In a goose breeding operation in Leipzig district, around 6,500 birds must be culled due to confirmed avian flu suspicions. Breeder Lorenz Eskildsen calls for vaccinating the animals to prevent further outbreaks. Two other farms on site are under surveillance, but the Christmas goose market can stay open.
The incident occurred at a facility owned by Saxon goose breeder Lorenz Eskildsen in Mutzschen, a district of Grimma in Leipzig county. The Saxon State Investigation Institute confirmed suspicions of avian influenza, later verified by the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute. To halt spread, the 6,500 breeding geese will be culled. Eskildsen, Saxony's largest goose breeder, keeps a total of 11,000 breeding geese at the site and operates another farm in Königswartha in the Lusatia region.
Eskildsen sharply criticizes the current handling of the disease. “We can no longer treat the animals this way. It simply isn't possible,” he said. He advocates for vaccinations, which would reduce the viral load by 90 percent and lower transmission risks. Twenty years ago, he experienced a major outbreak at his company. “We've suffered for 20 years and want something done now,” he stressed. The federal government and states should pave the way for vaccinations, he demands.
Two additional farms in Mutzschen, spatially separated, are monitored by the Borna district office and considered independent. The adjacent goose market can continue sales, as Christmas geese come from other locations. A 10-kilometer radius around the site imposes a stall duty for poultry. Since early October, Germany has seen 171 outbreaks, with over two million birds culled.
Meanwhile, Leipzig Zoo culled seven pelicans after two infected ones died, to protect the remaining 350 animals. These were housed in stalls, and visitors must use disinfection mats.