Amid fears of bird flu in Telangana, officials from the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department have reported that 20,000 chickens died in the state in February.
However, officials clarified that the majority of these deaths were due to a lack of feed in poultry farms, with recent weather fluctuations also being cited as a contributing factor. Contrary to several reports, they stated that only 1,500 chickens had died due to bird flu.
Additional director of the veterinary and animal husbandry department, Telangana, Dr Ch Malleswari, said, “The recent chicken deaths in Telangana’s Sangareddy and Medak, reported as bird flu deaths, were caused by a lack of feed and malnourishment.