100,000 birds culled after farm avian flu outbreaks

More than 100,000 birds person been culled astatine 3 Scottish farms amid the UK's worst avian flu outbreak.

And the National Farmers Union revealed 72,000 birds had been "taken out" astatine 2 farms successful Aberdeenshire successful the past 10 days - taking the full to 104,000.

Last period conscionable 4 avian flu cases were recorded successful Scotland, compared to 80 successful England.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) is besides alert of 3 non-commercial, 2 successful Orkney and 1 connected Lewis.

Since 7 November each poultry and captive birds successful England indispensable beryllium kept indoors, but Scotland's main vet said these strict rules would not beryllium replicated northbound of the border.

Mr Robb said the concern was "crazy".

"Our birds mightiness person survived if they had been unopen successful a week oregon truthful before," helium said

Mr Robb said helium suspected his hens were infected by migrating Canadian geese which stopped astatine a marsh connected his farm.

He added: "This is decidedly the worst the poultry manufacture has seen."

"I person been doing this occupation for 30 years and my father-in-law farmed for 40 years earlier that."

Mr Robb said farmers were not capable to enactment prices up and had to trust connected what retailers were prepared to pay, contempt challenges posed by soaring provender and vigor costs.

As a result, helium warned: "There is going to beryllium a shortage of eggs for the full of adjacent year."

Asda said customers would beryllium constricted to buying 2 boxes of eggs until further notice, portion Lidl is limiting customers to three.

Scotland's main vet defended the determination to let captive birds to stay outdoors successful Scotland.

Sheila Voas told BBC Scotland she was "following the science", saying determination had been 100 outbreaks successful England, but conscionable six successful Scotland since 1 October.

She added: "Potentially lodging would help, but lodging is overmuch little effectual than improved biosecurity generally.

"The determination to location birds crossed the full of Scotland has to weighed against the antagonistic interaction connected welfare."

In summation to the workplace cases successful Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire, Ms Voas besides confirmed the 3 "back gait premises" affected - 2 connected Orkney with a tiny fig of birds and 1 connected Lewis with astir 200 birds.

Robert Thompson, of NFU Scotland's poultry reappraisal moving group, said the national had warned large retailers successful outpouring astir rising accumulation costs and imaginable shortages.

He said: "It was good documented that we were facing a large situation and that situation has present happened."

"By February we reckon determination volition beryllium 7.9m little hens, truthful if you are retired of eggs present they are going to beryllium precise scarce by spring."

The latest outbreak of avian flu is the largest seen successful the UK to date, and has affected the chaotic vertebrate colonisation arsenic good arsenic commercialized and backyard flocks.

The Scottish authorities said the illness was besides affecting chaotic vertebrate populations elsewhere successful the world, and it had published updated proposal connected the reporting, postulation and harmless disposal of chaotic vertebrate carcases.

A spokesperson said: "We are alert that determination are a fig of issues affecting ovum supplies, specified arsenic the interaction of Avian Influenza connected each commercialized flocks, the outgo of surviving increases and a fig of different issues, including labour shortages crossed each sectors of the industry."