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- The outbreak is a significant blow to the region’s duck farming industry, as Crescent Duck Farm is one of the last remaining commercial duck farms in Long Island.
- The farm’s president, Doug Corwin, expressed devastation over the situation, describing it as a personal and historical loss.
- This incident follows a recent bird flu case at a commercial poultry plant in Georgia, highlighting the ongoing concern of the virus’s spread.
- Bird flu continues to impact poultry populations nationwide, contributing to rising egg prices and prompting increased surveillance and testing measures.
A Long Island farm will reportedly euthanize more than 100,000 ducks after a bird flu outbreak hit the eastern New York facility.
Staff at the Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue, New York, noticed that many of birds were ill, according to Newsday and local station WABC-TV. They later tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which has been infecting people, pets and poultry across the U.S.
Crescent Duck Farm President Doug Corwin said the euthanasia is particularly devastating as Long Island used to be known for its extensive duck farming industry. The business is the largest major commercial duck farm in Suffolk County and one of the last in Long Island, WABC reported.
The family-owned farm has been operating since 1908, WABC reported.
“You constantly monitor your flock − three times a day. One day things looked unusual. I noticed a few lethargic birds that didn’t seem right,” Corwin told Newsday. “It’s my legacy. I think we’re kind of iconic, considering we are what Long Island was known for. And I just don’t want it to end this way.”
But the entire flock has to be killed for public safety, Suffolk County Health Commissioner Gregson Pigott told the station.
“Unfortunately, when you have a situation like this where you have a flock that’s infected, the remedy is to put the entire flock down,” he said.
Exposing the Big Game 