Six million birds culled in Dutch bird flu response in 12 months; Record 300,000 today

In the past 12 months, the Netherlands culled 5.8 million birds in 98 bird flu outbreaks at sites with more than 50 birds. Today, the Ministry of Agriculture reported another outbreak at a company in Heythuysen in the municipality of Leudal. The company has about 300,000 laying hens. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), this is the biggest culling in Dutch history.

This bird flu year started on 26 October 2021 with an H5N1 outbreak in Zeewolde. After 11 more infections in November and December, the NVWA culled 500,000 by the turn of the year.

This year, there have been 87 bird flu outbreaks at companies with over 50 birds, including the biggest one today. The NVWA expects to need days to cull the 300,000 laying hens at the Heythuysen company, though it already included the birds in its figures.

There are no other poultry companies within a kilometer of the infected Heythuysen farm. Five poultry farms are within 3 kilometers of the infected company. The NVWA will screen them for bird flu. There are 128 poultry companies in a 10-kilometer radius. They are banned from transporting their animals effective immediately.

Since October last year, the NVWA has culled 4.7 million chickens, laying hens, ducks, turkeys, broiler chicks, and waterfowl in confirmed bird flu outbreaks. The authority also culled 1.1 million birds at 43 locations as a precaution. These locations were close to infected farms, and several had risky contact with an infected location. That brings the total culled animals in twelve months to over 5.8 million.

“The actual number is slightly higher,” the NVWA said. “The culling numbers for hobby locations with fewer than 50 birds are not included in this.”