The turkey shortage in October was a result of bird flu outbreaks in various parts of North America in the spring. Several thousand turkeys were killed in the Fraser Valley in the spring. Now a second outbreak has been detected at seven poultry farms in the Fraser Valley and could worsen the situation, depending on how many turkey farms are infected and how the birds may need to be culled. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) quarantined six poultry farms in Abbotsford and one in Chilliwack after testing positive for the virus, which infects wild and domesticated birds. The PK Department of Agriculture and Food could not say if any of the quarantined farms have turkeys or if the outbreaks could lead to a kill. The risk of bird flu increases each spring and fall with the migration of wild birds. According to the Department of Agriculture, since the first cases were identified in BC, 36 cases of bird flu have been confirmed in the province. Of these 36 cases, 14 were in commercial farms, 21 in small flocks and one in a captive wild bird. Owners of small flocks and those who raise chickens or other birds in backyards are encouraged to attend online information sessions on Nov. 30 and Dec. 5 to learn more about their obligations. Bird owners can register here for the upcoming information systems. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 49 million birds have died or been euthanized in the US from the first cases of bird flu in the spring of 2022. According to the CFIA, 3.7 million birds have been infected to date in Canada, 275,800 of these BC [email protected] @nbennett_biv
