The Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia has become the focal point of an intense battle. The farm is appealing an order to cull its entire ostrich herd due to alleged exposure to avian flu. This outbreak has affected thousands of birds domestically across Canada and the United States. To that end, the order has been issued. The farm maintains that conditions have improved since January, when the last ostrich death occurred.
The farm stated that 69 ostriches succumbed to the disease in the first reported outbreak. The last of these birds did not go on to develop signs of disease. That progress had led Universal Ostrich Farm, L.L.C., to ask the U.S. Output of the novel Sentence AI. The ostrich farm can be in line for as much as $3,000 for each ostrich it has killed. This introduces a devilishly complicating layer to the mix.
Additional support from high-profile advocates has galvanized around Universal Ostrich Farm. And fortunately, newly-appointed Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the new U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has presented a thrilling proposal. We’re grateful for his generosity in welcoming the ostriches to his ranch! Likewise, U.S. billionaire John Catsimatidis has made an offer of $30 million to build new accommodation for the birds. These offers underscore a rising awareness of animal welfare issues and possible fallout from culling healthy animals.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., perhaps the most well-known environmental advocate in America, has thrown his hat in the ring. This included him taking a very public stand for the herd’s protection. After that, he enlisted a second opinion from officials in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as they discussed potential culling alternatives. Kennedy pushed Canada to collaborate with the US on avian flu research. He argued that harmony through collaboration is a more effective solution than the heavy hand of government.
“The process is in place. And not necessarily.” – Heath MacDonald
Heath MacDonald, Canada’s agriculture minister, recognized the difficulty in creating a best practice with real teeth when it comes to deciding administratively between animal health and welfare. He reiterated that the government is still looking at all options very seriously. Choices won’t just pander to whatever seems popular based on what’s tweeted out.
“If we follow Twitter or that sort of thing with any major decisions that we’re making here in Canada, I’m not sure that’s the appropriate course of action,” – Heath MacDonald
After the pandemic hit, Universal Ostrich Farm attracted a dedicated tub of supporters. Since then, they’ve built an amazing community hub at the farm. These advocates are on the ground, advocating and lobbying for assistance. They’re the ones alerting the world to the wider dangers of culling perfectly healthy ostriches. They produce daily live streams to record their work and provide commentary to the world over social media.
The unprecedented avian flu outbreak this year has put poultry farmers and animals rights advocates on the same page. The disease, best known for its catastrophic effects on domestic chicken populations, is zoonotic, capable of infecting mammals and, rarely, humans. Those unique, combined threats around Universal Ostrich Farm make it a truly urgent case. The stakeholders are currently working to find the best approaches to protect animal health overall while still providing for public safety.
