The Federal Court of Appeal has denied the request of the owners of a southeastern B.C. ostrich farm to perform additional avian flu testing on their flock in an effort to prevent a cull mandated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The decision, released online this week, grants a temporary suspension to the upcoming cull of the farm’s 399 birds. The court will issue its ruling on the farm’s appeal of the cull by the week of July 21.
Universal Ostrich Farm became the centre of protest and media attention after dozens of its ostriches died of avian flu in December 2024 and January 2025, and hundreds of supporters camped out at the farm last month to protest the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) planned cull of the herd….