CONCERNS are growing about a shortage of poultry over the Christmas period, as farmers brace themselves for the country’s largest ever bird flu outbreak, writes Julian Barnes.

Defra ordered, from last Monday (November 7), that all birds must be housed indoors, on top of existing biosecurity measures. Since October 2021, a staggering 5.5 million birds have been culled, including 2.3 million this October alone.

John Malseed, an award-winning turkey farmer at Frenchbeer Farm, Chagford, is looking forward to a good season with his 6,000 birds. However, the current outbreak of flu threatens this Christmas’s entire flock, and as a free range farmer, he is particularly vulnerable.

John said: ‘Bird flu is seasonal and so usually comes at the same time every year as birds migrate from Scandinavia.

‘Usually by the time it arrives, our birds are all hanging up in the fridge maturing.

‘But ever since it came over last year, it hasn’t really ended.

‘You get a text every time that there’s a confirmed case and we’re getting plenty of those texts at the minute. It’s just been horrendous all year, and it’ll only get worse going into the winter with more birds migrating.’

Richard Griffiths, the British Poultry Council’s Chief Executive, said ‘Our free range turkey sector, producing over one million of the total eight and a half million Christmas turkeys, has taken the biggest hit with around 30% to 35% directly affected by bird flu.

Those who buy free range may see fewer turkeys available as a result but farmers are working hard to mitigate the impacts of what has been an extraordinarily tough year for poultry production.’

This year saw farms hit with a new variant of avian influenza, which is more contagious and more deadly.

There has already been 11 cases across Devon over the last few months, resulting in mass culls to contain the spread.

Other areas of the country have been hit even harder, meaning that Devon’s turkey supply will be in high demand.

‘For us as a business, it’d be catastrophic if our birds got it’ said John. ‘We’ve essentially invested all our money into this crop, so to speak. Now, we just want to get to harvest time and cash in our chips.

‘For us, at least Christmas is the light at the end of the tunnel, we just want to get there in one piece.’

In addition to restrictions, Defra is urging the public to take care when handling poultry or wild birds, and to report certain dead wild birds to 03459 335577.

Richard Griffiths added: ‘We continue to work with Government on measures that support producers to protect their healthy birds from this awful disease, and to try to produce a turkey for everyone who wants one this Christmas.’

On the farm, John has increased biosecurity measures to keep his turkeys safe, including disinfecting feed and prohibiting all but essential workers from the farm.

He added: ‘If you’re worried, shop locally and talk to your local farmer. The less steps your food is taking from farm to fork, the more you’ll know.’