Bird Flu is Rapidly Spreading Through US Poultry Flocks

The plants recommended in this article are very heat tolerant, but even the best-adapted plants need a little extra care when extreme heat strikes. Since heat can stress plants, and stress can lead to further problems, reducing that stress is paramount. Here are some ways to keep plants thriving through very high temperatures.

Are you looking for family-friendly jokes and clever puns with a feathered theme?  This bumper list of bird puns and bird jokes has all you need to get everyone smiling.

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As with many programs begun under President Donald Trump, the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) underwent considerable examination when the Biden administration took over in January 2021.

How To Propagate Bird of Paradise Plants

This current strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI, more commonly known as bird flu) is causing problems. It’s been detected in nearly 97 million birds in commercial or backyard flocks, with another 9,500 wild birds confirmed infected. In birds, it can cause coughing and breathing trouble, swelling and, ultimately, death. 

I SUSPECT every gardener has for years now over and again heard the warnings about the most widely used pesticides in the United States, neonicotinoids—or neonics for short. In 2013, the American Bird Conservancy issued a report warning of their impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and especially the ripple effect their use was having on birds. The Conservancy has issued an updated report with a telling headline, “Neonicotinoid Insecticides failing to come to grips with a predictable environmental disaster.” So where are we now with limiting the use of these pesticides and what can we as citizens and gardeners do to help in the effort?

Keep yourself healthy this winter by staying up to date with a flu vaccination. Flu vaccines are your best line of defense against the current flu strains. These vaccines are safe and effective. However, it is still possible to contract the flu even after receiving the vaccine. Here’s why: The CDC partners with state public health departments and healthcare providers across the country each year to track flu strains. Flu vaccines must be formulated periodically to be effective against the most current flu strains. This means two things. First, a yearly flu vaccine is needed for up-to-date protection against the most currently prevalent strains. Second, there are always less prevalent flu strains circulating, and it is possible for you to become ill from a less prevalent strain despite being up to date with a current vaccine. But for most people, even if they do happen to become ill despite receiving the flu vaccine, studies show their symptoms are substantially reduced with fewer hospitalizations and deaths.1 Flu vaccination is especially important for the elderly and those with chronic health conditions who are at risk for more serious flu illness. Since 70-85% of flu deaths occur in people ages 65 and older, several new flu vaccine options are now preferentially recommended for this age group.1 Talk with your healthcare provider about which flu vaccine is best for you.

January is an interesting time to look for birds in the garden, as days are short and the availability of natural food is limited. This brings more birds into gardens, for whom a reliable source of supplementary food can be a lifeline.

These homemade bird feeders are a great way to give your local wild birds a real treat. You can make a bird feeder at any time of year, but it’s particularly important to support wild birds in winter.

Mandy Melnyk has made some changes to her egg and poultry business in the last few months. The owner of Meadow Creek Farms in northern Alberta serves about 200 families a month with her egg subscriptions and broiler chickens—but now, instead of customers coming to pick up their orders from Melnyk directly, she’s spending a lot of time in the car, delivering them herself. 

Avoid These 4 Bird-Feeding Mistakes Encourage birds to visit your yard by avoiding these 4 common bird-feeding mistakes. Don’t make these four common bird feeding mistakes!