Turkeys could be in short supply due to the UK's largest outbreak of bird flu

This is particularly relevant to the county as the Solway Firth attracts thousands of migrating geese every winter.

The worst ever avian flu outbreak to hit the country is forcing farmers to keep birds inside after 3.5million have already been slaughtered country-wide in a bid to stop spread the 'Covid of the poultry industry.'

From Monday, birdkeepers must keep flocks housed 'until further notice', Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs bosses ruled.

The legal requirement comes amid the 'rapid escalation' of avian influenza cases in farms and backyard birds, with the UK logging 80 cases this month.

Renowned Shap poultry producer, David Knipe, told The Cumberland News that he is 'very worried'.

"Housing poultry does help protect the birds, but that is no guarantee that you won't be hit by bird flu. I will confess it is worrying."

David, who runs Heartwood Poultry, based at High Carlingill Farm, has raised 250 turkeys and several hundred chickens for the Christmas market.

"This disease has absolutely ransacked the poultry farming heartlands of Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex. "You would normally see some farmers who raise about 60 or 70 turkeys for Christmas, but they have fought shy this year, not only because of bird flu, but the rising feed costs.

"I've gone from paying £274 a tonne in bulk to £447. That puts about £7.50 on each bird.

Is the Christmas roast under threat this year?

"I pray with the biosecurity we have in place bird flu doesn't touch us. We have done everything in our power to protect our birds, but we have geese migrating to the Solway Coast and thousands of these birds have been dying," added David.

Bird flu fears and rising feed costs could put sales of free-range poultry at local auction marts at risk.

Hopes of Wigton will not be holding their annual festive poultry sale with David Bowman, Auction Mart Manager, saying: "We won't be holding our turkey sales this year because of economic reasons mostly. The cost of feed and the fact that farmers could not get poults in the spring has made the decision for them not to raise the birds."

The UK produces nearly a billion birds a year for eating as meat and, for Christmas, produces between nine and ten million turkeys.

Bird flu ‘prevention zone’ declared across Britain as cases rise.

Mulholland Butchers at Great Orton, said they had been in touch with their supplier two weeks ago and were assured that their free-range turkeys would be 'fine'.

But the decision to house poultry could also hit egg producers in the county.

David Brass, CEO at The Lakes Free Range Egg company said “We have very strict biosecurity measures in place at all times to reduce the risks to our flocks. It is a standard that all our producers adhere to as well.

"The number of cases have been escalating across parts of the UK so it is no surprise to anyone with commercial free range poultry operations that these blanket restrictions have been re-introduced.

"It is something that we are learning to live with and is in the best interest of our hens welfare.

“We agree with what the United Kingdom’s Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss has said, in that ‘scrupulous biosecurity and separating flocks in all ways, from wild birds remain the best form of defence.’

"It doesn’t matter if you are a commercial operation with thousands of birds, or have just a few hens at home from Monday, November 7 onwards you must keep your indoors.

"It is critical to the health of all UK poultry that all poultry keepers from one hen up to thousands all keep their poultry inside to control this disease”.

There were three outbreaks of bird flu in Cumbria last year, and thousands of wild birds perished on the Solway Coast with geese observed falling from the sky in distress, said the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).