Avian influenza has gripped the world’s poultry industry in its relentless clutches before, causing more catastrophic losses. 50 million birds in 2015. After a brief pause, when we were lulled into a false sense of security, it returned with a vengeance in 2022. Even now, in 2024, we have yet to stop the deadly spread of avian influenza—but wildlife and disease prevention enthusiasts are doing their part to intervene and hopefully slow many of our tragic losses of wildlife and livestock.
But the war against bird flu isn’t over, and we can win with healthier birds (and new menu options).
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Mouse with wings
The humble pigeon, considered by many to be a pest, has much to offer us in the fight against bird flu. Pigeons were once revered as war heroes, used to deliver messages during the world wars; Dickin MedalThe highest award for bravery in an animal has been given to 32 pigeons, starting with Winkie the pigeon in 1942. Before that, we used pigeons for meat and eggs, and baby pigeons (young pigeons) are still a delicacy in many parts of the world. Spanish texts about raising pigeons for meat date back to 60 AD.
But today, it’s the pigeon’s DNA that can help us. Pigeons have a huge population. interferon-stimulating gene (signals to infected cells when pathogens are present), giving them what researchers hypothesize is an inherent ability to block viruses from entering cells and spreading. After being exposed to avian influenza in a laboratory setting, pigeons showed a low immune response and had low levels of virus in their bodies. By comparison, chickens and turkeys exposed to the same level of exposure had high levels of virus concentrated in their organs, especially in the brain.
Further studies have shown that pigeons are resistant and/or less susceptible to viruses. One hundred rock dove were tested for the virus during the 2022 outbreak; only two tested positive. However, their deaths were not due to the virus.
It’s clear that the poultry industry shows no signs of restructuring to promote pigeon quesadillas or pigeon meat as your weeknight dinner. While pigeons have the benefit of helping to combat avian influenza, much of our industry is focused on more traditional chickens and turkeys. But for pigeon advocates, they claim to reap the benefits.
California Squab ProducerFounded in 1943, SPOC is the largest pigeon producer in the United States, producing over 400,000 pigeons each year. Although SPOC owns a commercial processing plant, the pigeons are raised on over 600 different local farms that work together as a cooperative, so the birds are not exposed to the traditional industrial farming environment.
Federation president Dalton Rasmussen notes that birds produce better products when they’re happier—so they strive to give each bird a short but sweet life. Birds processed by SPOC spend their short lives on small, locally owned farms, often with outdoor flight cages that allow older breeders to get a taste of life. “This is some of the most tender, delicious meat you can get,” says Rasmussen. “It used to be known as the meat of kings, as it was served to royalty back in ancient Egypt.”
Prices for conventional chicken and turkey, as well as eggs, have fallen due to the bird flu outbreak. Additionally, virus-related fears has dampened consumer enthusiasm for poultry dinners. Tyson, one of the largest poultry producers in the United States, reported sales decline by 2023, resulting in the closure of four of the company’s plants.US Poultry Overall sales are down 13 percent from 2022 to 2023. It’s hard to say whether this will affect pigeon owners, since there are few commercial pigeon breeders to consult, but so far there have been no outbreaks of avian influenza at any pigeon farms in the United States. In times of H1N1 uncertainty, we may see more consumers trying their hand at pigeon keeping. And with more neighborhoods restricting the right to keep chickens, we may also see backyard pigeon coops become more popular.
We can’t change bird flu. Can we change chickens?
There are some viable pigeon-free solutions in the works, such as gene editing. But it is hard work and rarely has a sure payoff.
Scout Thompson, a PhD student in biology at Western University, said the technology may not yet be sophisticated enough to stop the spread of bird flu. “Even if [gene editing] “While current strains of concern may be successfully eliminated from domestic poultry, the virus may persist in wild waterfowl and re-emerge with mutations.”
And with the current bird flu outbreak, that possibility doesn’t seem impossible. Many different species of waterfowl have fallen victim, and experts fear that waterfowl migration patterns may be causing seasonal increases in infections. Researchers have begun to make progress with CRISPR gene editing techniqueBut we don’t yet know whether this can bring lasting progress to the fight against H1N1.
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Betting on biosecurity
Vaccination is always an option, but it is not always possible to mass-vaccinate birds at the scale required on an industrial farm; only one large poultry farm in Texas has been forced to cull after a positive test. nearly two million chickens.
But for smaller flocks, vaccines may be a source of hope. “I think we should make it easier for very small flocks to get vaccines, medications, and other treatments for their birds,” said Saro Nortrup, an urban bird owner in Nebraska. “Most these things, such as [medication for] Marek’s disease is expensive with many dosage options and a very limited shelf life.”
According to Rare Breeds Conservation FundAll of the UK’s native chicken, duck and goose breeds are threatened by bird flu. While bird flu losses are often in the millions, Nortrup notes that any single bird death can have a cascading effect. “For example, if you have a rare breed, the loss of a flock can have a serious impact on the gene pool of the entire breed.”
Many American producers have grown frustrated with what seems like an endless wait for avian influenza vaccines that never come; even now, many farms still lack access to preventative vaccines. However, renewed interest has led to new developments and increased access to these vaccines; scientists are working on a vaccines for humansin the event of a potential pandemic if avian influenza begins to spread from person to person.
We don’t have all the answers to bird flu yet. But with so many local solutions in place, we’ll find a way forward—even if the poultry industry will never be quite the same.
