The weather is warming up and it’s good to put out water. Especially now I’ve got magpies here.

However I stopped doing it because of potential disease transmission with avian flu. (Especially owning a vulnerable elderly cat - who is kept indoors but could get sick if I tracked something in.)

I’m physically disabled so would have trouble cleaning and disinfecting the water containers daily.

What’s everyone else’s plan for managing this?

I really don't want to do this again

If the same cunts start talking about smashed avo and financial responsibility now I'm stealing their bones for soup

This is from May but I just saw it.

I saw that they weren't going to go ahead last year, but now apparently there will be a pilot.

Sorry, this article is older but has more general information for those who don't keep chooks.

H5N1 affects birds, cows, cats, and humans (and more). High mortality rate. No known human to human transmission yet but it's global, we're like the last place that hasn't got it, and the risk to our birds is now considered high. There's a chance the virus may enter from the north when birds migrate in spring.

Structure and behaviour similar to Coronavirus. In addition to direct contact or respiratory and surface transmission it can also affect the safety of fresh milk and eggs (fact check this but it seems to according to what's happening in America).

Fingers crossed this doesn't become Covid 2:The Electric Boogaloo

This is paraphrasing and may need fact checking. However from what I've seen of the situation in America this can have a greater than 50% mortality rate, affects humans cats and other animals, and is spreading through cows. It seems to be global however Australia seems to be one of the few places still free of it so far.

If we get an outbreak here it's going to be similar to covid with the masks and disinfection, with the added recommendation of eye protection, and the issue of it affecting the safety of eggs and milk.

It doesn't seem to pass from human to human yet? But while we seem to be in the clear for now, let's watch our butts just in case that flip occurs and it gets over here on people or migrating birds.

It could be really sensible to do things like keep chickens and pet birds away from wild birds, wash hands after handling birds, use masks, be careful of having bird feeders, keep cats inside to not hunt birds... you know. Just use caution.

This is what the Greens were pushing for. Will be watching

This is a day old. But if you see this, are in NSW and have those specific pies check the date on them

No telling who could benefit from knowing this exists. Basically the RSPCA keeps your pets safe while you leave a dangerous situation and until you can sort somewhere else to live.

It’s also not the only program like this. There’s are others and also Pets Of The Homeless, who will temporarily foster your pet/s to give you a chance to get back on your feet and reclaim them.