IFA calls for housing order to protect poultry as avian flu confirmed in Co Carlow.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called for the introduction of a housing order requiring free-range poultry farmers to keep their birds indoors, as authorities confirm an outbreak of avian flu in a commercial turkey flock in Co Carlow, a county bordering on Co. Tipperary.
The virus, which causes the disease, is known as HPAI H5N1 and has been in circulation among wild birds over the past year.
Mr Nigel Sweetnam, Chair of the IFA National Poultry Committee, said the measure is urgently needed to help contain the spread of the highly contagious disease and safeguard farmers’ livelihoods.
He urged all poultry farmers to be on high alert and to contact their vet and the Department of Agriculture, immediately, if they suspect any signs of avian flu.
Mr Sweetnam said farmers should watch for indicators such as high mortality and lethargic birds, and highlighted the importance of establishing exclusion zones around affected farms where movement of birds in and out is tightly controlled under veterinary supervision.
With the whole pattern of bird flu changing/mutating; the virus has appeared earlier than usual this year and in different geographical areas, with two outbreaks in Co. Cork.
Mr Sweetnam believes that a housing order should be comparable to restrictions in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, thus limiting movement and requiring birds to be kept indoors.
The IFA continues to engage with the Department of Agriculture on measures to contain the outbreak and protect Ireland’s poultry sector.
The Department is reminding all flock owners to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity, including disinfecting footwear and equipment, restricting visitors, and preventing contact between domestic poultry and wild birds.
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