Dutch chickens face cull

1vegan · Mar 4, 2003

<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2815177.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2815177.stm</a> Dutch chickens face cull 
Tens of thousands of Dutch chickens were being destroyed on Monday after a suspected "bird flu" outbreak. 
Thirteen farms have so far been hit by the scare. 
Officials said an illness spreading among birds was "almost certainly" bird flu - a highly contagious disease which is usually fatal. 
The mass slaughter began in an attempt to stop the disease spreading further. 
"Tens of thousands of chickens will be culled in an operation that will certainly last several days," said Agriculture Ministry spokeswoman Nynke van der Zee. 
It is very contagious, and can cause severe economic damage to the poultry industry 
Beate Gminder 
European Commission spokeswoman 
The European Commission announced on Monday that the import or export of Dutch poultry and eggs had been banned, reinforcing measures taken by the Dutch Government on Saturday, when the problem became known. 
"The Dutch authorities in close co-operation with the commission have immediately adopted" a ban on movement of poultry within the Netherlands and also any export of poultry and eggs," said Beate Gminder, spokeswoman for the Consumer Affairs Commissioner. 
"It is very contagious, and can cause severe economic damage to the poultry industry," she said. 
The source of the virus remains a mystery. 
Pneumonia 
Bird flu kills most of its victims by developing into pneumonia. 
There have been rare cases of the disease hitting humans, including an outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997. 
The Netherlands has a chicken population of around 100 million. 
The outbreak is the latest in a series of problems to hit Dutch agriculture. 
The country was badly affected in the 2002 foot-and-mouth crisis, when more than a quarter of a million animals had to be destroyed. 
Thousands more animals were slaughtered because it was feared they had eaten food contaminated with illegal growth hormones. 
And millions of pigs were slaughtered in 1997 in an epidemic of swine fever. 
Last year the Netherlands exported nearly eight billion eggs, worth 427 million euros. 
Chicken are killed with Co2. 
There are 32 million chickens in the netherlands, two times the number of humans.

with_open_eyes · Mar 4, 2003

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/mad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
grrrrrrrrr makes me mad

GhostUser · Mar 4, 2003

Is that the same as Newcastles Disease? Here in San Diego county we have been having a severe outbreak of Newcastles and they are distroying whole egg farms full of chickens and there has been some talk of distroying back yard chickens just to try and prevent the spread of the disease, any kind of bird can get it.

1vegan · Mar 5, 2003

*update* 
The killing capacity is being extended. They have imported machines so chicken can now be killed with electro-shock. 
There is also talk about shielded transport to slaughterhouses. 
18 farms are suspected and in the safety zone of 9 miles there are 67 farms where animals will be destroyed to stop the disease from spreading. 
On monday the capacity was seven and a half thousand chicken per hour, but the goverment does anything within her power to speed things up. 
Because of the transport stop, poultry slaughterhouses where set to stand still on monday and tuesday. They think that chickenmeat will be limited available in supermarkets from friday. 
(newcastles disease? it's the same thing as a few years back in hong kong)

1vegan · Mar 5, 2003

I wonder what the'll do with the dead chickens. 
Last time chicken where "destructed", because of dioxine in the chickenfeed, they made chickenfeed from the dead chickens.... 
Otherwise they will make "animal-flour" of them and burn them in energy plants. 
So they turn them in to "sustainable" electric energy......

1vegan · Mar 11, 2003

Update: 
On monday 1 million chickens were culled (total). 
There is fear of a second source of contamination. 
Destruction capacity has risen to 250.000 chicken a day.

VealPrincess · Mar 12, 2003

Yes this is the same as Newcastle Disease. It can affect all birds. Frequently transferred through exotic birds (like parrots) smuggled into countries. Chickens are the most susceptible of our agriculturally important avian species (compared to turkeys, ducks, geese, quail, squab etc.)

1vegan · Mar 25, 2003

Update: 
The disease is still not under control. 
Uptill now five million chickens were culled.

1vegan · Apr 1, 2003

The number of farms that are heavy suspected still rises (slowly). 
The disease is not yet under control. 
More than six million chickens have been culled so far and the welfare problems in chicken breeders are growing. Because of the disease transport of poultry is not allowed and the breeders are getting crowded.

That Alpaca Guy · Apr 1, 2003

sometimes all you can say is bugger. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

dk_art · Apr 7, 2003

Beate Gminder, spokeswoman for the Consumer Affairs Commissioner said .... 
"It is very contagious, and can cause severe economic damage to the poultry industry," 
Yup, that's what it all comes down to for many people ... money. Not even a thought about the chickens. It's just an economic situation to them. 
What a shame that this is the prevailing thought pattern in the so called civilized world <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

1vegan · Apr 29, 2003

The disease has spread to another county and the minister has decided to pre-emptive cull the animals of another two hundred farms. 
This will soon bring the number of culled chickens/turkeys to 25 million. 
Sarcastic note: 
Poultry can be vaccinated against the disease but they don't do it because it interferes with rules of "free trade", and we can't have that can we ?

aarealskei · Apr 29, 2003

I had no idea that this sort of thing happens. How terribly sad.

Dutch chickens face cull

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