In this focus, Rebecca Tierney from Teagasc and Peter McCann report on what is a very difficult time for the poultry sector, as the impact of Avian Influenza (bird flu) is starting to bite on poultry farms right around the country. It appears it is not going away.

Migratory birds

We now know the migratory birds brought it at the start of the winter period. It can persist in cold water, so the suggestion is that the risk of the disease in the poultry industry is likely to remain high until well into next spring, when migratory birds leave and temperatures start to rise.

This contagious virus has severe effects on birds, and can result in a high mortality rate.

Housing order

The advice, now the law, is to keep poultry locked indoors to prevent birds coming into contact with droppings from wild birds and getting the virus.

Bird droppings are the most common route for the disease to spread and it is estimated that one teaspoon of H5N1 infected faeces could potentially infect 500,000 birds.

Backyard fowl, as we know, are as much at risk as large poultry flocks in parts of the country.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) introduced its nationwide housing order from November 22.

This means all flock owners are legally required to keep all flocks indoors until the order is lifted.

In an effort to limit the spread, all producers must tighten the biosecurity measures being implemented on-farm.

To reinforce this, the Department has introduced a Statutory Instrument in relation to biosecurity measures, which must be in place on all farms.