The second case of avian influenza has been confirmed in a small flock in the city of Kelowna, but it is unclear what the government considers a small flock.
READ MORE: The second case of poultry influenza in BC has been confirmed in Okanagan
Mick Giroud, a hobby farmer in Kelowna and administrator of the BC Poultry Group’s Facebook page, said a small flock is usually considered to be just under 1,000 birds. The provincial government has not yet released its parameters for small and large flocks, which means that the “small flock” that has been infected may consist of hundreds of birds.
“Backyard flocks are usually minor spreaders,” Giroud said.
“What is at risk are large strata farms.”
Giroux said birds in industrial livestock operations live in nearby neighborhoods and usually have low genetic diversity because they are from the same parent flock. Giroux said these birds are major candidates for infections with highly pathogenic viruses, such as H5N1.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food said producers within a 12-kilometer radius of both the North and Central Okanagan had been notified of the positive test result.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the area around the infected farm has been quarantined, but the quarantine area in the Kelowna area has not been made public.
Giroux claims that most of the transmission between large farms is due to equipment sharing, truck pollution and contaminated clothing workers working on multiple farms.
The Government of Canada has proposed that poultry farmers implement biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of H5N1.
“The transfer is between farms of contaminated clothing and equipment,” Giroud said.
“The risk isn’t really from wild birds.”
He said that although a recent sample of bald eagles found in the Delta was positive for the same disease, wild birds are not the main vector of the disease.
The ministry issued an order stating that “all regulated trade in chicken and turkey, as well as trade producers of ducks and geese (both live and eggs) with 100 or more birds must maintain indoor operations.”
Giroux said backyard farmers could not move their herds indoors during the epidemic and instead suggested keeping herds in a clean, low-stress environment with access to a variety of foods, where they could be “as much as they can.” be wild. “
“By no means am I trying to keep it to a minimum,” Giroud said.
He said he acknowledged that the highly pathogenic virus could spread quickly and said that when one flock became infected, they were all destroyed.
Giroux said he wanted to “promote backyard farms and get rid of 20,000 laying hen farms” to prevent bird flu epidemics.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of BC, CFIA and poultry producers BC, enhanced prevention and preparedness, measures have been introduced and ongoing outbreaks are being monitored to prevent the spread.
Capital News has contacted the Ministry of Agriculture and will update this article if more information becomes available.
READ MORE: UPDATE: Bird flu near Enderby creates large control area
@ Rangers_momJacqueline.Gelineau @ kelownacapnews.com Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our daily newsletter and subscribe to our daily newsletter.
Kelowna season, farm flu
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