickens? I feel like most people who keep chickens in their backyard aren't going to have contact with other chickens.

The exception would be a neighborhood/community where a lot of people have backyard chickens. But even then, wouldn't the chance of infection still be low?

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5. Server6 ◴[20 Feb 25 20:58 UTC] No.43120105{3}[source]▶
The risk it outside wild birds. If you have feed on the ground and wild birds are also eating it (and pooping on it), your Chickens could be infected.
6. decimalenough ◴[20 Feb 25 21:37 UTC] No.43120560{3}[source]▶
Completely enclosed runs and coops are very much the exception to the rule. Most backyard chickens are just fenced off (they can't really fly after all), meaning they're exposed to other birds.
7. dfxm12 ◴[20 Feb 25 21:54 UTC] No.43120783{3}[source]▶
It's not chicken flu, it's avian flu. You have to control for contact with all birds. I have a neighbor with chickens. They aren't always cooped up so they often mix with the wild pigeons and mourning doves. Even still, they just have simple cages that can be pecked/pooped through.
8. philco ◴[20 Feb 25 22:16 UTC] No.43121025[source]▶
Unfortunately, you backyard flock is not protected. It's airborne, is suspected to be infectious up to 5km between farm sites, and also can be contracted via fomite transmission. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your birds will likely get infected at some point in the coming 18 months, or sooner, and can be a real attack vector for something nasty for you and your family. The latest mutation across herds in Nevada/Canada both in birds and cows has a real nasty adaptation (D1.1) which has a suspected mortality rate in humans around 50%. Several hospitalizations in humans related to this specific mutation, acquired by individuals dealing with backyard flocks. The logic that your backyard flock mesh is sufficient to protect the flock and you from this pretty nasty bug isn't supported by the evidence we're seeing pan out across the country/world.

Another worrisome attack vector is cats, but that's a whole other pandoras box we'll leave alone for now.

To get an idea of how transmissible/infectious this thing is, it has jumped from birds in Asia, to dolphins in florida, and has eradicated entire populations of seals in latin america, cows, cats, ferrets, rats globally, to almost all bird populations in Antarctica. There is no species / geographic radius that will likely to unaffected. The death rate in each species may vary considerably (cows in US as an example, don't seem to die in great numbers), but it is highly transmissible even between species.

I'm sorry these aren't the best sources, but I'm in a rush and wanted to help you get an idea of what we're dealign with here in the context of your backyard flock, specifically. If you keep digging in all of the themes above you'll find even better sources:

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-02-20/...

https://scar.org/library-data/avian-flu

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/m1218-h5n1-flu.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-06173-x

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-06173-x

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/catastrophic-mortality-e...