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Frozen turkey may be on the menu this Christmas as the ‘worst ever’ outbreak of bird flu forces farmers to kill their birds earlier than usual and freeze them until December.
Farmers have killed 3.5 million birds this year – nearly a third of the country’s production – in light of the ‘poultry industry’s Covid’ and have been ordered to keep their flocks locked up to prevent ‘catastrophic’ prevent outbreaks.
Widespread infection means Christmas turkey shortages are a real possibility, so farmers kill their birds early to avoid contracting the H5N1 virus and guarantee they’ll be available by December 25.
From Nov. 7, birders must keep flocks housed “until further notice,” the bosses of the Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ruled.
The legal requirement comes amid the ‘rapid escalation’ of avian flu cases in farms and backyard birds, with the UK recording 80 cases this month.
Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council, told BBC Radio 4’s Today that the housing decision will allow farmers to kill and freeze their birds much earlier than usual.
The birds will need to be clearly labeled that they have been frozen.
Farmers kill their turkeys early and freeze them for Christmas so they don’t get bird flu – the virus has caused 3.5 million turkeys to be culled in the UK this year
The UK produces around 11 million turkeys each year, but nearly a third of those will be culled due to the spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus strain by 2022
From 7 November, all bird keepers in Britain will be required to follow strict legal measures to protect flocks from avian flu, including keeping free-range birds in fenced areas and strict biosecurity for farm staff. The map shows the prevention zone (red), where there is already mandatory housing (purple) and the areas under a 10 km surveillance zone (yellow)
Farmer Steve Childerhouse, 51, spoke of his heartbreak when he was forced to cull his entire flock of 10,000 turkeys destined for Christmas dinners in the UK
Farmer Steve Childerhouse, 51, spoke of his heartbreak when he was forced to cull his entire flock of 10,000 turkeys destined for Christmas tables in the UK.
Mr Childerhouse, who raises birds on his 35-acre Whews Farm, in Norfolk, said producers were “absolutely hammered” by the spread of the highly pathogenic virus.
And he told families they may struggle to get hold of turkeys and geese this winter because the usual stock levels “just won’t be there” and because his premises will have to be empty for 12 months as a result, he may not be able to. to also produce next Christmas.
He said: ‘We are a traditional fresh farm, but even the grown-ups are absolutely hammered by this. It affects the entire industry.
“We supply a lot of butchers and farm shops, and we’ve told them we don’t have any. They’re not selling turkeys or geese this Christmas because they can’t get them.
“It will have a huge impact on the Christmas market because they just won’t be there.”
And Mr Childerhouse warned that farms like his wouldn’t even be able to breed birds next Christmas, as his property must remain empty for 12 months after the outbreak.
Paul Kelly, director of KellyBronze Turkeys, told Farming Today that “this is the poultry industry’s Covid, except it’s much more pathogenic.”
He added that without a vaccine there would be serious consequences, including farmers not going to raise Christmas poultry next year.
Mr Childerhouse said: ‘As we obviously got it at the end of October we can’t touch our buildings for 12 months – and we get our birds in June and take them to Christmas’
The highly contagious virus — which experts fear could spread to humans and cause another pandemic — usually dies out in the summer. But this year bird flu continues all year round
Thawing a frozen turkey could be a common occurrence this Christmas as farmers take steps to prevent their flocks from getting sick with bird flu
James Mottershead, chairman of the National Union for Farmers (NFU) poultry council, told MailOnline: “The UK poultry sector has had a very difficult year and is still suffering from the ongoing threat of avian flu. We are also working against the rising energy and input costs affecting farms across the country.
“Turkish producers are doing everything they can to protect the health and wellbeing of their birds during this difficult time and are working hard to maintain production despite bird flu outbreaks, especially as we approach Christmas.
“As avian flu continues, vigilance is essential and maintaining strict biosecurity measures is vital for all bird keepers, be it a professional poultry farmer or someone who keeps a small number of chickens in their yard.”
A government spokesman said Friday that the UK has had 200 cases of bird flu across the country so far in the past 12 months.
The Food Standards Agency advised that avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk to UK consumers. Well-cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat, it said.
More than 47 million birds have been slaughtered across Europe to stop the outbreak.
For the first time, the H5N1 bird flu virus did not die out in wild bird populations over the summer, but remained contagious, leading to mass deaths of birds ranging from red kites to puffins and skuas, government officials said.
Scientists think the virus has mutated in such a way that it becomes more difficult — and can survive longer in the environment on surfaces or in water — although further research is needed.