Bird flu fears hit poultry auction
Published March 9th, 2006
UK Auction News
Polutry prices have dropped by as much as 75 per cent at local auctions because of continuing worries over bird flu, a West Norfolk auctioneer says.
Fabian Eagle (34), whose family have been in the poultry business since 1892, said fewer people were now keeping chickens and geese as a hobby, and business is the worst he has known it.
Mr Eagle, of Peacock Cottage, The Street, North Pickenham, said that in recent years it had become fashionable for people to keep a few chickens in the garden or on smallholdings to provide them with eggs.
But since the bird flu scare started the hobby side of the business had gone into steep decline as poultry enthusiasts rushed to sell their birds. “There have been fewer buyers for them and the price has collapsed accordingly,” he said.
“We have seen the effects since the end of October. Once bird flu came into Turkey with the migration route, that was when it really started.”
