The UK’s Poultry Market News has reported an outburst as the poultry market had to cull 40% of its flock of free-range turkeys due to bird flu, which has put additional pressure on the market during the crucial Christmas season by depriving some high-end butchers of supplies. The nation’s worst avian influenza outbreak, which has proven fatal to birds traditionally eaten during the holiday season, especially free-range flocks, is being fought by poultry farmers. Since Monday, English poultry owners must confine their flocks indoors to prevent the spreading of the disease.
According to Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council, a trade organization, “instead of chickens, this strain is particularly virulent around turkeys, ducks, and geese.”According to the Poultry Related Latest News, “It’s spreading quickly and is affecting the Christmas birds.”
According to Griffiths, the current outbreak, which started in October 2021 but has so far been more severe than last winter’s, has already claimed between two and five percent of the 1.2 million and 1.4 million free-range turkeys raised annually.
One of the biggest producers, Gressingham, reported to the Poultry Market News that all three of its farms’ goose flocks had been wiped out.
Gressingham, the largest producer of ducks in the UK, reported to the poultry farm news UK that “our duck and turkey farms have also been affected, which is resulting in reduced supply to all our customers.”
A month ago, the bird flu wiped out Mike Hanigson’s entire flock at Great Grove Poultry in UK. Between his discovery of the infection and the arrival of the culling teams, about 5,000 birds perished in the two days. Eight thousand five hundred additional turkeys and geese were put to death. “Everything appeared to be in perfect condition five or six weeks ago, including the birds.” “Avian flu came and blew it all to smithereens,” he said, adding that the illness meant his farm could not be used for a year, and he would likely look for work in a culling team.
Poultry farm news UK has reported the worst bird flu outbreak in the UK for a decade has killed thousands of turkeys, raising concerns over Christmas supplies. The affected birds will be culled in the movement of poultry of a 3km radius where wild birds are banned. It is the first outbreak in nearly 20 years on such a scale – 2,500 turkeys were found dead this week, and 120,000 will be culled to stem the spread. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said there was no risk to human health.
Over 30% of the country’s population depends on poultry production as a livelihood. Nearly all of the country’s egg and chicken consumption is imported from other countries. The UK has more than 40,000 farms and 23 million laying hens. The UK is the fourth largest egg producer in Europe and the tenth largest worldwide.
Let’s have a look further.
1 – Nearly all of the country’s egg and chicken consumption is imported from other countries.
Most of the country’s egg and chicken consumption is likely imported from other countries. According to the Poultry farm news, UK imports most of its poultry from the EU, but some come from countries in Africa and Asia. The UK imports more than half of its eggs and more than half of its chicken meat.
2 – According to the UK’s chief veterinary officer, there is no evidence that chickens are intentionally infected.
- According to the UK’s chief veterinary officer, there is no evidence that chickens are intentionally infected.
- The virus, however, is easily transmitted by wild birds and can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or their bodies.
- The strain of bird flu has been found in southeastern England since November 21st and 22nd, and the government’s department for environment, food, and rural affairs is currently monitoring the situation (DEFRA).
3 – The affected birds will be culled, and the movement of poultry in a 3km radius and wild birds is banned.
- Culling: The process of killing animals.
- 3 km radius: A distance, usually measured in miles or kilometers, represents a circle with a radius equal to the specified value. In this case, 3 km refers to the distance between farms where birds are being kept and infected flocks.
- Wild birds are not allowed to come into contact with poultry.
Conclusion
This outbreak is the worst poultry disease in the UK for a decade, and for many years there have been concerns about wild birds coming into contact with poultry. Now, as winter approaches and people prepare their gardens for Christmas bird feeders, we must remember that this could be our last chance to enjoy fresh-from-the-oven turkeys without fear of infection from the bird flu virus. According to the Poultry Related Latest News, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs work closely with the farming and poultry sectors to solve this issue.