Ilam, Feb 25: Death of chicken in bulk in the district has worried farmers. One thousand two hundred chickens died on Sunday and Monday alone incurring losses worth over Rs 450,000, said a poultry trader Binod Pokharel. The chickens in question have shown illness, he said. The chickens died due to the Newcastle disease, said the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre, Ilam.    

However, the farmers have claimed that their chicken died even after administering them vaccines against the disease. "I got my chickens vaccinated against the disease. But it did not work and they died," said Dinesh Mahat, President of the Poultry Entrepreneur's Association.    

Livestock technician Prakash Luitel informed that a large number of chickens in Ilam Municipality have died after falling ill. "Poultry farms in the area have been emptied as a result," he said.    

Following this, the service center collected and sent samples of the chickens to the laboratory in Biratnagar. The chickens died due to the disease according to the lab test report, said Dr Sanjaya Dhungana. "Some farmers did not get their chickens vaccinated against the disease. So this happened as a result. The vaccine may not work out if temperature is not maintained," he said.