Emily Robertson of True North Heritage Hatchery – a small operation in Langley that sells to hobby farmers – has put business on hold amid the avian flu outbreak, which was recently detected in a large chicken farm nearby.DARRYL DYCK/The Globe and Mail
B.C.'s poultry industry is trying to make up a shortfall of turkeys after tens of thousands of birds were struck by avian influenza at one of its busiest times.
Approximately 94,000 turkeys must be euthanized and composted at three Abbotsford farms that tested positive for the H5N2 strain of avian flu. One-third of those turkeys was destined for holiday consumption.
Michel Benoit, general manager of B.C. Turkey Farmers, assured consumers there would not be a shortage despite the loss of 10 per cent of the holiday supply.
Poultry processors have gone to Manitoba and the United States to "make sure that no Christmas table will be without a turkey," Mr. Benoit said.
Prices are expected to remain steady because contracts between poultry processors and grocers are negotiated months in advance. Farms that have not been stricken by the virus are processing some of their younger turkeys to help fill the demand, meaning larger birds may be harder to find.
"It's possible you might not get the exact size you want, but there should be enough turkeys to go around."
Demand for turkeys peaks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when 80 per cent of consumption occurs, said Jeff McDowell, vice-president of Sofina Foods, B.C.'s largest turkey processor.
"It was a bit of a challenge for us to source product, but we were able to do it," Mr. McDowell said from the company's processing facility in Abbotsford. While no further shortfalls are expected, some worry another farm could have an outbreak.
The avian influenza also has major implications for chicken farmers. On Sunday night, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed the disease has infected a 10th location, an egg farm with 53,000 birds – the largest to date.
Despite measures to limit the spread of the virus, the Langley farm is the second outside of Abbotsford to be hit, something poultry producers say is both extremely concerning and "confusing."
"We've been exercising extreme biosecurity measures. Basically locking down farms and controlling movement and even with that, it seems to be moving," said Derek Janzen, a director of the B.C. Chicken Marketing Board.
The CFIA has implemented a "primary control zone" that covers the entire southern half of the province, and farmers need permits to move livestock and feed in and out of their farms.
For heritage chicken breeder Emily Robertson, who sells to small operations and hobby farmers, the threat of avian flu brings her livelihood to a standstill.
"It doesn't seem feasible to me to have to get a permit for every buyer who wants to pick up chicks. So I'm not hatching…I'm just on hold."
Ms. Robertson's chickens are bred for genetic diversity and "healthy immune systems" but even then, she is not sure they will survive this round of the flu.
"I have no way of knowing whether my birds could have a different response to this new flu than the commercial birds."
Given that this strain is highly contagious and has an incubation period of up to 14 days, Mr. Janzen warned more cases could surface.
The last major avian flu outbreak in B.C. was in 2004, when 42 farms were affected and nearly 18 million birds were destroyed – a number that the industry is not anticipating this time.
"We are confident we aren't going to get close to that number. We're doing everything we can," Mr. Janzen said.
With a report from Bloomberg