Mandatory housing measures for all poultry and captive birds will come into force across all areas of England next Monday (November 7) in an effort to protect flocks from the spread of avian influenza (bird flu) from wild birds.
The measures legally require all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow stringent biosecurity measures.
It will extend the mandatory housing measures already in force in the areas with high concentrations of the disease – Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Essex – to the whole of England.
The decision to introduce these measures was made by the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, after the national risk of bird flu in wild birds was increased to ‘very high‘.
“The risk of kept birds being exposed to disease has reached a point where it is now necessary for all birds to be housed until further notice,” she said.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, but is the best way to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.”
Middlemiss is encouraging all bird keepers across England to use this week to prepare for the housing order.
Bird flu
More cases of bird flu were confirmed over the weekend, in Cambridgeshire, at two separate premises; in Lancashire, at two premises; in Lincolnshire; and in Suffolk.
There have been 82 confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 since October 1, this year, and 216 cases since the H5N1 outbreak started on October 27, last year.
