Bad Season Of Bird Flu In Uk Hits Supply Of Christmas Turkeys

UK poultry producers are battling a “bad season” of bird flu, pinch cases overmuch worse than astatine this constituent past year, putting a compression connected supplies of Christmas birds including turkeys, chickens and ducks.

Two manufacture insiders said they expected supplies of each poultry to beryllium tight up of nan festive season, particularly for integrated and free-range birds, which are seen arsenic nan astir susceptible to infection.

There are besides apt to beryllium less heavier birds disposable arsenic immoderate producers person started processing them earlier to effort to debar nan consequence of infection.

About 5% of nan UK Christmas poultry flock, including turkeys, ducks and chickens, representing astir 300,000 birds, are thought to person been culled truthful acold this season.

The existent avian influenza outbreak has seen higher numbers of cases successful nan UK than past winter, though it is not yet arsenic terrible arsenic 2022/23, which was the largest outbreak nan state has ever experienced.

Despite this, awesome retailers are expected to person capable banal because of beardown agreements pinch suppliers and their willingness to salary much for beforehand orders, moreover if it intends taking a deed connected profit margins.

Smaller retailers are apt to find it harder to root birds, aliases whitethorn person to put up prices for shoppers to screen their higher costs for securing stock.

“Certain producers person been very severely hit,” said Richard Griffiths, main executive of nan British Poultry Council. “We are looking astatine expanding numbers of cases and it is simply a bad season, overmuch worse than past year.”

Gressingham, which supplies ducks to retailers including Waitrose, was among nan firms to person had an avian flu outbreak but would not corroborate really galore birds were lost.

Free-range and integrated poultry shaper Capestone Organic Poultry, based successful westbound Wales, besides had an outbreak astatine 1 of its farms, which led to 48,000 turkeys astatine nan tract being culled.

“We only person free-range and integrated products, thing is housed, truthful we are peculiarly vulnerable,” said Rob Cumine, managing head of Capestone, which supplies birds to respective of nan UK’s awesome supermarkets.

He said an outbreak and nan ensuing cull has “quite an affectional impact”, explaining: “You are very invested successful nan use of nan birds; you each consciousness that successful position of nan waste.

“You mobility whether you could person done much and location are immense emotions for nan unit and nan squad involved.”

Bird keepers successful England were ordered earlier this period to support flocks of much than 50 birds indoors from 6 November.

That ruling extended erstwhile measures covering northern, cardinal and immoderate parts of eastbound England, amid escalating numbers of outbreaks of vertebrate flu successful some captive and chaotic birds. A lodging bid came into unit successful Wales connected 13 November.

An avian influenza prevention area is successful spot crossed nan full of Great Britain, requiring strict biosecurity measures to effort to restrict nan dispersed of nan disease.

However, caller cases of nan illness are being confirmed connected an almost regular basis crossed nan country, including immoderate astatine large-scale commercialized poultry units. About 50 cases person been declared, nan mostly successful England, since nan play began astatine nan commencement of October.

“Producers are doing their utmost to negociate nan birds and negociate nan situation,” said Griffiths.

“The adjacent mates of weeks are going to beryllium nan important ones for birds being slaughtered for Christmas. Once we get to that point, we tin each respire a sigh of alleviation for different year.”

The Animal and Plant Health Agency is tasked pinch responding to illness outbreaks connected behalf of nan Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Its caput of outbreak delivery, Sascha van Helvoort, said: “We person successfully delivered illness outbreak consequence almost continuously complete caller years, including successful 2023, which was nan largest outbreak of avian influenza this state has ever experienced.”