After bird flu, the slow return of ducklings to Peregord Farms

There are still only a few of them left, but their tweets are loud enough to be noticed. After three months of crawl space imposed by measures taken in the context of the fight against bird flu that infected the Dordogne in the spring, the ducklings returned to the Loqueyssie area, the breeding farm established by Valérie Dumore and her husband in the village of Grange-d’Ans, northeast of Périgueux. “We received the first batch of 280 Muscovy ducks on July 6, a few days after the restrictions in force in our area were lifted, and then a second of a similar size on July 26.”Valerie Dumore details, relieved To see life slowly resume on his farm.

Certainly, breeders will not be able to reconstitute their stock with 560 ducklings, either non-existent or almost non-existent. But at least he’ll feel good about being able to fulfill his clients’ Christmas requests. “This in itself is a great opportunity, Get to know M.^I Domore, conscious of belonging to a privileged minority. Perhaps the breeding of Muscovy ducks helped us find them faster than if we needed to stock the most common and sought after mules.. All breeding farms that usually have ducklings at this time are struggling to find the ducklings. »

Livestock farming has perished

In Dordogne, between April and June, 45 outbreaks of bird flu were detected, and nearly 400,000 poultry, mostly waterfowl, were killed because of their illness, or as a precaution. Since then, Dordogne “It is one of the three divisions, along with Lot and Lot-et-Garonne, where it is almost impossible to get one-day-old ducklings.”Patrice Marselli, director of Terres du Sud, one of the largest waterfowl production cooperatives in the Southwest, is upset.

“Animals that are lacking in breeders today will lack nutrients tomorrow.” Olivier Balencher, Nutrition Factor

Unlike Landes, which has a hatchery, Périgord pays neither more nor less than it relies on hatcheries in Vendée or Deux-Sèvres. An epidemic of birds in these two regions during the winter of 2021 destroyed the breeding flocks. Conclusion: the presence of few or no eggs in hatcheries, forced to deliver rare specimens available in drops and drops.

In Coulounieix-Chamiers, near Périgueux, the hatchery of the farm of La Peyrouse adjacent to the agricultural school is still waiting for the arrival of eggs that have not come. “Activity stopped for several weeks”Eric Botivo, director of the estate, explains that, annually, he usually takes out between 500,000 and 600,000 one-day-old baby ducklings.

The poultry sector is drowning in a desert that may not see its end before the spring of 2023. Animals that are lacking in breeders today will lack nutrients tomorrow.warns Olivier Palencher, a force worker in Vergette, south of Perigueux, and president of the Association of Duck Producers in Peregord, which was set up in April 2022 to help professionals affected by the virus and its consequences. ” BetterThe person concerned assumes, Force-feeding can be resumed in the fall. » It’s too late to guarantee a reasonable amount of foie gras at Christmas. “We will have 70% less volume for the holidays”Mr. Marsley concludes with concern.