Thousands of Turkeys had to be killed on a farm near Abbotsford, B.C., starting from Monday, when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a positive test result for avian flu over the weekend.

"Today the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has started the humane destruction of approximately 60,000 birds on the infected premises in British Columbia where H5 avian influenza has been confirmed," said Sandra Stephens, a CFIA disease control specialist.

The turkeys were being done away with using carbon dioxide gas and there bodies would be composted inside the barns and monitored to make sure that the virus is rendered inactive.

After seven to ten days the remains will further be removed from the barn to complete the composting process.

In 2004 Fraser Valley had witnessed the culling of 17 million birds due to an outbreak of avian influenza. It was the largest animal cull in Canadian history.

On Monday, Ray Nickel, president of the B.C. Poultry Association, said that the procedure of destroying the birds is pretty quick but it is only after some time that the emotional and financial toll of the slaughter is sensed.