Free-range hens are usually given the freedom to spend much of their day outside and can interact with other wildlife, so McKay said Mainland Poultry staff had a \u201cpretty busy weekend\u201d closing off the pop holes in barns until more is known.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe birds naturally come in in the evening. They come in to roost and have their final feed before they go to sleep,\u201d McKay said.<\/p>\n
Mainland Poultry has isolated over 550,000 free-range hens as a precautionary measure after New Zealand’s first two cases of the H5N1 bird flu strain were detected last week. Photo \/ 123rf<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the morning, [the pop holes] aren\u2019t opened as per usual … so the birds are temporarily housed inside those barns for their welfare.\u201d<\/p>\n
McKay said free-range eggs made up about 45% of New Zealand\u2019s total egg market, so there was clear consumer demand.<\/p>\n
Mainland Poultry would continue to maintain good on-farm biosecurity, even ramping up some measures, as McKay said it was crucial for protecting their hens and businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we care deeply about our birds,\u201d McKay said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s better understand the risk, understand where it might have spread or where it hasn\u2019t spread, and then based on better understanding that risk, we can then make good decisions about what we do with those birds going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
New Zealand\u2019s first known case of the H5N1 strain was recorded on Wednesday<\/a> in a wild brown skua found on Lower Hutt\u2019s Petone Beach, with a second detection in a native k\u0101hu, or swamp harrier, in the Wairarapa announced Friday.<\/p>\n In an update yesterday, MPI\u2019s chief veterinary officer Dr Mary van Andel said no new cases of bird flu had been found since, but they had received a surge in reports about dead or sick birds since the public notification<\/a> and would be continuing to investigate each one.<\/p>\n Authorities hadn\u2019t found any evidence of widespread transmission or mass mortality affecting wildlife either, she added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have staff on the ground over the weekend carrying out checks in some areas of Wellington\u2019s south coast and Wairarapa,\u201d van Andel said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to have a strong response from the public about unwell or dead birds they have seen, and we consider every notification and triage any suspected cases of avian influenza.\u201d<\/p>\n Van Andel urged people not to touch or move the birds they encounter.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 from anywhere in New Zealand or online at\u202freport.mpi.govt.nz<\/a>.”<\/p>\n