Somerset farmer says bird flu restrictions could see him lose his free range egg status

A poultry farmer from the Chew Valley says he and other farmers are at risk of losing their free range egg status because of ongoing bird flu restrictions.

Tom Wood's hens are normally roaming freely on the fields of Greenacres Farm in the Chew Valley. But for 11 weeks they have been cooped up in a barn, to keep them safe from the virus.

If the restrictions set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) continue for more than 16 weeks, this farm along with others will have to classify their eggs as barn eggs.

Tom Wood has produced free range eggs for 30 years at the Somerset farm. Although the free range status would return once the chickens are let back out, he says it would be bad for business.

"It is not good," he said. "It will cost us extra money as we will have to use some sort of labelling.

"It will cause confusion to the customer as we will have to explain the birds are kept in and classified as barn. Hopefully if that happened it would be very short term but it is difficult."

Bird flu can be spread by migrating wild birds during the Winter months. Living so close to Chew Valley Lake, Tom's farm is potentially high risk. 

The virus is so deadly, that if one bird contracted it all 11,000 of Tom's hens would have to be culled.

Tom said: "If one gets it or the virus goes into the building unfortunately that would be the end of the flock. 

"The issue you have is the birds are not on a shelf, you have to pre-order them and our ordering is six months in advance.

"Even if you managed to get over the bird flu, disinfect all the sheds, start again basically, it is then can you get the chickens. It would be devastating and it would be devastating for anybody to get bird flu."

Greenacres Farm has strict bio hazard rules in place to try and keep the virus out, but Tom says he is hoping restrictions end soon so his birds and his business can stay free range.