William Maughan, the National Farming Union’s (NFU) Northern Chairman, said: “First of all, it’s the human impact – it’s awful for the people involved.<\/p>\n
“But it also has a great impact on the stock, on the hens themselves.<\/p>\n
“A lot of them die, and unfortunately the cull is part of the management strategy around that. <\/p>\n
“Defra should be involved, very early on,” he added.<\/p>\n
“If you start to spot any issues, get in touch with a vet, then the ministry – the government vets get involved, they would come along and try to identify the disease.<\/p>\n
“Once that is confirmed, there will be a cull on the site, and full disinfection of the site, to make sure the risk of passing it on elsewhere is minimised.”<\/p>\n
NFU’s Northumberland Poultry Board chair, Will Raw, said the local case, which was the first one of the season in England, but it was a reminder that the disease “remains ever-present”.<\/p>\n
He urged poultry keepers to be vigilant and “maintain the highest standards of biosecurity”.<\/p>\n
“The NFU will continue to work closely with government and the wider supply chain to monitor the situation and support British poultry producers through the challenges posed by this disease. <\/p>\n
“This involves both immediate support for those affected, as well as longer term strategic change, such as the government’s vaccination policy.”<\/p>\n
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