AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Personally I will be glad then they give them the chop that way this whole import soap opera will be over man its such a mess in so many ways and not that big a deal in the scheme of things heaps more important issues I think than some diseased chooks in quarantine.

Landline was interesting although a little one sides as little was heard from the experts.



This I found an interesting end comment and in part echos what we have been saying on THIS forum all along. No formal notification mean no evidence so some people spruiking this "its already here" are just basing it on "believe" and "probably" and that's far from fact


http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/ ... 807367.htm

Thanks for the link fowlman. I just watched it and yes was stacked in the syndicates favor I think but that makes for a better warm fuzzy story I guess. A 'fairly motley crew' speak for yourself Meredith

It was interesting when Mark Shipp confirmed its a disease that we have not seen in Australia since 1992 certainly puts an end to the squeaky wheels out there that claim it is but never cough up no proof.

The saga continues.......

Yes facts seem to eluded some out there

Hello all
I am not bothering to read all the messages on this now, I have said my piece, and maintain that view despite the comments of Fowlman and others. AQIS have not proven their case, hence the judgement against them. And it is in this group that the main benefit would ultimately be gained yet opposition seems even stronger now, exceedingly strange.

The link to the current situation in Australia of Pullorum is on this site, an official site it seems, last update 2011
http://nahis.animhttp://nahis.animalhea ... heet.153-2?

Now either that is right or it is wrong, but seems authoritative and logical to me. It does however have to be answered in the current context. If Pullorum already exists in backyard poultry flocks, then a lot of the media coverage has been misleading to say the least, from the other side. The Chicken Meat Industry said they spent a fortune eradicating it, but from where? They can only eradicate from specific flocks and breeding establishments, and every such site should have its own biosecurity perimeter and measure, just as I maintained around my piggery for 30 years. Each flock must have their own protection and monitoring to know their own status, and this can be reported.

It is fine to say that the current monitoring programmes have not found it since 1992, they have not covered backyard flocks, only the registered flocks as I read that site. I suggest that you all read what is said there, and judge what is being said here, in that context.

My point remains, I came to this forum hoping to be able to find guidance to lines of poultry that would further my aims of breeding decent meat chickens able to walk from existing breeds.The one reply I have had, from Wales, is doing exactly the thing that I had planned. However I doubt very much that I will be able to find the gene base here to do the same because too much has been lost in the name of type and show presentation. I hope I am wrong, and on that thread I will reword my question as it shifts to anyone also measuring growth rates at any stage.

On the question of the type of Salmonella, the following reference lists 8 derivatives for that just one strain of Salmonella pullorum. AQIS presumably would have identified at least to strain level in the dead chicken. Hopefuly they would have gone further to allow the source to be pinpointed more closely for evidence. That is what becomes possible with that sort of analysis done well. I have no faith that they would have done this unfortunately.

Table 1 on page 2 sets it out best. Sorry it is a scientific article, it demonstrates the point. No easy path with this stuff it seems. Just open the pdf.
http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/134/ ... l.pdf+html.

Due respect says that AQIS should also have notified quicker with more notice before slaughter. Must admit my time in the DPI in QLD way back, showed how the regulatory side of the Poultry industry worked. I was very pleased that my work was with pigs and with husbandry of Pig and Poultry Branch. Which of course explains my interest, dragged out of the cobwebs by what I see as a potential injustice by AQIS.

The current quarantine arrangement is that the chickens are housed in 4 separate sheds, I can see no reason for blanket slaughter if just one is involved, and that remains a big if. If all the chickens are tested and found negative, it is possible, where did that positive come from? If only one room is affected, why slaughter the other 3? The ID of that strain becomes crucial?
Is the strain one that is or has already been in Australia? Could it have fact been local contamination rather than import? Our quarantine facilities are not known for their security, and I remind you all of the horse flu case a few years back. Do they know what strains are in the backyard flocks in Australia?

Something is not right about this case in my view. It is easy to say the Act says this and do that, but the background does not add up. For an infectious disease, it has proven to be remarkably non-infectious for one chicken only to die amongst even susceptible birds. The current situation granted by the judge is fair, each chicken can now be tested, and the true situation ascertained. If they find more, then slaughter should proceed on the basis of proper knowledge and extent. The AQIS case is proven. The importing group will in fact still benefit to the extent that they may well gain some insight into just how and where it happened. This is of crucial important in such operations, whereas the previous option would have left them with dead chickens, and zero answers to plan preventative action in a second attempt if they have the courage.

Now if it happened to be a strain that happened to have been recorded in Australia in the past and survived in a backyard flock, then the story gets distinctly muddy.

I did not join this group to talk about these things, but to discuss meat chicken breeding and selection. That is a much more difficult subject, but inherantly linked to this importation as my reading before I joined, showed how much had been lost from the genetics of the purebred poultry in Australia. This importation was possibly the only chance to break that limitation, for everyone. As I have said, it is sad to see how little support, the group are getting when they really need it because if the smaller poultry breeder will not support them, the big guys are certainly out to get them.

That will be my last contribution on the subject, probably can't contribute more in any case until I see if I can get things going with my meat chicken project. Plus I don't want to put too many people offside or I will be thrown off the forum . For now my bees and bee boxes are much more relaxing.

Bob

ps I will just enjoy watching my Araucanas scratching in the garden and scuttling about in their delightfully characteristic way, until I venture to adding some of those Indian Game birds. Has anyone got pullets like those on that Welsh site in the reply to my quest?

I must have missed that Bob where did you read that? please post the link to the "4 separate sheds"

I have answered everything you have reposted above in my last reply not retyping it all and you failed to answer anyway.

A second attempt? I doubt that will ever happen regardless of the outcome and not about courage but by tighter regulations no doubt.

All the best Bob let us know how your fowls go if they come out of quarantine

Well apparently backyard chook owners know better than Mark and other experts and are sudden overnight experts I will stick to the facts as they are well know and not "if's" and "maybes" or "possibles"

Hello Cornish Hens
Does that mean that you have what we call 'Indian game' poultry. I actually find that a strange name connection, but that aside, as you may have worked out, I am chasing breeders of the Cornish Fowl, as close to the original genotypes as possible.
If you think you can help, please contribute. Please get in contact on my request forr info on meat chickens.
I had hopes from these importations and the systems that it would start, but sadly this forum is not supporting the concept. As a result, there is unlikely to be further imports of gene material from Europe and Australia is stuck with what we have. That is very much to the detriment of everyone on this group. Well that is the decission that I have come from my reading an the reports of losses of strains and colour types etc.
I am enjoyning joining this group.
Bob

Who is Cornish Hens? we have no member with that exact username?


Well thats a load of rubbish Bob read through the topic properly and then retract that comment.

I have heard that years ago that "backyard flocks" were subject to random free testing of their flocks.Does anyone on this forum recall this happening and approx year and what exactly the test's were for?

I quote from the Landline PRUE ADAMS: Vets and poultry breeders I spoke with believe Salmonella pullorum probably already exists in backyard chickens, with no formal notification though. And there are many who say the failure of this program will ironically lead to greater disease threat because if rare chickens are in fact being smuggled illegally, no-one is monitoring the health of those birds.

I wonder if all the talk that Salmonella pullorum already probably exists from the above quotes of vets and poultry breeders (but no one actually reporting as per DAFF guidelines or having birds tested) that DAFF dont require random testing of our flocks to validate or dispel these statements.

I know an exhibitor asked her vet about it and his reply was its not my speciality so would not comment as he would rather that DAFF give comments and follow their processes.