Randalstown turkey farmers shut birds inside over fears of avian flu

Two turkey farmers in Randalstown have shut their birds inside over fears that avian flu could wipe out their business in the run-up to Christmas.

There is no legal requirement to enclose birds in Northern Ireland, despite strict measures being imposed in England and the Republic of Ireland.

Around 5.5 million birds were culled in England since late October 2021, with 2.5 million of those in last month alone.

Brothers John and Thomas Galloway own around 8,000 turkeys which they will sell to butchers across Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.

As seasonal producers, the turkeys make up 65% of their annual profits.

John told UTV: "We have obviously spent a lot of money... feeding them, bedding them, getting them prepared for Christmas, so to lose them at this stage, it would basically wipe our business out."

The brothers said avian flu is the single-biggest threat to their livelihoods, even more so than the cost of living crisis.

To that end, they are determined to keep the disease out of their farm.

UTV were not allowed on the grounds to film to protect the birds from accidental contamination.

Avian influenza is a type of disease that spreads among birds.

There are several strains of the virus, many of which do not infect humans easily and are not usually spread from human to human.

The virus is spread by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive), this includes touching an infected bird, touching droppings or bedding and killing or preparing an infected bird for cooking.

Humans cannot catch bird flu through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas where there has been an outbreak.

It is the Department of Agriculture's responsibility to decide if birds should be enclosed here.

However, questions remain about whether or not civil servants have the legal powers to make such a decision with no minister in charge.

In response to UTV's story, a DAERA spokesman said “Both EU and domestic legislation provide the Department with a range of powers to mitigate the risk of a disease incursion, including that posed by avian influenza.

"A number of the measures available, including a housing order, must be informed by the outcomes of formal risk assessments.

“As previously stated, it is important to stress that the point has not yet been reached where that risk assessment suggests there is a need to introduce further risk mitigation measures beyond those already in place. 

“If the situation here changes and if the epidemiological and other evidence points to the need for the introduction of a housing order, officials will consider carefully how the public interest in implementing such an order or indeed in taking other measures to prevent the spread of the disease can best be met within the constraints that apply to decision-making in the absence of ministers. 

"It is therefore not possible or desirable to speculate on what remains a hypothetical situation. It is, though, important to note that previous housing orders have not required Executive referral.

“It is even more important to re-state, and we would ask the media to re-emphasise, the message of the importance of excellent biosecurity at this time.”

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