The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has offered to become involved in a task force formed to cull feral chickens as a preventative measure against the spread of bird flu.

And it has urged poultry farmers and other chicken owners to pen their animals to prevent them coming into contact with birds that may carry the deadly virus.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has offered to become involved in a task force formed to cull feral chickens as a preventative measure against the spread of bird flu.

And it has urged poultry farmers and other chicken owners to pen their animals to prevent them coming into contact with birds that may carry the deadly virus.

The SPCA, which said it had not been consulted on a pilot programme to cull some of the feral chickens on the Island and was not part of the Government decision-making task force that this month instigated the cull said: “The SPCA is obviously aware and concerned about the problem, specifically because we wish to ensure that any chickens that are culled are destroyed in a humane manner.”

Spokesman Chris Wilcox added: “We would indeed welcome the opportunity to become involved in this matter and offer our services to both the Minister and the task group.”

He added: “As a precautionary measure, we would like to advise poultry farmers and other people who keep chickens on their property, to consider erecting pens for their confinement, to prevent them from coming into contact with other birds, poultry and animals.”

The cull is aimed at reducing the the growing risk of the H5N1 avian flu virus spreading further westward from Europe, Africa and Asia.

By Scott Neil The Royal Gazette