Bird flu: Farmer forced out of poultry industry after losing 11,000 turkeys in 'worst-ever outbreak'

  • Steve Childerhouse told Natalie Gray of ITV News Anglia about his heartbreaking decision

A poultry farmer says his business has been destroyed after he had to cull more than 13,000 birds because of an outbreak of bird flu.

Steve Childerhouse is now looking for alternative work after he had to put down 11,000 turkeys and 2,500 geese at his farm near Attleborough in Norfolk.

It just one of the farms affected by the current outbreak of the disease that has been called the worst ever - with five million birds already having died.

It has led to calls for the country to get on a "war footing" as it fights against the disease ripping through the poultry industry.

Mr Childerhouse started rearing birds when he was just 12 years old, but now the barns where birds should be fattening for Christmas are empty. Farmers only get compensation for live and healthy birds - which in this case, was only eight.

He said: "They were lovely healthy birds the week before - out on the ranges and everything else. Then to actually experience and see the destruction, and what this avian flu does to them is just unbearable, really.

"It's just horrific to see."

Steve Childerhouse has been raising birds since he was 12 years old but is now looking for another job. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Under current rules Mr Childerhouse cannot use his barns for another 12 months - which wipes out next year's Christmas trade too.

The East of England, where Mr Childerhouse farmed, produces half of the country's turkeys.

The National Farmers Union said if the government did not act, many producers like Mr Childerhouse would leave the industry forever.

They are now calling on the government to consider vaccinating flocks.

Some 11,000 turkeys had to be culled on the farm. Credit: ITV News Anglia

John Newton, poultry lead at NFU, said: "We'd be very keen on having a vaccination policy.

"I think we're some way away from that practically at the moment but we are urging the government to re-double their efforts in trying to get a vaccine rolled out and legislation changed which will enable our members to use it."

Essex-based turkey supplier Paul Kelly, who has 34,000 birds across several farms, said he had never been so worried.

"We have just got to stop the wild birds from getting to our turkeys because it just takes one teaspoon of infected bird droppings and that will kill a flock within two or three days.

"It's the Covid of the poultry world, except for one thing: the birds don't get sick and recover from this - they all die within three or four days."

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