Christmas turkeys may be limited as Avian Influenza threatens supply
Lincolnshire has been one of the worst hit regions with bird flu over the last year, with over 1 million birds culled
Last updated 7th Oct 2022
We're hearing Christmas turkey supplies could be at risk if the worst bird flu outbreak in UK history continues to spread. Lincolnshire has been one of the worst hit regions over the last year, affecting 15 farms. Prevention Zones have been introduced in the whole of the South of England this month.
The public have been urged to stay vigilant for bird flu as areas bordering Lincolnshire introduce new restrictions.
H5N1 – also known as avian flu – has been found in both captive and wild poultry in the east of England.
A control zone has now been thrown around Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex, where there have been 11 confirmed outbreaks, to stop the spread.
1.2 million birds were culled after the disease struck 15 farms in Lincolnshire last year.
The unprecedented spread was focused around Alford, and made Lincolnshire one of the worst hit regions in the country.
GB Geese farmer, Richard Botterill tells us why it's a farmers fear:
"It would be a major disaster if we if we actually got a case of avian flu within the birds because, the cases that are around at the moment, they're what's called high pathogenic avian flu and that's a very virulent strain and quite often ends in rapid death of the birds. So once the birds get infected, they die quite rapidly.
"So you know, we would typically find that, one day, you might have a couple of birds that have died, you go the next day into the pen to let them out, and you know, there might be two or three hundred birds that are dead. It is that fast."
Richard continued to say that he has taken measures to be more biosecure since the recent cases, by cleaning lorry tyres when they come to deliver grain, and being more vigilant.
There has been three million birds culled just in recent months, and 155 sites have had confirmed cases.
Richard's farm sees turkeys, geese and chickens sharing the grass, as he has a flock of 400 breeding ewes, 1500 geese, 3000 turkeys and 2000 Chickens. He added that the county is very giving when it comes to agricultural work:
"Lincolnshire as a county is massive in agricultural production, you know everything from veg, to meat, to grain. Everything is grown in Lincolnshire and in huge amounts and part of that is poultry, and you know there are a lot of poultry farms in Lincolnshire because there's a lot of grain grown in Lincolnshire.
"So it makes sense to to use that grain locally and and feed it to poultry. So whatever effects poultry production, is going to have a massive effect on the economy in Lincolnshire."
There aren’t currently any confirmed cases in Lincolnshire, officials have confirmed, either in poultry farms or personal collections.
However, anyone who looks after birds is urged to keep good biosecurity to stop it entering their flock.
Lincolnshire County Council has also advised people to report dead wild birds.
Bird flu rarely passes to humans, but is known to be very dangerous when it does.
Emma Milligan, Trading Standards Operational Delivery Manager, said: “In Lincolnshire, although there are currently no confirmed cases in commercial or backyard flocks, we are advising anyone who keeps birds to maintain good biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of this disease spreading here.
“We would also advise the public to be particularly vigilant about wild birds which may be infected by the disease. If you see dead wild birds, do not touch them, and report them to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on 03459 33 55 77.
“Avian flu primarily affects birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low, but reports from the public can help track the spread of the disease and prevent it infecting poultry and other captive birds.
“We’ll be sharing biosecurity advice from the APHA on our Lincolnshire Trading Standards Facebook and Twitter pages, or for more information you can visit GOV.UK/APHA.”
Last year’s outbreak was likely down to poor virus control, councillors were told earlier in the year.
Trading Standards Manager Mark Keal said at the time: “It can be that a premises isn’t secured, or that wild birds have access to the stock.
“Measures like cleansing and disinfection can be used to minimise the risk.”