Risk of bird flu in Hawke’s Bay? Step-up the biosecurity

Laurie Horsfall now has the Hawke’s Bay poultry farm he ran for more than 20 years firmly in the hands of his daughters.

But, from the 32 hectares of hilly country he now farms at Te Hauke, south of where he had 65,000-70,000 chickens at Mangaroa, near Hastings, he’s still close enough to know the risk of bird flu coming to Hawke’s Bay is real.

With the culling of 80,000 chickens in its second day at a Mainland Poultry property in Otago, after the discovery of the H7N6 strain, he says those still in the commercial production game will be doing their best to beef-up their biosecurity.

But one thing the farmers can’t control is a bird in flight, the risk the industry faces from the thousands of chickens being run in small numbers, as few as 10 to 20, throughout New Zealand.

“Like all farmers, you’ve got to step up your biosecurity. That’s the bottom line,” Horsfall said.

“We know it’s coming, it’s just a matter of whether it’s the mild one or the more severe one,” he said.

Laurie Horsfall, who warns of the need for extra biosecurity amid the threat of avian flu among the chicken population, pictured here in his days at Hawke's Bay Eggs at Mangaroa in 2020. He now farms at Te Hauke but still keeps in touch with the poultry industry. Photo / NZME.

Biosecurity New Zealand says New Zealand has never had a case of the more severe H5N1 strain of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), the strain that is spreading around the globe, also known as bird flu, but says it could arrive through wild birds.

It warns the public to be alert for signs of HPAI H5N1 in the outdoors and to know what to do to avoid spreading it.

The most obvious sign of HPAI H5N1 in wild birds is several sick or dead birds. Other signs, especially in waterfowl, can include drowsiness, lack of co-ordination, and an inability to fly.

The agency said on Thursday initial testing had not show any signs of disease on other chicken farms operated by Mainland Poultry in Otago, however, extensive work continues.

About 1000 samples had been received for testing at the Ministry for Primary Industry’s internationally recognised laboratory at Wallaceville in Wellington.

Deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said the first batch of results, and ongoing monitoring at Mainland Poultry’s properties that have links to its Hillgrove site, showed no signs of new disease, which he described as “promising.”

“There have been no signs of production loss or ill birds at Mainland Poultry’s five other properties to date, and we will keep monitoring closely,” he said, adding samples from a smaller free-range chicken farm near Dunedin were being closely analysed.

A precautionary restricted-place notice was issued for the property after some of its estimated 6000 birds died. Those restrictions stopped the movement of material on and off the farm.

Anderson said the cull at the Mainland Poultry’s egg farm is being carried out by the business and supported by Biosecurity New Zealand.

“The cull is expected to take two to three days, using the existing industry standard practice of CO2 containerised gas, which farms regularly use to euthanise chickens,” Anderson says.

Carcasses and litter from the affected sheds were being loaded directly onto trucks with a leak-proof plastic lining to be transported to a secure, especially equipped landfill in Southland, he said.

There are estimated to be 3.6 million commercial chickens in New Zealand on about 146 layer farms, producing about a billion eggs for human consumption each year.

Chicken is said to be the most popular meat eaten in New Zealand, at an average about 20 chickens per person per year.