A shipment of almost 2900 baby turkeys (poults) is almost ready to fly the coop at Australia's avian quarantine facility north of Melbourne.
Staff from the government's specialised Mickleham facility in Melbourne have been hatching the consignment of turkey eggs from Canada during their 13-week quarantine period.
The poults were hatched from fertile eggs imported by a Victorian breeder.
The breeder provided expert staff to ensure the poults were monitored around-the-clock in the first few days following hatching.
All poultry including chicken, ducks and turkeys can only be imported as fertile hatching eggs and are required to be hatched under strict biosecurity conditions in Australia.
This is to ensure they do not carry any exotic diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Staff from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's Post Entry Quarantine facility have been working with the importer for the safe delivery of the turkeys.
During their time at the quarantine facility, the poults will be tested for biosecurity diseases such as HPAI before they are released.
The department's deputy secretary (biosecurity and compliance) Chris Locke said imported eggs provide genetic diversity in breeding stock, critical for the growth of the Australian poultry industry.
"Our import requirements are rigorous with imports only accepted from countries that can certify freedom from HPAI, or from countries that have approved compartment schemes or zoning arrangements with Australia to avoid the risk of biosecurity concerns from imported eggs," Dr Locke said.
"These poults have been the beneficiary of an excellent collaboration between our technical staff based in Canberra as well as biosecurity officers and department vets at PEQ and industry.
"Our biosecurity team at PEQ has worked closely with breeders and industry to ensure poultry imports arrive and leave our care in the best possible condition and we thank our partners for working with us to ensure pests and diseases such as HPAI stay out of Australia."
The turkeys are expected to grow up to five kilograms in weight during their stay at PEQ and will only be released if test results show no evidence of disease.
The poults will be the grandparents of birds to be bred for turkey meat.
Each consignment of birds compromises different genetic lines that have highly specific, desirable traits that will be expertly bred together by the importer to produce a bird specific for Australian conditions and the Australian market.
Avian influenza has been Australia's most frequently occurring emergency animal disease, with eight outbreaks in Australian poultry farms since 1976.
The Mickleham facility is one of only two specialised biosecurity facilities in Australia where clients can import poultry and pigeons
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
