On May 11, Hilary Benesh got the correspondence she was dreading - a call from the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture that the H5N1 virus (avian flu) had been detected in a neighbouring farm.
B次元官网网址淓veryone within a 12-kilometre radius was given notice,B次元官网网址� said Benesh, of the Cat and Crow Farm in Comox.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said in a release the H5N1 virus has now been found in seven small flocks across the province, presumably through contact with infected migrating wild birds. Owners of small or backyard flocks are urged to continue to be vigilant and have appropriate preventative measures in place.
The Cat and Crow is considered a small flock operation.
B次元官网网址淎s a small flock, we are allowed to have up to 400 chickens,B次元官网网址� said Benesh. B次元官网网址淲e are registered with BC Egg and thatB次元官网网址檚 how we got the notification.B次元官网网址�
Benesh said the Cat and Crow has been taking proactive measures, but was hopeful those restrictions would be eased this week. With the announcement of a detection on the Island, those measures will now stay in place until at least next month.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had our chickens on lockdown for about a month now, and we were looking forward to releasing them again in three days, when the notice was lifted, but it has been extended now until June 13.B次元官网网址�
She said her chickens have shown no signs of the virus. Symptoms include a drop in egg production, sudden fatality, swelling around the face, diarrhea, and huddled, depressed behaviour.
B次元官网网址淏asically all the symptoms you would expect of a sick bird,B次元官网网址� said Benesh. B次元官网网址淲e collect our eggs every day so we will know immediately if our egg production drops. So we are monitoring everyday and so far, so good for us. We are lucky.B次元官网网址�
Benesh said there have been some residual cost increases associated with the measures the Cat and Crow farm has taken to prevent the disease from hitting the flock.
B次元官网网址淪o far our chickens are still laying, and we are lucky, because we can move them everyday onto fresh pasture, so they still get to forage around and have access to fresh grass everyday,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏ut now that we have to move them every day, we have to rent a tractor to help pull the chicken tractor, which is about $80 per hour.B次元官网网址�
The B次元官网网址榗hicken tractorB次元官网网址� is like a massive portable greenhouse, with a roof, and nesting boxes. It can hold about 400 chickens.
Benesh said although she is taking all the precautions she can, itB次元官网网址檚 still unsettling.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very concerning. We have spent the last three years building up our client base around our egg delivery and our business, our farm, and there was a lot of money that went into the infrastructure for all that. We are supposed to get some new chickens in June, from a producer, but that is probably not going to happen now.B次元官网网址�
Benesh said the bigger picture, beyond the concerns for her own farm, is of greater concern.
B次元官网网址淭he scariest thing of all is what is going to happen to the egg and poultry industryB次元官网网址� if no one can sell eggs, and no one can get chickens that lay eggs, or meat birds in for poultry, itB次元官网网址檚 going to disrupt the whole industry. A lot of people donB次元官网网址檛 look at the bigger picture of what it is going to do to Canada if this keeps going. So that concerns me a lot.B次元官网网址�
According to the , avian flu is not a food safety concern, and B次元官网网址渢here is no evidence to suggest that eating cooked poultry or eggs could transmit HPAI to humans.B次元官网网址�
Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food identified B次元官网网址渁 premises of concernB次元官网网址� in the Cowichan Valley with respect to avian flu, but the ministry confirmed to Black Press on Thursday, May 12, that the Cowichan Valley alert proved not to be H5N1.
The May 11 identification is the first detection of avian flu on Vancouver Island.
terry.farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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