Bird Flu

Bird Flu. As a farm with many thousands of pastured chickens immersed in a wildlife-friendly ecology of fields, forest, and ponds, we're watching every development in this global issue.  We don't like what we hear and what we see.

We are in this together, you and us.  

The chicken and eggs you enjoy from Polyface are not on a planetary island immune from legal, social, and microbial interactions.  We are a network of people, places, perceptions, and protocols; together, our chickens and your table are a vast unseen world of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Truly beyond comprehension.

Let's scratch and peck on this issue to get clarity. Ready to know our stance and plans?

Here we go.

First, we have agreed to not ride the price roller coaster.  

We have been in business long enough to see cycles of bird flu, drought-induced feed spikes, and other anomalies that send supermarket groceries soaring.  

Because of our production practices, we have always been spared the bluntest edge of these crises.

Here's what I mean: we don't import animal feed. We're purchasing it from local non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) and glyphosate (Roundup) free sources.  Our suppliers are not nearly as vulnerable to global anomalies, and that provides insulation for us as well.  

Our birds are healthy because they're happy and clean; without sounding arrogant, we don't expect bird flu because we have faith in our model.

We've decided to stay on an even keel.  We're in for the long haul and balanced consistency.

Second, the mainstream narrative you're hearing about bird flu omits important aspects and exaggerates others.  

Let's look at some examples.  

"Bird flu has caused the sickness and death of 166 million chickens and turkeys in the last 24 months."  

Not true.  

Only a handful - perhaps 1-2 million - were actually sick.  All the rest either never got sick or had been sick and gotten over it.  The lion's share of the dead birds were not sick but were exterminated in the USDA draconian "stamp out" program, whereby all chickens in proximity to sick ones are killed "to prevent spread."

"Vaccination is the best remedy."  

President Biden, two days before leaving office, gave $500 million to Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine, and that's just one piece of the research monies given to drug companies.  

Again, the vaccination remedy is false.  

In fact, hypochlorous and CDS, along with some homeopathic remedies, have been shown to be highly effective.  These anti-viral microbials are safe enough for humans to drink.  But the USDA refuses to even run a trial.

Third, any livestock farmer knows that if you want to get ahead of an epizootic, especially if it becomes endemic, the last thing you want to do is kill the survivors.  

Not one single flock in the world, even at the most rampant infestation, has suffered 100 percent sickness to death.  Not one has suffered more than 90 percent loss, which means 10 percent survived.  In most cases, much higher percentages survived.

The "control by killing survivors" remedy is not only mentally sick, it's certifiably insane.  

As Dr. Zach Bush explains eloquently, every being, microbe, and virus on the planet is adapting to its surroundings.  That's the difference between living and non-living things.  A rock does not morph due to its surroundings.  Neither does a car.  But living things, including fungi, communicate and respond.  Living things are dynamic, and each one tries to become stronger to live another day.

We've heard a lot about bird flu mutating.  In fact, early bird flu vaccinations in Egypt indicate that vaccines make the bird flu stronger.  That stands to reason.  The virus feels attacked, so it morphs and changes to protect itself and become stronger.  But dear folks, all life does that.  

To listen to USDA agents, you'd think chickens are completely helpless in the face of this relentless viral adaptability.  But chickens, as beings, are not stupid; they're trying to survive, too.  When the viruses mutate, chickens mutate too.  Their immunological function develops antigens that protect them from future attacks.

What could be more ridiculous than killing the chickens showing immunity, either by never getting it or getting it and getting over it?  

The right policy, which more and more alternative scientists are preaching, is to save the survivors, breed them, and quickly let natural immunity develop a more robust chicken.  

Some 15 years ago in our area of Virginia, bird flu allegedly reared its dastardly head and several million chickens and turkeys met their demise at the hands of some 30 specially assigned federal veterinarians.  

Two of those veterinarians came to Polyface for a visit - not to investigate, but just to see this pastured poultry farm they'd heard about.  They did not come together.  

Each sat in our front hallway and said "We all know this is coming from too many chickens in too high densities in too many houses in too close a geographical area."  But then each, with a sigh, said "But if I say this publicly, I'll be fired tomorrow."

During that outbreak, a federal government car drove up to our front yard. The two agents demanded to go to the field and take blood samples from our chickens.  

Pastured chickens, then as now, were fingered by the government as the agents of the virus.  We did not let them exit the car and told them they could not come back without a warrant.  They never returned.

Today, the stakes are much higher.  

Between then and now, terminology in government regulatory documents use terms like "the national flock" for poultry and "the national herd" for cattle.  

In other words, the official position of the U.S. government is that these cows and chickens in our field are not ours; they're owned by the government.

Right now, government agents are visiting farms, both big and small, without warrants, taking samples looking for bird flu.  

Here's the problem with that (besides that it's illegal): 

These agents are using the highly unreliable PCR test. The official USDA magnification is 45 cycles (think microscope power from 10th-grade biology class).  Massachusetts (the first state agency to accuse the USDA investigative protocols as fraudulent) says anything above 30 cycles is fraudulent, because it can find bird flu detritus anywhere - on your table, in the air, your underwear and hair.  Anywhere. In other words, if you look for it hard enough, you can find it.

Polyface has spent 10 years breeding a special line of incredibly robust, drug-free laying hens.  The government taxes our profits on these birds that we feed, water, shelter, and love.  No, the government did not build this flock; we did - despite the government's hurdles.  

We have no intention of letting a government agent find bird flu on a feather and condemn our birds.  One feather, according to the scientists, contains enough virus to infect one million chickens.

With all this in mind, on March 11th, we met with our Augusta County sheriff to see if he would protect us from heavy-handed federal and state bird flu gumshoes. He gave his complete and unreserved commitment that if any government agents came to Polyface without a warrant, he would come and run them off. We're so grateful to have a sheriff like him!

He then asked, "What will you do if they come with a warrant?"  Legally, he can't interfere if they come with a warrant.  

That, dear patrons, is where you come in.  

We have never ever done this, but we live in extremely uncertain times.

If agents come with warrants, we will put out an ALL POINTS BULLETIN (APB) to you, our loyal patrons, to come en masse to Polyface. 

We have no desire for a showdown; we only want to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.

God has given us those chickens out there to love, honor, protect, and respect. Ultimately, they are His stuff, not ours.  

When civilizations come to a crossroads like this, courage demands standing in the gap, or blowing a trumpet from the wall.  Take your pick of metaphors. Like the Biblical Esther, perhaps we've been born "for such a time as this."  

If 1,000 people showed up to block federal agents, to protect truth and sensible science, we'd have one exciting story.  

We pray this does not become necessary.  But now you know our heart and our mind to stand into the storm. 

We move forward in faith.

Blessings,

Joel