The garish duck, Kriaxera from its Basque name, grazes on the grass.

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Florence Lataillade

  • The hardy breeds of ducks from the Basque Country are resistant to the bird flu virus.

  • An exceptional protocol has been put in place to prevent their slaughter, at least temporarily.

  • The breeders of these breeds defend open-air breeding of local breeds, sold in short circuits.

While avian flu has been decimating farms in the South-West for several months, the rustic breeds of Basque ducks, including kriaxera, have not left any feathers there.

"In January, the authorities detected the presence of the virus in their samples and declared us an outbreak but we never had any mortality", assures Florence Lataillade, co-manager of the Bidouze hatchery, the only one to raise breeders. of rustic breeds (the Rouen Landais and the garish duck, kriaxera in Basque).

For her, the animals contracted the disease, without showing any symptoms, but managed to become immune to it.

A reprieve, in the hope of avoiding the slaughter

In all farms, the rules for combating the virus are the preventive slaughter of palmipeds populations and depopulation, but a specific protocol was put in place for the showy duck at the beginning of March.

The first scenario considered was to preserve only eggs to save the breed and to slaughter all the ducks.

“This does not solve anything, we will be faced with the same problem with the next bird crisis, estimates Florence Lataillade.

My ducks contracted the virus but they did not get sick ”.

Supported by the ELB Confédération Paysanne du Pays Basque union, the hatchery signed a new protocol which provides for a review clause.

It should make it possible "to re-evaluate the methods of management of the outbreak, at the latest in June and before the expected date of depopulation of the animals, to take into account new scientific advice on the health situation of the hatchery, and elements provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and the European Commission ”, writes the prefecture of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in its press release.

The hatchery hopes that this clause will allow it to avoid slaughtering these precious poultry.

The inter-profession worries about the surrounding farms

"It is an exceptional setting compared to European regulations since we keep animals that are carriers of the virus on their feet while the law requires that they be eliminated", comments Marie-Pierre Pé, director of Cifog, Interprofessional Committee for Foie Gras Palmipeds.

He is worried about the risk of extending France's “non-free” status and its consequences on exports.

"You have to understand that they are endangering about twenty farms within a radius of ten kilometers, because these ducks excrete the virus," adds the director of Cifog.

If particular decisions are taken, it is because few specimens of these hardy breeds remain.

According to data from the Aquitaine Breeds Conservatory, the Kriaxera population has around 600 breeders.

"About twenty breeders participate in the conservation of kriaxera on farms that they use for family consumption or for direct sale (roasting cans)," he said.

Among them, Julen Perez, who raises Kriaxera mulards in Lohitzun-Oyhercq (the duck is a screaming kriaxera and the male, a barbaric) bought from the Bidouze hatchery, to make foie gras.

"We remained in the surveillance zone, our farm is located eight kilometers from the home so luckily we did not return to the depopulation zone, it stopped in the neighboring village," explains Julen Perez.

No mortality was observed ”.

An ally in the fight against bird flu?

"Three students from the Toulouse veterinary school came to take samples", points out Florence Lataillade.

It is the national agency for food, environmental and occupational health security (ANSES) which is responsible by the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure health monitoring.

At this stage, it is not known what the secret of these hardy breeds is.

Is it a peculiarity of their genes that protects them or is it the breeding model, in small herds and in short circuits, which works in their favor?

Or both ?

Julen Perez has his thoughts on the matter.

By offering his animals (2,500 ducks per year) outdoor breeding on rotating pastures, this breeder is convinced that they are better equipped to resist viruses.

But it is a slow growing breed that was not favored by industry leaders in the 1970s / 1980s, when duck farming flourished.

"You have to breed it on average four months, against two and a half months in industrial breeding, it's profitability," specifies Florence Lataillade.

My customers force-feed between 15 and 16 days, the manufacturers force-feed 9 to 10 days ”.

Not sure that the sector changes model so far, at a time when the total confinement of ducks is envisaged to fight against avian flu and makes the defenders of the outdoors cringe.

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