High Mortality Incident in<br>Poultry Flock Near Your Farm Feather Board Command Centre

The Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) was made aware of a high mortality incident in a poultry flock in your area. FBCC is strongly suggesting farmers exercise extreme caution and invoke heightened biosecurity measures on your farm.

Examples of Basic Biosecurity which should always be followed include:

• Keeping poultry away from areas frequented by wild birds and wild bird droppings.

• Maintaining strict control over access to poultry houses and your premises.

• Making sure equipment is cleaned and disinfected before taking it into poultry houses.

• Ensuring bird feeders or created duck ponds are not close to poultry houses.

• Maintaining the highest sanitation standards.

• Changing footwear and preventing the wearing of contaminated clothing when entering the poultry house.

In addition to regular biosecurity measures, the following heightened biosecurity standards should now be applied. Farmers should control access to their farm site by communicating the situation to all essential visitors, including service providers, input suppliers and feed providers. All mortalities should be kept in secure, covered containers until they are moved to the disposal area or transported off-farm. Waste, when entering the public collection system, needs to be placed in a sealed, waterproof bag with the exterior disinfected. If possible, keep all waste on-farm until the situation is resolved.

All service providers are asked to minimize and sequence all travel in the area. Please ensure all heightened biosecurity measures are followed for essential visits to premises where poultry is grown.

While there are no other specific details which can be shared at this time, FBCC will contact you via e-mail as soon as possible.

If your birds show any signs of illness, call your veterinarian immediately. It is also recommended you contact the 24-hour Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) support line, at 1-877-SOS-BYRD.

Visit the Feather Board Command Centre’s website, at www.fbcc.ca, for more information.

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