The Ministry of Agriculture has decided to once again confine farmed poultry to avoid an epidemic of avian flu during the major migrations of wild birds in Autumn. The decision goes down badly among breeders in the Limousin region.
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Every Saturday, he sells his poultry and fattened ducks on the Bellac market. Didier Cotte, breeder in Blond (87) is particularly unhappy with the new containment measure taken by the Ministry of Agriculture. It risks making him waste a lot of time and money again: “They talk to us about animal welfare. But to confine the poultry, we have to prepare the buildings, and that can’t be done in one day. We have other things to do.”
The measure was published on Friday November 8 in the Official Journal: “considering the strong and persistent dynamics of infection in migration corridors and the spread of the virus by these migratory birds passing through mainland French territory”. That “aims to strengthen surveillance and prevention measures”.
Cases of sick animals have been detected in Eastern countries and Germany.
Friday November 8, a first infectious outbreak was confirmed in the town of Saint-Plaisir (03), just a few kilometers from the Creuse department.
Olivier Chaumeil, veterinarian in Ambazac, is absolutely not surprised: “I spent Saturday in my garden. I saw numerous flights of cranes coming from the northeast and Germany. Their droppings can contain the virus. Confining poultry is therefore a good thing in France.
The peasant confederation and Modef reacted on Friday November 8 in a joint press release. The obligation to confine all poultry, and therefore to prohibit the practice of free-range farming, is an incomprehensible decision for them. “The choice to lock up poultry throughout mainland France also raises questions, while only a handful of departments have cases of avian flu on farms and an experiment on biosecurity in free-range farms is in progress., explains the Peasant Confederation in a press release. The same rules have applied every winter for several years, without having proven their effectiveness. How can we still lock ourselves in this denial of reality?
The same rules have applied every winter for several years, without having proven their effectiveness. How can we still lock ourselves in this denial of reality?
Extract from the Communiqué of the Peasant Confederation.
As for Didier Cotte, our breeder from Blond (87), despite his anger, he knows well that he will ultimately have to comply with the ministry’s decision, by also confining his poultry.
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