A bird flu outbreak at a commercial poultry farm in Northumberland has led to the culling of 32,000 hens, raising concerns about the supply of turkeys for Christmas.
Around 2,000 birds had already died from avian influenza at the farm near Belford before the remaining flock of about 29,000 was destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading.
Farmer describes 'carpet of dead birds'
Farmer Catherine Armstrong, who runs the free-range egg farm, said her "worst fears" had been realised after discovering what she described as "a carpet of dead birds" inside her poultry sheds. Her flock of 32,000 egg-laying hens, which typically produce about 28,500 eggs a day for UK supermarkets, was culled after the virus spread rapidly through the site. Armstrong said deaths rose from dozens of birds to more than 1,000 within days.
The outbreak has raised concerns for poultry producers ahead of the festive season, when turkey farms enter their most important trading period of the year.
Warning over further outbreaks
Farming leaders stressed there is no current evidence of wider disruption to festive food supplies, but stated the coming weeks will be critical to ensure the latest outbreak does not spread before Christmas demand begins to surge.
Northumberland county councillor Guy Renner-Thompson warned any further outbreaks affecting turkey farms will have serious consequences. "If bird flu gets into those, that's ruined them for the year, because that's their main money-making part of the year," he told the BBC.
Protection zone imposed
Defra has imposed a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone around the affected premises, with the wider area including the Farne Islands, which are famous for their seabird populations.
Experts have warned there is a "real risk" avian flu could affect Christmas poultry supplies if further outbreaks emerge. Andrew Preston, professor of microbial pathogenesis at the University of Bath, told The Independent it was "very likely other cases will arise" as the UK enters peak bird flu season and migratory wild birds return.
"Currently, there will be farms in the UK with turkeys being reared for the Christmas market and these are susceptible to disease transmission from avian influenza," said Wesley Thorne, poultry business director for northern Europe at Ceva Animal Health. He said the industry builds resilience into the supply chain by producing birds in advance of Christmas, but warned farms must maintain strict biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of infection.
The outbreak is likely to be watched closely by consumers across the UK, with turkey, chicken and egg supplies coming under pressure during previous bird flu outbreaks.
