More than 200 thousand chickens are being culled in Koshi Province as bird flu hits

Hundreds of thousands of chickens are being culled as bird flu has spread in the Sunsari Poultry Farm, the largest poultry in the Koshi province. Preparations are underway to cull over 155 thousand chickens of the farm located at Ramdhuni Municipality of Sunsari, according to officials. It is the first time in the province that so many number of chickens are being culled owing to bird flu.

Similarly, the government team is also preparing to cull some 72 thousand chickens of a farm of the Purbanchal group located at Budhiganga in Morang district in the same province. Livestock service department had confirmed bird flu infection in the farms a couple of days ago. According to Dr. Manoj Kumar Mahato, chief of veterinary hospital, Sunsari, some seven thousand chickens have already died in Sunsari due to infection. To prevent further spread of infection in other areas, remaining chickens in the farm are to be culled and a big team of human resource has been mobilized to for the purpose, informed Dr. Mahato. He said 110 people are deployed for culling and burying the chickens. According to Dr. Ajay Kumar Shah, chief of veterinary hospital, Morang, preparations were underway to cull 72 thousand chickens of Budhiganga on Sunday itself. He said it takes a good deal of time and human resources to kill infected chickens by striking on their heads without using any chemicals. Chickens thus killed are then buried using lime and bleaching powder, he said. About 200 thousand chickens were culled earlier in the month in Sunsari district. The government provides as relief up to 75% of the total cost to compensate loss due to bird flu to the farmers.