A farmer who was forced to cull 10,000 turkeys after an outbreak of bird flu has warned of shortages this Christmas. Steve Childerhouse, 51, said families may struggle to get hold of turkeys and geese after producers had been “absolutely hammered” by the UK’s worst-ever outbreak of avian flu.
Steve, who rears birds on his 35-acre farm in Norfolk, said the usual stock levels are “just not going to be there” this winter, with stock levels next winter also at risk. He said: “We are a traditional fresh farm, but even the big people are getting absolutely hammered by this.
“It’s affecting the whole industry. We supply a lot of butchers and farm shops, and we’ve told them we haven’t got any.
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“They’re not selling any turkeys or geese this Christmas as they can’t get them. It’s going to have a massive impact on the Christmas market because they’re just not going to be there.”
The UK produces around 11m turkeys every year, but almost a third of those have been culled this year due to the spread of a highly pathogenic virus strain. Steve also warned farms like his would not be able to rear birds next Christmas as his premises needs to be left empty for 12 months following the outbreak.
He said: “As it stands with our farm, we won’t be able to produce any poultry on our farm for next Christmas either. Because we got it at the end of October, we can’t touch our buildings for 12 months – and we get our birds in June and take them through to Christmas.
“The cleanup cost if you want to bring that forward is so expensive. We have to sit it out.”
Steve – who has spent almost 40 years in the industry – said the mass cull earlier this autumn had affected him “emotionally and mentally,” and he was left having to find a new job to support his family. He said: “It was confirmed on October 1 that we had bird flu.
“It was pretty horrific. Obviously, we started by losing a few birds, and then it built up.
“Emotionally and mentally, it was very tough at that time. Moving forward, financially, it’s a massive hit for us.”
Steve’s family built the business since he was 12 years old, and supplies meat to more than 80 butchers and farm shops. Describing the impact the outbreak will have on his family as “tremendous,” he said: “I’m going to have to go and find a job, we’ve got bills to pay.
“It’s devastating to be honest, as you can imagine. There is compensation, but it’s nowhere near what it should be.”
On Friday (October 28), a government spokesperson said the UK has so far recorded 200 cases of bird flu over the past 12 months. Earlier in October, chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss introduced a national Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, meaning bird keepers must have strict biosecurity measures to safeguard flocks.
Mandatory housing measures - where farmers must keep their birds indoors until further notice - were introduced in what the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) described as “hot spot” areas of Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex. On Monday (October 31) it was announced these measures are to be extended across England from midnight on November 7.
Dr Middlemiss said the decision to extend the measure across the country was not taken lightly “but is the best way to protect birds from this highly infectious disease”. Farming minister Mark Spencer also said producers would now receive compensation prior to a planned cull, while admitting they faced “real pressures”.
He said: “Farmers and poultry producers are facing real pressures as a result of this avian flu outbreak, and we know many are concerned about the impact on their flocks. We hope the practical solutions announced today will help provide greater financial certainty.
“We very much appreciate the continued cooperation from the sector as we battle this insidious disease and will continue to keep the situation under close review.”
The National Farmers Union has been contacted for comment.
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