Widespread infection means Christmas shortages of turkey is a real possibility, so farmers are killing their birds early in order to prevent them catching the H5N1 virus and then freezing them.
The UK could be facing a Christmas turkey crisis as 3.5million - nearly a third of the country s production - have been culled as a result of the worst ever outbreak of avian flu.
Britain s birdkeepers have been ordered to keep flocks housed from November 7 until further notice , the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said.