A cull of feral chickens could be carried out by the government after bird flu was found in poultry in Puerto Rico.
Farmers backed the move and the Cayman Islands Agricultural Society highlighted that feral chickens also ate into their profits through the destruction of crops.
The agriculture department said that it had stepped up its bird flu surveillance on the islands in a bid to nip any outbreak in the bud.
“The Department of Agriculture recognises community concerns regarding the potential role of feral chickens in disease transmission,” the department said.
“While these birds are not currently known to be infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPIA), they do have frequent contact with migratory birds, which could increase the risk.
“The department is working with relevant stakeholders to assess risks and explore appropriate control measures, including humane capture and culling strategies where necessary.”
The Puerto Rican discovery, in a backyard flock of chickens, is the first in the territory’s domestic birds since a US HPIA outbreak started in February 2022.
Cayman officials said they continued to monitor the situation in the US, Puerto Rico and other countries.
The department added it continued to work with commercial importers, farmers and other government agencies “to implement measures that safeguard the Cayman Islands against the potential introduction and spread of the disease”.
It said, “The cooperation of the community, including poultry farmers and backyard bird owners, is essential in preventing the introduction and spread of avian influenza in the Cayman Islands.”
Justin Woods, the president of the Agricultural Society, said, “Farmers in the Cayman Islands have suffered with losses and destruction of crops from feral chickens for many years now.
“They dig up freshly planted seed, often destroy low hanging fruit such as tomatoes, as well as periodically destroy higher fruit such as banana by flying up into the trees to eat them.”
Bird flu spreads through direct contact between infected animals, usually birds.
Migratory birds are known carriers and may contribute to spread of the flu across regions.
The department emphasised that although wild birds, including feral chickens, in Cayman could be exposed, there had been no local cases of bird flu reported among wild or domestic birds.
But officials warned poultry farmers and the public to be on the alert and to introduce strict measures to minimise the risk of infection.
Domestic birds and wild ones, including feral chickens, should be kept apart and the number of visitors to areas where the birds live should be restricted.
Officials added strict hygiene should be enforced, with disinfection of clothes, shoes and equipment after visits to areas where poultry is kept.
The department said that HPAI had been detected in cattle in the US, but the risk to humans remained low.
It added, “Transmission to humans is rare and has only been observed in individuals who have had prolonged, direct contact with infected animals, typically poultry.
“At present, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.”
Officials said poultry keepers should watch out for sudden, unexplained deaths in their flocks, runny eyes, nasal discharge, lethargy and loss of appetite.
Other symptoms include neurological problems such as tremors, head-twisting and paralysis, bluish combs or wattles, red or swollen legs, diarrhoea and loose, discoloured droppings.
The department said there had been no cases of infection through human consumption of poultry products, but advised that precautions should be taken.
It added that poultry meat and eggs should be properly handled and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to eliminate potential viruses or bacteria.
Officials said imports of live poultry, poultry meat and products were being monitored, but that no changes to import regulations were needed at present as a result of the Puerto Rico outbreak.
They added that the importation of unpasteurised milk and its products to Cayman were still prohibited because of food safety concerns and disease risks.
The public may contact [email protected] or phone 947-3090 for more information.
Birds that are sick or who have died in unusual circumstances should be reported using the same routes.
The government has previously implemented animal culls, including the launch in 2018 of a mass cull of green iguanas, an invasive species that had become a pest and threatened the existence Cayman’s blue iguana population.
The island had an estimated population of green iguanas of about 1.3 million when the cull started and hunters had eradicated about 1.5 million of the reptiles by 2023, earning almost $9 million in bounties.
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Our army of feral chickens not only eat crops, but tuck into residents’ garbage strewing it everywhere. They should have been culled long ago as they also do a great job of persuading our visitors that we are still a third world country.
Nothing in this article justifies rounding up chickens because of an outbreak in Puerto Rico, whilst no cases have been detected in the feral Cayman population. Next we’ll be told that those in our coops are at risk because of migratory birds also.
Why is there no mention of the aural pollution caused by the country-wide infestation of these caterwauling, feral nuisances. They are not only a huge hygienic risk for the entire population, but cause daily disturbances, particularly early in the morning. Every day tourists and residents alike wanting peace and tranquility are woken up by these wretched creatures. Over the last 5 or 6 years the government has done little to curb this epidemic which has now overwhelmed the entire country.
What a terrible impression: when arriving at the airport you are greeted by these creatures, then at the rental car park, at the hotel, in particular at the supermarket. Then you are woken EVERY day by the cacophony of ferrel conversations at fortissimo levels. It’s insufferable.
Please use the possibly deadly outcomes of this bird flu outbreak as the primary reason for culling them all with the side benefit that the country will become the quiet haven it used to be.
Your article states that a culling is “possible”. However, the more I read into the article, the more it seems like government will probably NOT tackle a chicken cull. Kind of like when the government said they would nourish the beach with sand, but nothing happened there either.
Am I the only one to be disappointed at the paucity of responses to this article. Does virtually nobody care about the problems outlined. Only four responses in the last two days to what was a headline story is quite staggering.