Poultry Industry Faces Crisis with Over 40 Lakh Chicken Deaths in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: A mysterious virus has severely impacted the poultry industry in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including the districts of Godavari, Khammam, and Nizamabad. Chickens that appear to be healthy are suddenly dying, causing widespread concern among poultry farm owners. While poultry deaths are usually considered a normal occurrence to some extent, the sudden death of thousands of chickens has left farm owners alarmed.

Mass Poultry Deaths in West Godavari

In the West Godavari district, large numbers of dead chickens are being found near poultry farms. Reports indicate that in some farms, nearly 10,000 chickens are dying every day.

However, the exact cause of these deaths remains unknown. This sudden crisis has led to a significant decline in egg exports. Normally, more than 40 truckloads of eggs are sent daily to West Bengal and Assam, but this number has now dropped to just 25 trucks. If the situation continues, the number could fall to single digits.

40 Lakh Chickens Dead in 15 Days

Under normal conditions, poultry farms experience daily mortality rates of about 0.05%. For instance, in a farm with 100,000 chickens, around 20 to 50 deaths per day are considered within acceptable limits. However, the current situation is far worse.

In just the last 15 days, over 40 lakh (4 million) chickens have died in the West Godavari district alone, highlighting the severity of the crisis. Farmers are now urging the government to identify the virus and help in controlling its spread.

Fear Among Poultry Farmers

Typically, cold weather in December and January increases the risk of respiratory infections in chickens. However, farmers say that this virus has unusual symptoms compared to past outbreaks. They live in constant fear, uncertain of how many of their chickens will survive each morning.

Due to the rapid spread of the virus, many farmers are selling their live chickens at lower prices, fearing further losses.

Government Investigation Underway

Authorities have begun investigations and have collected samples from various poultry farms to be sent to laboratories for testing. The results will determine the exact nature of the disease.

Meanwhile, officials have instructed farmers not to dispose of dead chickens in open areas but to bury them properly to prevent further spread of the virus.

Suspected H5N1 Virus Outbreak

Veterinary experts suspect that the cause of these deaths could be the H5N1 virus, which previously caused devastation in 2012 and 2020.

Four years ago, a similar outbreak led to mass chicken deaths, causing a sharp decline in egg and chicken sales, as well as a major drop in market prices.

One of the biggest dangers of this virus is that infected chickens do not show any symptoms and die suddenly.

Possible Link to Migratory Birds

A large number of migratory birds have recently arrived near Kolleru Lake, raising concerns that they might be responsible for spreading the virus.

Experts have advised that chickens should be vaccinated from an early stage to protect them from potential infections.

Poultry Farmers in Deep Trouble

The virus has now spread from native chicken breeds to broiler and layer farms. Normally, poultry farms take extreme precautions in vaccinating layer chickens, administering up to 23 vaccines by the time a chicken reaches 20 weeks of age.

Despite these precautions, the mystery virus is killing chickens at an alarming rate, leaving poultry farm owners worried. If this disease is not controlled soon, the survival of the poultry industry itself could be at risk in the coming days.