Document type: article published on France3 Auvergne Rhône-Alpes
Author: Catherine Lopes
Preview: With the threat level in France for avian influenza now raised to high, poultry farmers now find themselves obliged to shut up their animals. This measure, which has been brought in during the migratory season for birds, has significant consequences for both farmers and their animals, partilularly in the Auvergne. (...)
The main consequence of the high alert level is that there is a ban on poultry being allowed outside. In practical terms, this means that farmers have to be ready to shut in their animals. But this produces a dilemma for farms, such as Domaine de Limagne, where around 3,000 ducks are raised in a building of 400 square meters with access to an external grassed run covering a further hectare. The manager, Jean-François Panem, says that the company had not prepared sufficient space per animal for the first lockdown they experienced: "We've been through this before. We tried to comply as best we could. We put animals in unsuitable buildings that were nevertheless roofed, often adjacent to the farm workshops. But the conditions weren't great for the animals. So that's why we're very hopeful of obtaining a derogation to have restricted runs instead that would still give them the chance to be fully outside".
The major difficulty with shutting poultry indoors is how to maintain conditions that are satisfactory for the animals. "According to Maureen Brayat, quality manager at Domaine de Limagne, "Shutting up the population with no derogation would prevent us from adequately respecting animal welfare". Animal welfare is thus the main argument put forward by professionals to justify an exception to the rules. To get around the requirement for birds to be shut in completely, farmers apply for derogations from the Direction Départementale des Protections de la Population (DDPP). They seek to allow the animals outside along a "restricted route", with no access to outside troughs or feeders. The derogation is conditional on a full biosecurity audit being carried out at the farmer's premises and requires virological testing. (...)
Vaccination plays a crucial role in obtaining these exemptions. Domaine de Limagne ducks are all vaccinated. However, the cost is considerable, working out at almost a euro per duckling. (...) It should be noted that, for the time being, only ducks are vaccinated, not the so-called "Label Rouge" or "Bourbonnais" chickens.
Despite the situation, the prevailing feeling among poultry farmers in the Auvergne is one of caution rather than concern. Aurélien Lafoucrière is a Poulets du Bourbonnais poultry farmer in Etroussat, Allier, and President of SYVOFA, the Syndicat de Défense des Volailles Fermières d'Auvergne. He points out that local farmers, who have lived with this risk for years, are "fortunate to be in an area that suffers a little less from migratory flows, unlike other regions such as Brittany or the Vendée".
The farmers' caution is manifested through their heightened vigilance in terms of biosecurity. Farmers must adopt "protective measures", similar to those used during Covid, changing into designated sets of clothing (from shoes to T-shirts) to exclude viruses before entering their poultry houses. In cases where on farm contamination is confirmed, the protocol calls for the slaughter of the entire flock, which can lead to exclusion zones that block neighboring farms.
The raised threat level comes at a crucial time, some two months before Christmas. This end-of-year period (November-December) represents around 25% of total sales for foie gras and poultry producers, and 30% of annual sales for Domaine de Limagne. (...)
