What does Pinnaroo Show poultry cancellation mean amid bird flu concerns?

A LOCAL agricultural show will continue without its poultry and pigeon section this year, following a decision by the event’s committee amid ongoing avian influenza concerns.

The 2026 Pinnaroo Show and Field Day committee made the decision to cancel the Poultry & Pigeon section and introduce a new Feature Class “Anything but a real chook”.

“Entrants could knit, crotchet, carve, weld, papier mache, etc a chicken/duck/goose/bantam/pigeon to enter for a chance to be awarded 'Supreme Champion Bird of the Show',” a Pinnaroo Agricultural Society representative said.

The Pinnaroo Agricultural Society had initially taken a wait-and-see approach before ultimately cancelling the section with the annual event only a few weeks away.

Google Trends data shows Australian relative search interest in “bird flu” rose sharply during 2026 after comparatively low interest earlier in the 12-month period.

Source: Google Trends

Link: See Interest over time on Google Trends for bird flu - Australia, Past 12 months - https://trends.google.com/trends/explore/TIMESERIES/1788919800?hl=en-US&tz=-570&geo=AU&q=bird+flu&sni=3

Pinnaroo’s decision follows a period in which bird flu concerns across Australia have prompted a number of agricultural shows to cancel poultry competitions and displays as a biosecurity precaution.

Google Trends data shows South Australia recorded the second-highest relative search interest in “bird flu” over the period.

Source: Google Trends

Link: See Interest by subregion on Google Trends for bird flu - Australia, Past 12 months - https://trends.google.com/trends/explore/GEO_MAP/1788919800?hl=en-US&tz=-570&geo=AU&q=bird+flu&sni=3

High pathogenicity avian influenza has been detected in wild birds, with the latest federal data reporting H5 bird flu in wildlife in WA, SA, NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, and as of 7 September, there were 498 confirmed positive wildlife events nationally.

However, there have been no confirmed detections of the current H5 strain in Australian poultry.

The situation has increased biosecurity focus around events where birds from different properties are brought together.

Entries are now open for the show’s other exhibiting sections, with locals able to enter a range of classes across areas including photography, produce, art and agriculture.

Despite the cancellation, the Pinnaroo Show and Field Day is scheduled to return on Wednesday, October 7.

It is important to know that Google Trends shows relative search interest, not raw search numbers. This means a score, ranking or trend line should not be treated as the number of people searching. It is a way to compare interest over time, between topics or across locations.

This article was produced as part of a Google Trends licensing initiative. It uses Google Trends data to explore search interest in “bird flu” in Australia.

Google Trends data is aggregated and anonymous. Search interest is measured on a relative scale and does not represent total search volume.

This content is part of a paid partnership with Google to promote Google Trends.