It is “eerily silent” on Steve Childerhouse’s poultry farm near Attleborough in Norfolk. At this time of year, he’d usually be working flat out, feeding his turkeys and geese for the busy Christmas period. But this year the sheds are empty, after avian influenza hit his farm in late September, wiping out all of his 11,000 free-range turkeys and 2,500 geese destined for local festive dinner tables.
In one fell swoop, a bird flu outbreak has devastated the 51-year-old’s livelihood. After almost 40 years – he started raising geese as a boy – Childerhouse is still coming to terms with the loss.
