6,000 chickens to be gassed in bird-flu exercise today

Six thousand chickens are due to be gassed in Limerick today as part of an exercise to test Ireland's preparedness for a bird flu outbreak.

The exercise is due to take place at a farm in Kilmeedy.

Animal welfare groups have criticised the fact that carbon dioxide will be used to kill the birds, saying argon gas would cause a less stressful death.