Chickens at Yuen Long farm may have died from overheating
Company spokesman says storm cut power and turned off birds' fans for several days
The 2,000 chickens that died mysteriously in Yuen Long this week may have fallen ill because their coops became "too stuffy" after fans stopped working because of a power failure.
Regal Cheng Chin-keung, the director of Hong Kong Poultry (Kamei Chicken) Development, said yesterday that the power went out at the farm several days ago because of a storm.
"The fans did not work," said Cheng, whose company sells chicks to the Yuen Long farm. The farm raises the chicks and gives them back to the company when they are big enough to be sold.
"It became stuffy inside for a few days and then the chickens started to fall ill."
Initial test results revealed that the chickens were not infected with avian influenza, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said.
More tests will be conducted to confirm the cause of death. The sale of chicken by the farm has been suspended.
The chickens started to die on Friday, and the death toll reached about 2,000. Some 7,000 remain alive on the farm.
Cheng said the owner of the farm told him that the chickens had received vaccinations against avian influenza and Newcastle disease, a contagious viral disorder.
Kamei chickens were developed by the University of Hong Kong Kadoorie Agricultural Research Centre. The breed has been on the market for a dozen years.
Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, Chinese University's head of respiratory medicine, said it was unlikely that the chickens died of bird flu.
Hui added that even if it was confirmed that the chickens had died of Newcastle disease, it was unlikely that humans could get infected.
"It's not as powerful as the bird flu. And it's not infectious enough to get all the chickens in the farm infected," he said.
