WASHINGTON -- Sixty-two percent of U.S. commercial broiler, egg and turkey farms have backyard bird flocks located within a mile of their operations, according to a survey by USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.
APHIS selected 350 commercial poultry operations with at least 10,000 chickens or 5,000 turkeys and then canvassed residences within one mile to determine the presence of pet bird or other birds and surveyed the owners about flock characteristics and their management practices.
The survey, conducted in 2004, was completed in 349 of the 350 one-mile 'circles.'
Sixty-eight percent of the commercial operations surveyed had another commercial operation located within one mile. Fifty-five percent of the sampled circles contained one to five backyard flocks, with an average number of two backyard flocks in a circle. The average backyard flock had 35 birds and about one-third had fewer than 10 birds.
Chickens of table-egg breeds were found in 63 percent of the backyard flocks, and meat breeds were found in 17 percent, the survey said. Game fowl were found in 23 percent of the flocks and ducks were in 21 percent. Many flocks consisted of more than one breed or species.
Of the backyard flocks that raised ducks or other domestic waterfowl, 52 percent had ponds on the property that attracted wild waterfowl. Forty percent of all the premises with backyard flocks had wildbird feeders on the property.
In regards to biosecurity, the survey noted that 89 percent of backyard flock owners took no precautions about dedicated footwear, 82 percent never washed hands before handling poultry and 44 percent did not wash hands after handling poultry. Only 3 percent consulted a veterinarian and only 3 percent of flocks received vaccinations. Feed stores were the major source of information about poultry health, the survey said.
Daily
News