20/06/2026
📢 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: CANCELLATION OF ALL FUTURE POULTRY AUCTIONS 📢
To our poultry community,
We are writing to inform you that we have made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel all future poultry auctions effective immediately.
This decision follows the recent confirmation of the highly pathogenic H5 bird flu strain found in wild birds in the South West / Esperance region. As the very first detections of this severe strain on mainland Australia, we must take the situation incredibly seriously to protect our birds.
Why is this such a huge risk to WA birds?
The H5 strain is an incredibly aggressive, fast-moving virus. Because our birds in Western Australia have never been exposed to this specific strain before, they have zero natural immunity.
Bringing birds from various properties together into a high-density auction environment creates the ultimate breeding ground for transmission. If a single infected bird were to enter an auction, it could rapidly spread the virus to dozens of other flocks, carrying the disease right back to backyard coops and commercial farms all over the state.
What happens if it breaks out?
An outbreak of high-pathogenicity H5 bird flu in our poultry would be absolutely devastating:
High Mortality: The virus is highly lethal, often wiping out entire flocks within 24 to 48 hours.
Mass Culling: To control the spread and protect the wider industry, strict biosecurity laws require the culling of all birds on an infected property.
Lockdowns: It would trigger immediate movement restrictions and biosecurity lockdowns across WA regions, freezing the hobby and livelihood of bird lovers everywhere.
🛑 Signs to look out for in your flock:
Please monitor your poultry daily. Symptoms of the H5 virus can appear suddenly and include:
Sudden death without prior symptoms
Swelling around the head, eyes, comb, and wattles
Purple discoloration of the comb and wattles
Severe respiratory distress (coughing, sneezing, or gasping for air)
Greenish, watery diarrhea
Extreme lethargy, droopiness, or a sudden drop in egg production
What if the situation changes?
The safety of our birds and our community is our absolute top priority. We will be monitoring the situation closely alongside agricultural authorities. If things stabilise and it becomes safe to do so, we will organise to bring back the auctions at a later date.
📞 Who to contact:
If you suspect any cases of bird flu, or if you notice unusual sickness or multiple unexplained deaths in your flock (or in wild birds), do not touch the birds.
Take photos/videos if possible, note the location, and report it immediately to:
The 24/7 Emergency Animal Disease Hotline: 1800 675 888
You can also contact your local vet or closest DPIRD field vet.
Thank you all for your understanding, cooperation, and commitment to keeping WA poultry safe. Please share this post to help spread the word to other local bird keepers. Stay safe.
