Could Avian flu occur in the UK

There has been just one case of avian flu in the UK and this occured in 1992. It was contained to just one farm and there haven't been any cases since. The UK has extremely strict rules on the movement of livestock and as any occurances of the disease have to be notified by law in the event of the disease being found it should be contained quickly. It is very unlikely that chickens kept in a backgarden would catch avian influenza. The concern is that it could arrive in Europe. The most likely way would be via imports of live turkey, ducks or chickens from the infected areas. However, the european union has acted quickly to ban imports of all animals capable of carrying the disease from all the infected countries. Another way that the disease can travel is with migratory birds. It is not yet known whether the migratory birds which spend the winter in europe will come from the infected areas of russia.

All our chickens are safe. Omlets chickens are reared in well managed barns with no contact to migratory birds. The farms have extremely strict rules on who is allowed to enter the areas where the chickens are being reared and no one is allowed into the barns without sterile, single use overalls. All footwear has to be dipped in disinfectant before and after entry into a barn. This is to minimise the risk of the chickens catching any disease during their growing stage.

Could this affect my chickens? You are much better off having your own chickens as these are at the lowest possible risk of infection. Bird flu is more of a concern for large farms. What are the symptoms?

Avian influenza can affect many species of birds. It affects the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system. Typically the disease presents itself suddenly with affected birds showing swelling of the head, comb and wattles turn blue, dullness, lack of appetite, respiratory distress, diarrhoea and drop in egg production. Birds may often die without any signs of disease being apparent. However, there can be considerable variation in the clinical picture and severity of the disease. If you have any concerns please don't hesitate to call us.

What can I do about it?

Advice from the Department of the Environment and Farming is that the risk is extremely small and that it is being monitored very closely. Should any special action be required we will know about it immediately. You can use a pet disinfectant to clean the eglu, food and water containers regularly to ensure that they are as hygenic as possible.