Farmer culls 450,000 chickens due to bird flu

Damian McCarney
At Lavey Inn

While the Department confirmed to the Celt that there is one case of “low pathogenic avian influenza of the H6N1 subtype in a commercial poultry flock in County Monaghan”, they did not comment on the Celt’s query on Co Cavan.
The Department is also investigating three more flocks in the Monaghan, which preliminary lab results suggest they are “likely” to also have low pathogenic H6N1.
A spokesperson stressed this form of flu: “has no known public health risk nor international trade implications.”
“There’s one farm today losing 450,000 birds, and if he loses a million he’ll be very lucky,” said Mr Renaghan.
The IFA Regional chairman for Ulster/N Leinster added: “It’s threatening the livelihoods of farmers. So anyone who has poultry, or is near a poultry house, the one thing I would say is: disinfect, disinfect and disinfect. And hope to God it just doesn’t come into your farm.”
A Department spokesperson advised flock-owners to regularly monitor their birds: “If they suspect avian influenza, they must report it immediately to their veterinarian or to one of the Department’s Regional Veterinary Offices.”
Speaking to The Anglo-Celt after Monday’s meeting Nigel Renaghan explained that these cases of “avian influenza” are categorised as “low pathogenic avian influenza”.
Under Department rules, this is not a “notifiable” disease. This means that farmers are not duty bound to cull their livestock, and therefore are not eligible for compensation. Conversely, if the disease was high pathogenic avian influenza, it would require mandatory culling of birds, providing a gateway to compensation for affected farmers.
Mr Renaghan said that the virus was first detected in farms north of the Border and the authorities are investigating how it came into the Republic. He said that numerous people in the poultry sector have done “the right thing and disposed of the birds”, even though they are not obliged to.
“Whether it was carried by wind, or meal delivery we don’t know, but it made its way across the Border,” he said.
Mr Renaghan explained that affected farmers could “trade your way through it, keep the birds in the house”, but explained: “We don’t do that because we don’t want to risk its spread number one, and number two the drop in production won’t make it economically viable to keep them.”