UK Breeds at Risk. Where do you stand if your collection succumbs to bird flu?
Geese
- Brecon Buff
- Buff Back
- Chinese
- Embden
- Greyback
- Pilgrim
- Roman
- Sebastopol
- Shetland
- Steinbacher
- Toulouse (British standard)
- West of England
Ducks
- Abacot Ranger
- Aylesbury
- Cayuga
- Orpington
- Pekin
- Rouen
- Shetland Duck
APHA tells us that each outbreak is examined individually, but the current default position is to cull all birds within the affected epidemiological unit. Where birds are species on the IUCN Red List, or are pure-bred domestic waterfowl on the BAR Register, they MAY be considered to be spared from culling.
Marcus Gates, from the UK Genetics for Livestock and Equines Committee (UKGLE) emphasised that birds being on the list is only the first step. Also examined are your contingency planning, available facilities for isolation, record keeping and whether you are on a registered breeding program. Operatives at the sharp end do not necessarily have expertise in rare breeds and species, so the birds you keep need confirmation from an expert (the BWA has on occasion been asked to provide this) identifying the breeds/species.
Do you have a plan?
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-breeds-at-risk-from-exotic-animal-disease-outbreaks/uk-breeds-at-risk-list-bar
Top message from APHA is ‘don't let your biosecurity take a break’.
