B.C. Ostrich Cull To Go Ahead

GrumpyCanadian · 2025-05-25T03:08:32+00:00

I hadn’t seen any discussion of this here, but am rather curious. I suspect most have heard about the herd of ostriches in B.C., where two birds that died in December were found to be infected with avian flu. A cull of the 400 or so birds was ordered, and CFIA authority to order said cull upheld in court. More recently, two big names in the current U.S. administration have been advocating for postponing or cancelling the cull outright. Those two have relatively little respect or credibility in scientific communities, because of their well-documented controversial views. The questions are: Do they have a point for once? Given how contagious avian flu can be, do we worry more about further spread and potential mutations leading to it affecting more mammals, including potential human-to-human transmission? Given that the majority of the flock has survived, appearing to go against the trend, is there possibly something to be studied? The article: RFK Jr. urges Canadian health officials to spare B.C. ostrich flock from cull All apolitical commentary/discussion welcome.

GrumpyCanadian

Thane_Bitter The way this is progressing, and with Oz (I have a really hard time referring to him as “Doctor”) apparently looking to take possession of the birds, it is starting to lend credibility to my claim about “purified ostrich anti-bodies” earlier in this discussion. I thought (and hoped) I was being ridiculous when I typed that, but maybe not.

Thane_Bitter The farm in question is still selling meat products (insane prices too, no wonder they want to keep every bird and turn it into cash), that is kind of gross. Avian flu bird meat - yummy.

Do we really know that this is true? They claimed in one article that they haven’t been dealing in meat since at least the onset of the pandemic. I would hope that, if it could be definitively established, the CFIA could get an emergency order for the cull to go ahead immediately; court proceedings be damned.

Somewhat-Reticent

GrumpyCanadian The questions are:

Do they have a point for once?

Given how contagious avian flu can be, do we worry more about further spread and potential mutations leading to it affecting more mammals, including potential human-to-human transmission?

Given that the majority of the flock has survived, appearing to go against the trend, is there possibly something to be studied?

What motivation ( & bias ) would the CFIA have in this situation?
What controls could be put in place to contain the situation?

GrumpyCanadian

px_eliezer_ I lost all respect for him long before that, when I observed him on television pushing every manner of questionable supplement. My suspicions were confirmed when CBC’s Marketplace did a segment on one of his promoted “cleanses” (or something of the sort) and the lab results came back that, if it had done anything at all, none of it was particularly positive, and it delivered on none of his promised benefits. Revolting and inconvenient: yes; positive outcomes: no.

GrumpyCanadian

Somewhat-Reticent What controls could be put in place to contain the situation?

They were already ordered to make changes to mitigate the risk of spread beyond the farm; they refused to comply. That is specifically the reason behind one of the fines levied against them.

Thane_Bitter

GrumpyCanadian Only the OZ fans love the man and they are as manic as maga’s. If there was true justice in the world he would be on the curb selling vitamins out of a tin cup.

The meat products are listed on the website of the farm, Their July deal is over and they have an August one now, for the few pounds of flesh you get at the price they charge you might as well go have a good steak at a proper steakhouse. I would hope the meat was inspected but we just don’t know.

Somewhat related but many stores across canada are selling ungraded meat (its labeled as such), it’s typically from Mexico or perhaps the USA. It supposed to be safe but I don’t see the need for those products when we have many cattle producers in this nation that produce the same products (and actually get graded). These ungraded meat products are becoming more common as grocery stores try to expand their profit margins.

px_eliezer_

B.C. ostrich farm seeks new stay of cull order and says CFIA mobilizing ‘imminently’

A co-owner of the B.C. ostrich farm fighting to stop a cull of its 400-strong flock says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is “actively mobilizing” to destroy the birds over the next few days, and is pleading with the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa for another stay of execution.

https://www.prpeak.com/environment-news/bc-ostrich-farm-seeks-new-stay-of-cull-order-and-says-cfia-mobilizing-imminently-11174880
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.

GrumpyCanadian

px_eliezer_ Thanks for that link. I looked, but didn’t find anything a few days ago.

To me, the most important part of that article is the following, referring to the CFIA:

It says that it learned during the legal proceedings that people associated with the farm had reported the detection of H5N1 avian flu antibodies in their blood.

“While no serious illnesses were reported to public health authorities, this apparent evidence of ostrich-to-human transmission is a concern and highlights the risk of delays in completing the disposal of an infected flock.”

