Over the past two months, nearly a dozen commercial farms in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, have had to kill more than a million laying hens, according to recent government regulations issued to control the latest outbreak of bird flu. , which has been a severe economic blow for farmers, workers and their customers.
According to experts, bird flu is transmitted by ducks, geese and other migratory birds.
Waterfowl can carry the virus without getting sick and easily spread it through their droppings to chicken and turkey farms and backyard flocks through droppings and nasal secretions.
California poultry farms are implementing strict biosecurity measures to slow the spread of the disease.
State health officials have urged farmers to keep their flocks indoors until June, including organic chickens that must have access to the outdoors.
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