What the state’s own agencies say, with sources. Not legal advice.
Avian flu rules for backyard flocks in Virginia
Virginia's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Department of Wildlife Resources have urged backyard bird keepers to step up biosecurity during avian influenza season. VDACS says to keep domestic birds from contacting wild birds, wash hands before and after handling birds and between coops, disinfect boots and gear, avoid sharing equipment across coops or farms, and give birds well or municipal water. If birds are sick or dying, VDACS tells owners to report right away to a local veterinarian, the State Veterinarian's Office, or the USDA's toll-free line.
Checked 2026-10-25 · vdacs.virginia.gov
Finding an avian vet in Virginia
The Virginia Veterinary Medical Association runs a Find a Veterinarian directory on its website for locating member veterinarians in your area. It is a general directory, so call a practice first and ask whether the clinicians there see ducks or other waterfowl, since many small-animal clinics do not. The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine's teaching hospital in Blacksburg lists small animal primary and emergency care at 245 Duck Pond Drive, phone 540-231-4621; its services page does not mention an avian service, so confirm before travelling.
Checked 2026-10-25 · vvma.org, vth.vetmed.vt.edu
State contacts
VDACS's Office of Veterinary Services, at 102 Governor Street in Richmond, is the state's animal health contact for poultry questions and sick-bird reports; it can be reached by email at [email protected]. VDACS says its Office of Veterinary Services staff help producers enroll flocks in the National Poultry Improvement Plan, a USDA-sponsored program that covers small flocks as well as commercial producers. The USDA's toll-free number for reporting sick birds is listed on VDACS's biosecurity release.
Checked 2026-10-25 · vdacs.virginia.gov, vdacs.virginia.gov