Not exactly the first time, but it depends on the specific nature or circumstances of the “ostrich-to-human transmission”.

They also continue to claim that the flock is under supervised quarantine, yet every picture shows an enclosure made of nothing but coarse chicken wire, with no roof (or any kind of top to prevent access by wildlife at all).

At least your health secretary might be too busy, at the moment, to worry about interfering in a foreign ostrich situation.

GrumpyCanadian

This mess just keeps getting more strange as time passes. Universal Ostrich has now been granted yet another interim stay of the cull order. The CFIA will have a chance to respond, followed by another response by the farm’s legal team, which will determine whether the stay will remain in place, pending either a decision on whether the Supreme Court will hear the case or ministerial intervention.

B.C. ostrich farm wins interim stay of order to cull birds over bird flu

Somewhat-Reticent

If the ‘emergency’ ended some time ago, and ostriches & humans are healthy,
perhaps the court’s milking the case for every last drop,
hoping legislators will grow {generative organs of courage},
or waiting for some other event to divert attention elsewhere ?

GrumpyCanadian

Somewhat-Reticent Unless there is court or ministerial intervention to grant permission for proper, controlled testing of each bird, and unless they all come back negative, we cannot know, and no one can say that they are “healthy”. Unless they can be definitively proven disease-free, the “emergency” has not ended. As it stands, testing is forbidden per the CFIA, and the cull is expected to proceed.

Unless I’m mistaken, there are only a few possibilities:

The minister intervenes. In that case, we don’t know what the determination or instructions will be.
The Supreme Court declines to hear the case. Here, the cull would likely go ahead imminently, as the farm would have exhausted its avenues for appeal.
The Supreme Court decides that it will hear the case. The stay would likely continue until a final decision is rendered, after which, the cull may still proceed, if that is the official ruling.

The question here is: do we have a test that could identify any variants that might be circulating among these birds?

Somewhat-Reticent

GrumpyCanadian a test that could identify any variants

And evaluate the degree of risk for any such? Data may be insufficient.
Collection and analysis takes time - much more time than symptoms.
A bird may carry a virus harmless (to these ostriches) and be healthy.
At what point is “an abundance of caution” no longer justifiable?
( Would the biz be compensated for a cull? )

px_eliezer_

Somewhat-Reticent ( Would the biz be compensated for a cull? )

Up to 3,000 dollars per bird.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/universal-ostrich-court-case-loss-1.7615212

Anyone know whether this flock is one gender or both genders?

Are these ostriches laying eggs, will the population grow and grow considering all these delays?

InternetJeff

GrumpyCanadian testing is forbidden

Curious.

Somewhat-Reticent

InternetJeff Issue may be more about global commerce than disease.

InternetJeff

Somewhat-Reticent Issue may be more about global commerce than disease.

What, are they afraid that testing results might spook ostrich commerce or something? Sheesh.

px_eliezer_

InternetJeff

CFIA’s veterinarian:

In any case, (Dr) Furness says, testing could only provide additional evidence of current risk. It would not address the unknown risks of reinfection or the risks associated with the “contaminated environment,” she says in the document….

Avian influenza viruses can survive for months or even years in fresh water at low temperatures and have been documented surviving in manure and on feathers in low temperatures for about four to six months, the affidavit says.

“Therefore, a source of infection or reinfection with (avian influenza) can remain in the environment long after individual infected birds have recovered,” it says.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-ostrich-farm-avian-flu-case-1.7630656

ugly95

There are international obligations at play. Other countries can use the refusal to cull to impose import and export bans on other food industries, such as poultry.

Somewhat-Reticent

Compare “the emergency has been over for months”
with
“Nobody’s willing to buy our products”.

Testing current samples would only throw more oil (confusion) on flaming water.

GrumpyCanadian

ugly95 Correct, and some countries already have started refusing to import B.C. poultry, as at least one of the articles linked above pointed out. If this goes on, how much longer will it be before they refuse Canadian poultry (and maybe other products) altogether? They may be having fun playing freedom-fighters, but think of the damage their unbridled selfishness is causing, in terms of potential spread, damage to Canada’s reputation as a reputable agri-food partner, and to the livelihoods of their fellow farmers.

GrumpyCanadian

Somewhat-Reticent No intelligent person involved in this case has said “the emergency has been over for months”. That’s as nonsensical as claiming the birds are now “healthy” without any testing, effort into quarantining or clean-up; or that they are uniquely scientifically-valuable.

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