Aughnacloy: 27,000 ducks to be culled over suspected bird flu - BBC News
Twenty-seven thousand ducks are being culled after a suspected case of bird flu was reported in a commercial flock in County Tyrone.A temporary control zone has also been put in place at the Aughnacloy site.Cases have already been confirmed in commercial flocks over the Irish border in County Monaghan and in wild birds in Northern Ireland.Speaking to BBC News NI, Dr Huey said: "Although this is a commercial flock and there will be compensation for the birds that we cull, these are parent stock, which means they are of high genetic merit.The control zone was put in place on Thursday morning."I am speaking to those who have half a dozen birds in the garden, right up to those commercial flock keepers with thousands of birds - act now.A housing order is already in force for captive birds and poultry flocks, after the presence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was detected in wild birds in Northern Ireland last week.Restrictions to keep flocks separate from wild birds were already in place?It is understood that more than 100,000 birds have been culled in Great Britain in the past five weeks after bird flu outbreaks at commercial premises and bird rescue centres there.