[New shoot]

I think you did the right thing as your actions will help protect other bird keepers.

I agree.

[grinling]

Another pheasant farm in Lancashire, which is linked with the last one.
It shows how important is biosecurity is. Will the owners be fined or compensated for losing their birds!!!

[Madrat]

Well if they didn't follow procedure I say fine them.

[grinling]

Another Buzzard this time North Yorkshire and a 3rd linked pheasant farm in Lancashire

[Madrat]

So are these 3 pheasant farms following procedure???

[New shoot]

So are these 3 pheasant farms following procedure???

There is no way to know for sure.  The information posted on the government website suggests there have been issues identified - whether these are down to bad luck and the virus getting past all measures put in place, or a lack of bio-security is not clear.

The 2nd farm was found as part of the investigation of the 1st one.  Its not on the official website yet, but I think its a safe bet that the 3rd has also been identified as Veterinary Officers have gone checking and testing at any other linked farms.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-flu-confirmed-at-a-farm-in-wyre-lancashire

Good to know they are being pro-active 

[grinling]

They are possibly owned by the same company. The odds on the same diseased bird gaining access to different sheds at 3 locations without having a crowbar under it's dorsal wing, I think are quite remote.
How many commercial places do not follow basic DEFRA rules? Easy to check by how much they should have used against invoices, but even here not many keep out signs are by entrances.

[New shoot]

I was thinking it was more like an employee or manager travelling between sites and carrying the virus with them.  Or it could easily be carried by young birds being distributed out for growing on.

[John]

I was thinking it was more like an employee or manager travelling between sites and carrying the virus with them.  Or it could easily be carried by young birds being distributed out for growing on.

Or a delivery man or a rep

The vast majority of commercial enterprises are on full bio-security now if they weren't before. Sadly some domestic and small-scale keepers still aren't taking it seriously enough.

[8doubles]

I was thinking it was more like an employee or manager travelling between sites and carrying the virus with them.  Or it could easily be carried by young birds being distributed out for growing on.

A bit early for young birds at the moment, the shooting season has just ended today.

[New shoot]

I was thinking it was more like an employee or manager travelling between sites and carrying the virus with them.  Or it could easily be carried by young birds being distributed out for growing on.

A bit early for young birds at the moment, the shooting season has just ended today.

Its a continuous process at the big rearing units.  The new season starts as the old one finishes, gearing up for egg production.  It can be a pretty industrial process not unlike intensively raised chickens or battery farmed eggs.

Whether bird flu has been carried by birds or people, there is a link between these farms that the government vets have traced 

[8doubles]

I was thinking it was more like an employee or manager travelling between sites and carrying the virus with them.  Or it could easily be carried by young birds being distributed out for growing on.

A bit early for young birds at the moment, the shooting season has just ended today.

Its a continuous process at the big rearing units.  The new season starts as the old one finishes, gearing up for egg production.  It can be a pretty industrial process not unlike intensively raised chickens or battery farmed eggs.

Whether bird flu has been carried by birds or people, there is a link between these farms that the government vets have traced 

Most game farms will not have chicks for sale before April as nobody would want the chicks too early !

[New shoot]

Most game farms will not have chicks for sale before April as nobody would want the chicks too early !

I don't think I said otherwise    I've been reading up a bit on game farming today as I wondered why farms would have large numbers of pheasants at this time of year. 

The breeding stock starts getting put in place early on.  Its highly possible young birds were getting moved around into breeding and laying units for the last couple of months and that is how these farms are linked.  Or it could be a rep or delivery man as also suggested.

I don't know how these farms have cross infected each other, but it has happened and as I said it seems likely the vets followed the trail of either people or birds moving from one to the other.  Its a lesson to be learned about the importance of bio-security.

[8doubles]

Most game farms will not have chicks for sale before April as nobody would want the chicks too early !

I don't think I said otherwise    I've been reading up a bit on game farming today as I wondered why farms would have large numbers of pheasants at this time of year. 

The breeding stock starts getting put in place early on.  Its highly possible young birds were getting moved around into breeding and laying units for the last couple of months and that is how these farms are linked.  Or it could be a rep or delivery man as also suggested.

I don't know how these farms have cross infected each other, but it has happened and as I said it seems likely the vets followed the trail of either people or birds moving from one to the other.  Its a lesson to be learned about the importance of bio-security.

Was does happen a lot in heathier conditions is a shoot will catch up pheasants and open pen them , collect the eggs which are sanitised and sent to the game farm and receive a proportion back as day olds or bigger.
The netting over the laying pens will be anti predator at best and not up to avian flu proof.
Normally hens are caught up before the end of the season and the last shoots are cocks only.
I should think a few gamekeepers and shoot managers will be more than a little concerned about 2017.

[New shoot]

The first case in Northern Ireland has been reported

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38841216

Interestingly after 8doubles mentioned catching up, I read some advice on the National Game Keepers site that the catching up of pheasants is still permitted if the birds are to remain at the site of capture, but obviously care is needed given the current situation.  Its not going to be an easy breeding season for these type of set-ups.  This is the advice given.

http://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/media/uploads/cat-252/Bird%20Flu%20and%20Gamebirds%20Advice%20Final%20Jan%2013%202017.pdf

The first pheasant farm in the 3 linked cases in Lancashire had a farmed flock of 10,000 on site over winter, ready for the coming breeding season, so was a different type of operation than the traditional method this link talks about.  Their restrictions would have been more like a normal poultry farm.