Avian flu devastates Kleve's poultry farms with mass culls and rising costs

Avian Flu in Kleve District and Its Devastating Impact

340,000 dead birds in Kleve's poultry farms—no one expected an outbreak this severe.

By Janina Amrath

"It's like watching a train barreling toward me," one affected poultry farmer in Kleve told Diana Nienhaus this winter. She is the chief district veterinarian in Kleve. The avian flu outbreak in the district gained alarming momentum as early as November.

"We've never seen anything like this—three suspected cases within an hour and a half. Less than 24 hours later, a fourth." — Diana Nienhaus, Head of the District Veterinary Office

How Does the Virus Enter the Barns?

This season alone, Kleve has confirmed 18 cases of avian flu—a staggering number compared to just one last year. Turkey farms have been hit particularly hard. Nienhaus attributes this to the design of their barns, which have open ventilation flaps that allow the virus to spread inside.

Four Months of Mandatory Confinement

Nienhaus admits she doesn't have a foolproof solution for keeping the virus out. For now, the only option is standard infection control measures, including mandatory confinement—a restriction that lasted four months in Kleve this season.

€2.5 Million in Compensation Paid to Poultry Farms

Despite these efforts, the toll has been devastating: one-third of Kleve's poultry population—340,000 birds out of roughly 1.008 million—had to be culled. The Agricultural Chamber's animal disease fund has already paid out €2.5 million in compensation to affected farms in Kleve, covering the value of the animals as well as culling and disposal costs.

"It can't be that the only response is: test, confirm, kill, and start all over again." — Jens Bodden, farmer

Restriction Zones Hit Many Hard

Some farms, though not directly infected, found themselves inside restriction zones—meaning no animals could be moved in or out. Organic farmer Jens Bodden from Hommersum, near Goch, had to temporarily relocate his ordered chicks to other farms—at a cost. He was also barred from transporting birds to slaughter or for sale.

"I still miss the geese's blue eyes. But it was just unbearable. A goose needs its freedom." — Jens Bodden, farmer

Lessons from the Avian Flu Crisis

Determined to reduce his dependence on external systems, Bodden has invested in his own hatchery, capable of breeding up to 5,000 chicks, and a small slaughterhouse. This way, in a worst-case scenario, his chickens can remain on his farm from hatching to processing. He even produces his own feed. And after repeated mandatory confinement orders, he made another tough decision: he got rid of his 5,000 geese.