(EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is posted here because of the importance of the poultry industry in this area and the devastating impact the virus could have should it gain a foothold in the U.S.)
Poultry farmers in the Netherlands have been ordered by their government to keep their chickens indoors in an effort to stop the spread of bird flu following three recent outbreaks of it. According to The NL Times, people who keep chickens or other birds as a hobby must also take steps to protect their animals against infection.
The country’s Secretary of Agriculture said Wednesday the decision followed “a balancing of animal and public health, animal welfare, society’s desire for free-range poultry, and the economic and practical consequences for bird keepers.”
In one instance, 51,000 laying hens were destroyed following an outbreak.