'My heart sank': B.C. farmers devastated by avian flu

For Mark Siemens, one of the worst things is the smell.

“It’s the smell of really feeling like you’ve just lost everything. You can’t escape it right now.”

• What to know about bird flu, poultry and dairy farms

The third generation farmer in B.C.’s Fraser Valley is still grappling with what started as a disturbing discovery on Halloween and has now ended with the loss of his entire 45,000-bird flock.

“I went to check on my barn and saw that there were a few birds that had itchy eyes and looked a bit uncomfortable,” Siemens said.

Hours later, the worst was confirmed. “As a farmer, those hours feel like forever. The birds really deteriorate quickly, you see their health decline, and you also know that virus is getting shed outside your barn to potentially affect your neighbours.”

The sick birds tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza. A team with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) wasn’t far behind, arriving at Siemens’ Abbotsford free-range egg farm to euthanize the thousands of hens and chicks. “They bring in CO2 gas and put the birds down that way, that’s the most humane way possible to take care of them,” Siemens said.

The remains of the chickens and their eggs are then composted to ensure the virus is killed before being removed from the facility. That’s the source of the smell providing Siemens a daily reminder of the devastation, as he now works with the CFIA on mapping out a deep cleaning and disinfection process.

“It’s very overwhelming. Every day is kind of a new challenge. As farmers, we’re used to dealing with challenges. This one’s bigger than most,” Siemens told CTV News.

There are about seven nearby farms currently affected by outbreaks, according to Siemens, carrying a loss of at least a quarter of a million birds. The CFIA is monitoring a total of 28 outbreaks across British Columbia, two in Alberta, and one in Saskatchewan. Since the arrival of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2022, Canadian farmers have been forced to destroy close to 12 million birds.

“These are family farms. They live on the farms, work on those farms, and are with these animals every day. It’s devastating for the farmers involved,” said Shawn Hall, spokesperson for the B.C. Poultry Association.

The virus is primarily spread by migrating wild birds. The poultry association says it is doing everything it can, working with the CFIA, to keep the virus away from farms. Biosecurity measures in place on B.C. farms include a requirement for employees to shower and change before entering barns, disinfecting vehicles, and a ban on non-essential visitors.

“When wild birds fly overhead and wind potentially stirs up all of the stuff they’re shedding, it’s very difficult to contain,” said Siemens.

Despite the loss of millions of birds on more than 450 farms over the past 2-3 years, there is not expected to be any impact on poultry and egg supply, or prices.

“Poultry supply is not an issue right now, as a small percentage of farms are impacted and we have resources from other farms and, if needed, other provinces,” explained Hall. “While we do not control the price consumers pay in the store, because supply isn’t affected too badly by avian influenza we don’t anticipate price increases.”

On the Siemens farm in Abbotsford, getting back up and running will take months.

“Finding baby chicks on short notice is always a challenge, because that’s typically scheduled 18 months in advance,” said Siemens. “Once we’re able to get them it’s about 4 to 5 months for those to start laying fresh eggs again.”

In the meantime, the farm is applying for compensation through the CFIA to help limit losses. Mark Siemens says the hope is, a year from now, life in the barns will be back to normal. “Optimistically, we’ll be back in operation and holding our breath we don’t have another challenge next fall.”