Supporters of Universal Ostrich Farms stand near ostriches at the farm’s property in Edgewood, B.C., on May 17, 2025. The Canadian Press/Aaron Hemens
A B.C. ostrich farm opposing a cull order against its birds over concerns of avian flu exposure, has been granted an interim stay by the Federal Court of Appeal, averting the slaughter of its nearly 400 ostriches, for now.
Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C. was ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) last December to cull its flock of ostriches after the agency said the farm had 69 ostrich deaths from December 2024 to the end of January 2025, with the CFIA linking the deaths to “‘flu-like’ illness” and PCR tests showing two birds to have died from H5N1.
