Defra’s new housing rules will be in place in Great Britain from 14th December. The new rules mean that it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their birds housed or otherwise separate from wild birds and follow strict biosecurity measures to combat the spread of Avian Influenza.
A joint statement from Great Britain’s three Chief Veterinary Officers said:
“Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, from 14 December onwards you will be legally required to keep your birds indoors or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds. We have not taken this decision lightly, but it is the best way to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.”
To assist you to comply with this requirement or perhaps to assist a poultry keeping neighbour, please find below a link to a wealth of support information from the NFU, which is being made available to all poultry keepers.
All poultry keepers can access this Avian Influenza information without the requirement for a membership number or password.
Please circulate the information as you see fit in order to protect the nation’s poultry.