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NPA offers avian flu advice to pig farmers

9th Jan 2017 / By Alistair Driver

The NPA is urging pig farmers to take steps to ensure they don't get caught up in potentially damaging avian flu restrictions.

poultryAvian flu has been confirmed on farms, including 'back yard' farms, and in wild birds across the UK in recent months, including a few days ago on a Yorkshire farm

Defra is now saying that if any poultry on a farm, including pets, happen to contract avian flu, the whole farm will have to be cleaned and disinfected at the owner's expense, regardless of what livestock are on the farm.

The main risk period for infection from migrations is expected to remain until the end of February, so NPA ia urging members to take extra precautions over the next few weeks.

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: "It is really important to be on maximum alert as an infection in a few chickens on your farm could result in a huge cost being incurred.

"We would advise all pig farmers to ensure they do not have any back yard or pet chickens in the proximity of their pig units."