Some butchers in the London area say that holiday turkey availability hasn’t changed, even with an ongoing avian flu outbreak in Ontario that’s led to the culling of tens of thousands of birds.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, at an undisclosed farm in North Perth on Monday, impacting approximately 56,000 turkeys.
Last month, five more outbreaks were reported in Strathroy-Caradoc, affecting nearly 100,000 turkeys according to the CFIA. All six outbreaks are still considered active.
The birds will be “humanely depopulated,” the CFIA stated on Wednesday regarding the latest outbreak. The agency hasn’t disclosed the names or specific locations of any affected farms.
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Young turkeys at a farm in British Columbia are shown in this 2021 file photo. Sean Maguire, the CEO of Hayter’s Farm in Dashwood, Ont., said the culling of breeding turkeys could impact egg production in the new year. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Hayter’s Farm in Dashwood is one of Ontario’s largest turkey suppliers and says it isn’t directly affected; however, one of its breeding suppliers in Strathroy is impacted and that might create issues moving forward into next year.
“Over the next two or three months, we may feel a ripple effect,” Hayter’s CEO Sean Maguire mentioned.
Maguire clarified that there are different types of poultry farms: some focus on breeding and egg production while others like Hayter’s raise turkeys for consumption.
The birds served during Christmas dinners would have already been at Hayter’s barn prior to the avian flu outbreak, so they’re healthy according to Maguire.
However, he noted that recent turkey culls will slow down operations until there are enough breeding birds producing eggs again.
“The meat supply isn’t necessarily affected; it’s about replacement birds. We’re expecting more turkeys in about 12 to 16 weeks from now. We might face some disruption because of that loss,” he explained.
We’ve been here for a long time and everyone just orders from us every year.” He expects all his customers will pick up their orders before Christmas arrives.
Other butchers across Ontario echo this sentiment as business continues normally at Western Meats located in London too. “We’ve just had our deliveries from our supplier and everything seems fine,” stated owner Jim Chioros.
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Gobble it up
The CFIA states there’s no evidence suggesting that avian influenza can be transmitted through fully cooked poultry or eggs. The main strain circulating is H5N1, which spreads rapidly among domestic poultry flocks and is highly contagious. This virus impacts several species including food-producing birds as well as pet birds and wild mammals according to CFIA. In rare cases, it can lead to illness in humans when people come into close contact with infected birds or heavily contaminated environments....Pete Charlton’s Quality Meats owner from St. Thomas noted he’s had a few inquiries about avian flu but customers continue ordering turkeys for their holiday meals without hesitation. He’s looking forward to receiving around 200 turkeys on Friday. Peter Charlton remarked: “It’s a small town.We’ve been here for a long time and everyone just orders from us every year.” He expects all his customers will pick up their orders before Christmas arrives.
Other butchers across Ontario echo this sentiment as business continues normally at Western Meats located in London too. “We’ve just had our deliveries from our supplier and everything seems fine,” stated owner Jim Chioros.
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