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Following a decision by the Chief Veterinary Officer of the United Kingdom, compulsory housing measures for poultry and captive birds will be introduced in all areas of England from 00:01 on Monday 7 November.
Housing measures legally require all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from disease, regardless of type or size.
The order will extend mandatory housing measures across England, already in place in the hot spot areas of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex, following a greatly increased national risk of bird flu in wild birds.
Over the past year, the United Kingdom has faced its largest ever outbreak of avian influenza with over 200 cases confirmed since the end of October 2021. Housing measures have been introduced after the disease was discovered at more than 70 sites since early October, as well as multiple reports in wild birds.
The Chief Veterinary Officer is now encouraging all bird keepers across England to use the week to prepare, including taking measures to protect animal welfare, consulting their private vets and extending habitat where necessary.
Christine Middlemiss, Chief Veterinary Officer of the United Kingdom, said:
Now we face this year, the biggest outbreak of bird flu ever and the number of cases in commercial farms and backyard birds across England is rising rapidly. The risk of exposure of housed birds to disease has reached a point where all birds are now required to be housed until further notice.
Tight biosecurity and flocks isolated in all respects from wild birds are the best form of conservation. Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, from Monday 7 November you should keep them indoors. This decision is not taken lightly, but it is the best way to protect your birds from this highly contagious disease.
Evidence shows that housing birds reduces the risk of birds contracting bird flu. However, habitat alone will not protect birds and all keepers should still follow other enhanced biosecurity measures mandated by AIPZ to protect their flocks and prevent the risk of future outbreaks circulating in wild birds. Housing coupled with strict biosecurity measures can provide even greater reductions in risk.
The new housing measures build on stronger biosecurity measures introduced as part of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) earlier this month. AIPZ means that all bird keepers are required to take extra precautions, such as restricting access to the site to non-essential people, ensuring workers change clothes and shoes before entering bird enclosures, and regular cleaning and disinfection of vehicles to limit the risk of spreading disease. to do
The UK Health Security Agency continues to advise that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the Food Standards Agency’s advice remains, that avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk to UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
More information:
- Biosecurity guidance and a biosecurity self-assessment checklist have been published by Defra to help all bird keepers promote and maintain good biosecurity, which can be found at GOV.UK/bird-flu, along with further updates on the latest avian influenza situation. .
Adding housing measures to the AIPZ already in place across England means that all bird keepers across England must:
- Housing or cages for all poultry and captive birds
- Clean and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
- Minimize the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from where poultry and captive birds are kept to minimize contamination from manure, slurry and other products and to use effective pest control.
- Keep records of mortality, movement of poultry and poultry products and any changes in production
- Thoroughly clean and disinfect the housing on a regular basis
- Keep fresh disinfectant in appropriate concentration at entry and exit points of all farm and poultry housing
- Minimize direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including ensuring that all food and water are inaccessible to wild birds.
- Prevent entry of ponds and reservoirs by poultry and ensure that birds are kept in fenced or enclosed areas.
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