{"id":166572,"date":"2022-11-07T10:17:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T10:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=166572"},"modified":"2022-11-07T10:17:17","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T10:17:17","slug":"poultry-lockdown-as-cannibal-chickens-feared-over-uk-bird-flu-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/poultry-lockdown-as-cannibal-chickens-feared-over-uk-bird-flu-outbreak\/","title":{"rendered":"Poultry lockdown as cannibal chickens feared over UK bird flu outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chickens could turn cannibalistic with a fresh outbreak of bird flu, with worried farmers putting their poultry on lockdown.<\/p>\n

Facing its biggest ever bird flu outbreak and the potential for cannibalistic chickens, one expert warned that "confined spaces" may lead to a bloodbath of chickens eating chickens. <\/p>\n

But a lockdown on the poultry appears necessary after reports of the outbreak had farmers ushering their livestock indoors and away from the potentially cannibalistic virus that could affect the birds.<\/p>\n

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Potential antidotes and vaccines would not be "terribly effective" against the current strain, an expert has warned, meaning that the chances of cannibalistic chickens is worryingly high.<\/p>\n

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It comes as Anthony Allen of Cotswolds Chickens told BBC Radio 4 that "the biggest issue it presents to chicken keepers" is that there may not be enough room to keep their poultry safe.<\/p>\n

Allen added that farmers "may not necessarily have a covered outdoor area to keep chickens", and warned of "cannibalism" in "confined spaces".<\/p>\n

The chicken expert said that "under lockdown conditions that the chickens should be kept inside and undercover and that does present problems".<\/p>\n

One of which, Allen says, is "keeping chickens in confined spaces can bring all sorts of issues which can end in cannibalism."<\/p>\n

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Allen also said that the situation "isn't ideal but clearly we have a problem and we have to do something about it."<\/p>\n

Echoing his comments, Dr Christine Middlemiss, the UK's Chief Veterinary Officer, said that there was a "very live, global discussion" on the vaccination of chickens but that it only happens in "very exceptional circumstances".<\/p>\n

At the current rate, the Chief Veterinary Officer said that available vaccines for poultry would not be "terribly effective against this current strain", the Daily Telegraph reports.<\/p>\n

Worries over cannibal chickens come as more than 200 cases have been confirmed on commercial premises and in pet birds since October last year, The Sun reports.<\/p>\n

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