00:04While Australia's poultry industry may be bird flu free for now, the impacts are still
00:10being felt at the cash register.
00:13The last maybe five or six weeks we've just seen like the demand or the sort of sales
00:19drop by about 20-25%.
00:22He suspects bird flu could be causing anxiety among customers, turning them away from the
00:28kitchen staple, and he's not the only one noticing the trend.
00:33A happenstance conversation with the delivery driver says, yeah all the deliveries are down
00:37across the board.
00:38The ABC has spoken to several butchers across Perth, with some saying they've had to throw
00:43produce away, while food authorities insist chicken and eggs are safe to consume.
00:49As the H5 bird flu cases grow in other states, it's led to a boom in people trying to secure
00:56supply from the source.
00:59There is also an increase in people wanting poultry and chickens in their backyards.
01:05And we're assuming that's because people are expecting a bit of an impending egg shortage.
01:10And with chickens at risk of contracting the virus, biosecurity is crucial.
01:16There is that really important factor of owning poultry is that you need a good set up to look
01:21after those birds adequately, they're not just a set-and-forget pet.
01:24Bird flu hasn't been detected in WA for more than a month, but authorities are closely
01:30monitoring what's happening across the country and preparing for a broader outbreak here,
01:36with a vaccination trial of black cockatoos already underway at Perth Zoo.
01:41We'll see you next time.
01:42Great.
01:42You
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