Avian flu devastates Quebec duck producer

Avian flu causes Brome Lake Ducks to cull birds, destroy eggs and lay off staff after outbreak.

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Photo via Brome Lake Ducks

Brome Lake Ducks Ltd., a high quality producer of ducks for the Canadian consumer market has been forced to cull 150,000 birds after an outbreak of the avian flu H5N1 virus.

Along with destroying the birds, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) informed them they also had to eliminate some 400,000 Peking duck eggs—all of which has caused the producer to lay off nearly 300 of its employees over the next five weeks.

According to Brome Lake Ducks, its Peking ducks are not “made in China”, but are 100 percent made in Quebec and are Aliments du Québec-certified.

Three of 11 Brome Lake Ducks’ facilities were affected, including one containing all its breeding stock—the eggs.

Brome Lakes Ducks first reported a case of the virus on April 13, 2022, confirmed by a veterinarian.

The company said that once it finishes processing the birds in the system prior to the outbreak, no more ducks will be coming in, hence the worker layoffs.  

Brome Lake Ducks said that it may take up to one year for it recover from this disaster—not to mention millions of dollars.

The H5N1 avian flu variant is particularly virulent. While it can be transmitted via contact with wild birds, it can also move inside a facility on straw or litter or employee shoes.

Part of the problem with containing the H5N1 virus early is that it has a longer incubation period before the birds show signs of ill health but are at the same time, highly contagious.

The H5N1 virus does not posses any risk to people, but the CFIA informs producers that flocks will have to be destroyed to prevent wider distribution of the sickness.