There could be fewer turkeys this Christmas as a result of England's largest ever bird flu outbreak.
BBC News Rural affairs producer
"We are now facing this year, the largest ever outbreak of bird flu and are seeing rapid escalation in the number of cases on commercial farms and in backyard birds across England," said Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss. "It's terrifying right now. Our entire business depends on the Christmas market. If we were to get bird flu we would lose everything," he told BBC News.
Under the national housing order, free-range poultry producers will still be allowed to label their eggs and meat as free-range for up to 16 weeks. "This is the worst year I have ever known in my whole life and business, by a long way. It is the foot and mouth of the poultry industry at the moment. It is, in East Anglia, absolutely devastating."
A national housing order has not been introduced in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the situation is being monitored.
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