Bird Flu in Suffolk

[Chantal]

Bernard Matthews turkey farm has bird flu, although they're not sure which strain.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6326681.stm

It is a least a factory farm so they're not free range (poor things) but this is worrying.

[Chantal]

It's confirmed, it's the H5N1 varient.

Let's hope they can contain it quickly.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Chantal, thats very scary, especially for all of you that own chickens and other fowl.

But to try and look on the bright side, at least it's not old bird flu, so all you old girls should be O.K.

[Chantal]

Well we should be safe unless we are up close and personal with our birds. Guess who regularly picks up and cuddles her chickens?

Be afraid OH, be VERY afraid

[alan refail]

Chantal

I really don't think we need to be as afraid as you suggest about handling our own birds. Outbreaks such as this are usually contained. Admittedly the news programmes are currently involved in serious "scaremongering" at the moment. It's worth remembering how very few people have been affected and died worldwide over recent years.
Personally as a poultry keeper who drives, I am very scared about this

Deaths and injuries on the road

3,201 people were killed in road accidents in 2005
28,954 were seriously injured
238,862 were slightly injured
(Government figures)

By the way, the Bernard Matthews website home-page is still promoting their turkey meat as "HEALTHY"

I hope none of us is affected by the latest outbreak.

Best wishes

Alan

[jopsy]

chantal, dh just asked if you were the posh bird interviewed on the news in the village closest to the outbreak?

i just hope it's contained and it sounds like everything is being done by the book

[lizzie]

On the news it has just said that thhey think that the disease was introduced to the fully sealed shed by a wild bird

Question: How does a wild bird from the nearby RSPB Researve get into a fully sealed unit?

To be honest, I think it's the company looking for an excuse so that their appaling cleanliness and slaughter techniques are not brought into question again, especially after the last RSPCA raid. I'm glad it's Matthews that's been affected. The one man who has more than 80 counts of animal cruelty against him. It won't break this very rich man but i'm thinking more of "Divine Retribution" because of his appalling record or "care" http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/turkeys/index.htm

I'm not a vegetarian, I eat meat, but only organic and free range as a point of principle. I know my views here seems a little extreme and Animal Fundamentalist, but this man is getting what he's due.

I'm just sorry for those poor birds.

[alan refail]

A good question Lizzie, and one we have been asking ourselves. You sound like a conspiracy theorist as we tend to be.
And another question: why, since foot and mouth has the verb KILL or SLAUGHTER been pronounced CULL. I suppose it sounds nicer. But the carcases in the wagons looked dead/slaughtered/killed to me.
And why were they taken to Staffordshire in loosely covered trailers - referred to reassuringly ( ) as "sealed containers"?

[alan refail]

Further to my "conspiracy theory" post.
Where is there bird flu in farmed geese?
Answer

http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fusea ... tNum=13752

Who formed Saga Foods in the same country?
Answer

http://www.bernardmatthews.com/CompanyH ... erseas.asp

Makes you wonder

[Chantal]

I too never eat Bernard Matthews products, never have and never will for all the reasons given above.

I'm not the posh bird (?) and live nowhere close, sorry Jo. I also still had Rocky and Selsey in the house with Seedling and I yesterday afternoon and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The only reason I didn't give them a hug yesterday was because they weren't in the mood.

I given some thought about what to do to secure their run etc should this spread but that's as far as it goes. I'm more concerned that people who live near me may go down the "she's got chickens, we're all going to die" route.

I too have been wondering about the disposal methods being used, they didn't look like sealed containers to me either.

[lizzie]

On the BBC the reporters seemed to have a lot of trouble finding any of the workers who spoke English. All of them that I heard were speaking Eastern European languages. If the infection got in like the "experts" think then maybe all of Matthews hygiene practices need to be looked at. They can't have washed their hands or changed their footwear.

Does the BBC think the British public are really that gullable that we're going to believe some of the pathetic excuses given

I rest my case really. It couldn't have happend to a nicer bloke

[alan refail]

The Bernard Matthews website boasts under its achievements ( ) for the 90's

Turkey Dinosaurs launched - UK's first children's shaped poultry product

Just after BM awarded CBE in New Year's Honours List

Gawd 'elp us

http://www.bernardmatthews.com/CompanyHistory90.asp

[John]

I'm amazed by the story, still being repeated in the news, that the infection was brought in from the wild. Are we to believe that some poor infected bird has flown all the way here from Hungary to the BM plant and struggled valiantly into this sealed shed through a ventilation shaft or feeder/waste duct just to infect these poor turkeys! It seems to have missed all the free-range birds that appear to be in this area.
I suspect that some of the practices at this plant are not up to scratch. In both the BSE and the foot and mouth episodes it turned out that dodgy practices were at fault so it may also be the same in this case.
If a place like this can become infected what hope is there for people like me with a few hens scratching around at the bottom of the garden.

John

[jopsy]

dh posed the Q-are all their birds reared there?
he thinks theyve been getting them from elsewhere
must admit im not a BM fan either-we try our best to buy locally
id move the run indoors chantal

[alan refail]

Well,it looks like bird flu is dropping out of the news now. But there's plenty about Kylie's clothes

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