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February 17, 2006
Ludwig the rooster catches chicken flu, but probably not H5N1
We had to kill Ludwig yesterday. Ludwig was Sylvia's live-in partner, a rooster who escaped from our yard two weeks ago in a daring 'Chicken-Run'-esque action sequence. After his escape we did not see him for a week, and assumed that he was already living the high life in Vanuatu. But then on Tuesday morning, Hama (a twelve year lad next door) came to visit us, dangling Ludwig upside-down at his side.
Ludwig was not his usual perky, quirky self. He was shivering, dribbling, standing in one spot for long periods of time with his eyes closed, and refusing to crow or eat. Short of holding up a placard with the words, 'Hey there, I'm feeling a little under the weather,' he did everything possible to alert us to the fact that all was not well.
Kunjel told us that Ludwig had bird flu. What was not clear was whether it was H5N1 - in fact it is very unlikely indeed (there have so far been no reported cases of H5N1 in Burkina Faso).
According to Kunjel, Ludwig would die within four days and we should eat him now while there was still some meat on him. But if I was to eat Ludwig in a fricassee I would first have to turn off the BBC World Service. And try not to think about the contents of that recent email from the British Consulate in Accra. 'Taking sensible precautions' doesn't involve scoffing diseased chickens on a trade route from Northern Nigeria.
So Iranaldo put on some gloves and killed Ludwig and put him in a bag and took him a very long way out of Djibo on his motorbike and buried him.
Posted by sahelsteve at February 17, 2006 10:11 AM