A Monaghan poultry farmer says the "weakest link" in the battle against avian flu is the households keeping a few hens in their backyard.
A compulsory housing order for poultry farms in the Republic comes into effect today as the Irish Government attempts to protect livestock and livelihoods against an outbreak of the deadly virus, which, has been detected in the North.
County Monaghan supplies up to 80 per cent of the two million chickens processed in Ireland each week. Just across the border from Monaghan in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone 64,000 birds have to be culled after a supscted case of avian influenza was detected at a commercial premises.
Nigel Renaghan runs a commercial broiler poultry operation in Clontibret. He says it's great to see people keeping their own hens for eggs but, these free range birds could have serious ramifications for the commercial poultry farmer running a business down the road (listen below):
