Bird flu outbreak on Otago chicken farm: Ministry of Primary Industries says virus confined to Hillgrove property

Authorities say the bird flu found in New Zealand is confined to one farm, a second farm under investigation has been cleared, and the nation’s supply of eggs and poultry is free from any risks.

It follows the first confirmed case of the high pathogenic avian influenza H7N6 – a strain of bird flu – being found on a free-range chicken farm in North Otago last week.

The Ministry for Primary Industries’ chief veterinary officer Dr Mary van Andel said today the bird flu detected was confined to the Mainland Poultry property in Hillgrove.

Five other Mainland Poultry properties have been checked and cleared, and monitoring and testing there would continue, van Andel said.

The number of chickens needing to be culled has doubled as bird flu was found in a third shed and suspected in a fourth. Photo / Ben Tomsett

Testing of a third chicken shed on the Hillgrove property has returned positive results for the virus, she said. Forty thousand chickens from this shed will be killed in the coming days, she said.

A fourth shed is still to be checked, van Andel said. She said the ministry believed it was “highly likely” chickens in this shed were infected, though, and the 40,000 chickens there will also be killed.

The total number of chooks euthanised from all four sheds will be 160,000, van Andel said.

“The farm remains under strict biosecurity lockdown,” she said.

“There have been no reports of sick poultry elsewhere in the country.

“[And] there remains no risk to eggs and chicken supply in New Zealand given the size of the national flock, nor any issues for food safety and human health.”

An unconnected farm near Dunedin also subject to testing for the high pathogenic bird influenza was confirmed to be free of the virus.

Mainland Poultry, which manages the free-range farm which confirmed NZ's first case of of high pathogenic avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu. Photo / Ben Tomsett

Mainland Poultry chief executive John McKay told Radio New Zealand they were disposing of everything that came on and off the farm at a high-security landfill in Southland.

This includes manure, eggs, PPE equipment and the culled hens.

“It’s a pretty stressful time for our team,” McKay said.

He said he was pleased the depopulation process was happening quickly.

He described the process happening on his farm as being similar to the early stages of Covid tracing.

“We have really strong records, biosecurity is very important in the poultry industry.

The affected farm in Otago about an hour north of Dunedin. Photo / Ben Tomsett

“That maps what goes on to every farm and what goes off.”

He said even with the tightest biosecurity measures, “these things happen” when birds are outside.

McKay said the MPI testing had been “rigorous” and the link to the waterfowl was “very clear”.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.

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