Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) poultry chair Nigel Sweetnam is urging poultry farmers to stay vigilant to protect domestic and commercial poultry flocks from avian influenza.

It comes after Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon announced on Thursday last that bird flu was detected in a small backyard domestic flock in Donegal.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Sweetnam said: “It’s becoming more of a disease for backyard flocks because people are feeding the birds out in the open and they’re mixing with wild birds.

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“Ninety percent of cases are caused by direct contact with wild birds. This is much more now about the domestic flocks, as our track record so far with commercial flocks has been relatively good, as farmers are taking the precautions.”

Attitude

“When we had outbreaks in the commercial flocks, there were defiant small flocks that refused to house birds, as they said it was against the birds’ nature. That attitude has to change. The birds’ welfare has to come first and part of their welfare is protection from disease.

“I would like to see a change of attitude around the disease and people thinking that their birds are immune to it when they aren’t. The biggest risk to contracting bird flu is birds that are outdoors.

“In the statement from the Minister, he was sympathising with the flock owners. I’ve never seen that language used with commercial flocks, but domestic birds can be like pets. It’s all the more reason for them to be cautious and mind their birds," he added.

Message

“The message is to try [to] keep domestic pets away from wild birds and not to feed domestic birds outdoors.

“For commercial flocks, this case is a timely warning that the danger of bird flu hasn’t gone away. We need to be cognisant of it and not let our guard down and keep doing what we’re doing because its worked for us so far.”