Tens of thousands of chickens culled in the Netherlands due to bird flu

(Photo: Pixabay)

The news portal said that the two farms affected by the bird flu were home to a total of 67,000 poultry, and all of the birds were killed to prevent the spread of the virus. There are another 87 poultry farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the farm in Bennekom, and another 16 within a 10-kilometer radius of the farm near Swifterbant. Trade in the birds and their eggs kept on these farms has been suspended, and their transport has been banned.

In recent weeks, bird flu has been identified on several Dutch farms, including a pheasant farm, a petting zoo and two chicken farms

As a result, 120,000 laying hens were killed on a farm in Drogeham, Friesland, on Friday, and 161,000 hens were slaughtered a few weeks earlier in Dodewaard, Gelderland. The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture ordered again on October 16 that all farmed poultry must be kept indoors to prevent possible exposure to the virus, which is also spread by wild birds. The previous Dutch regulation requiring indoor housing expired in July, they recalled.

MTI