Ostrich Cull in BC, 2025

[CBH99]

For those who haven't been following this story, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been pursuing an order to cull approx 400 Ostriches at an Ostrich sanctuary in British Columbia.

That cull is being carried out as I type this.



For more info, check out:

www.savetheostriches.com

Edit - Apparently the Supreme Court of Canada has just stepped in...

Supreme Court of Canada grants stay on ostrich cull, farm’s lawyer says

The Supreme Court of Canada has granted a last-minute stay over the destruction of a flock of ostriches until the court mulls an application for leave to appeal.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Genetk44]

Whats unsettling about this is apparently its about 250 days since the cull order was in put in place and in all that time none of the ostriches have died from or shown any signs of bird flu. It almost appears to be a case of the government just not wanting to back down for fear of losing face…..or is there something else going on that nobody knows about.

 

[ArmyRick]

From personal experience seeing the CFIA in action, they are not the most competent bunch. They would drop by the abattoirs I worked at from time to time (in Provincial plants they enforce tagging and transportation only).
I also experience working directly under their inspection at Black Angus Fine meats and Game (Federal Meat packing only, not an abattoir and now out of business), and sweet f-ing (bleeeep), they would call out some small mundane thing that was pointless and miss obvious things (Like hey, that meat is rotting, aren't you going to condemn it?)

I don't think the mindless cull was required but I am not out there to see first hand what is going on.

 

[CBH99]

This podcaster (who is quickly growing on me) lays out the timeline of events quite well...

 

[ArmyRick]

This podcaster (who is quickly growing on me) lays out the timeline of events quite well...

Elev8 is awesome. Great podcast.

 

[OldSolduer]

Whats unsettling about this is apparently its about 250 days since the cull order was in put in place and in all that time none of the ostriches have died from or shown any signs of bird flu. It almost appears to be a case of the government just not wanting to back down for fear of losing face…..or is there something else going on that nobody knows about.

UMMMM who else owns an ostrich farm?

Just sayin.....

 

[The Bread Guy]

UMMMM who else owns an ostrich farm?

Just sayin.....

Or it could just be bureaucrats being too bureaucrat-y?

There was word of Dr. Oz offering to take the herd to his ranch in the US, as well as letters from the FDA saying “let’s not be hasty here.” Maybe Trump’ll pardon them too?

 

[OldSolduer]

Or it could just be bureaucrats being too bureaucrat-y?

There was word of Dr. Oz offering to take the herd to his ranch in the US, as well as letters from the FDA saying “let’s not be hasty here.” Maybe Trump’ll pardon them too?

I know - Never ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Some philosopher said that and I tend to agree.

 

[captloadie]

Livestock culls by CFIA happen all the time. When it was turkeys and ducks a few years ago, why was no one coming out to support those farmers. Or when they cull farmed deer herds because they have come in contact with a sick wild deer.
The issue is that people see these big birds as pets now. But what was happening to these birds before they were pets? They were meat birds. The owners only pivoted to this sanctuary BS after the birds started getting sick and they couldn't sell them for meat any more.
What happens if these birds are carriers? What happens if they continue to spread virus to other wildlife, who spread it to other farmers livestock, that get infected, and then trading partners close their borders to our product?

The CFIA is very risk averse, but for good reason. The spread of disease can have international consequences. And if anyone believes that the USFDA and/or USCBP was going allow Dr Oz or anyone else bring these birds across the border unless specifically authorized by 47, is living in a dream world.

 

[The Bread Guy]

... if anyone believes that the USFDA and/or USCBP was going allow Dr Oz or anyone else bring these birds across the border unless specifically authorized by 47, is living in a dream world.

More on the U.S. interest in the case from earlier this year, including from The Kennedy In The House ....

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/15/why-rfk-jr-wants-canada-to-pardon-400-ostriches-00455360

RFK Jr. asks Canadian regulator to reconsider ostrich cull at B.C. farm | Globalnews.ca

U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is urging Canada to halt a planned ostrich cull in B.C., calling for a joint study of the birds’ immune response to avian flu.

globalnews.ca

Dr. Oz, New York billionaire spearhead effort to save B.C. ostriches

A former U.S. television personality turned U.S. President Donald Trump appointee, and a New York billionaire are calling on the Canadian government to save nearly 400 ostriches in British Columbia that are expected to be culled after a 2024 avian flu outbreak.

www.ctvnews.ca

But hey, at least it's not Soros meddling, right?

 

[Staff Weenie]

So, open source media indicates that ~69 ostriches had already died of avian influenza on this farm (I'm guessing some sort of A(H5N1) clade variant is involved). This is a highly contagious virus. That is bad enough on its own merits, especially if you're a bird. However, A(H5N1) can jump to mammals, and potentially to humans. Is the risk to humans high in this case? Maybe not. But..... H5N1 can undergo genetic shift when two different influenza viruses are in the same suitable host (like a pig for example). Think 1918 novel influenza A(H1N1) which crossed the world in a year killing well over 40 million. Some theories postulate it could have come from farming practices where pigs and ducks drank from the same water source.

So - would I be willing to write off 400 ostriches to protect all other local wild birds and avian farming, maybe pig, cow and sheep farms as well as reduce the risk to local populations of humans??? Absolutely.

 

[Booter]

I would also think that would be reasonable- but it’s been 250 days…if it’s about a health emergency it needs to move faster. If it’s not about one it needs to stop suggesting that it is

 

[Kilted]

I wonder if any of the Scottish regiments are following this as a source for new feather bonnets.

 

[Genetk44]

So, open source media indicates that ~69 ostriches had already died of avian influenza on this farm (I'm guessing some sort of A(H5N1) clade variant is involved). This is a highly contagious virus. That is bad enough on its own merits, especially if you're a bird. However, A(H5N1) can jump to mammals, and potentially to humans. Is the risk to humans high in this case? Maybe not. But..... H5N1 can undergo genetic shift when two different influenza viruses are in the same suitable host (like a pig for example). Think 1918 novel influenza A(H1N1) which crossed the world in a year killing well over 40 million. Some theories postulate it could have come from farming practices where pigs and ducks drank from the same water source.

So - would I be willing to write off 400 ostriches to protect all other local wild birds and avian farming, maybe pig, cow and sheep farms as well as reduce the risk to local populations of humans??? Absolutely.

How long ago did those 69 birds die???

 

[ArmyRick]

Livestock culls by CFIA happen all the time. When it was turkeys and ducks a few years ago, why was no one coming out to support those farmers. Or when they cull farmed deer herds because they have come in contact with a sick wild deer.
The issue is that people see these big birds as pets now. But what was happening to these birds before they were pets? They were meat birds. The owners only pivoted to this sanctuary BS after the birds started getting sick and they couldn't sell them for meat any more.
What happens if these birds are carriers? What happens if they continue to spread virus to other wildlife, who spread it to other farmers livestock, that get infected, and then trading partners close their borders to our product?

The CFIA is very risk averse, but for good reason. The spread of disease can have international consequences. And if anyone believes that the USFDA and/or USCBP was going allow Dr Oz or anyone else bring these birds across the border unless specifically authorized by 47, is living in a dream world.

It does happen. Look up Montana Jones. I know of a few other cases. Usually no one cries about a farmer losing some pigs, chickens, turkeys, etc. Sometimes a small group of 10-20 people gather to tell the CFIA off, but that doesn't even make local news.