Poultry flocks of all sizes must be registered under Government's updated avian influenza rules
Poultry flocks of any size must be registered with the Government under new rules to protect the poultry sector from future avian influenza outbreaks.
Under the changes announced this week, there will be new requirements for all bird keepers to officially register their birds.
Currently, only those who keep 50 or more poultry must do so, limiting the effectiveness of our national disease control measures.
Once their birds are registered, keepers will receive important updates relevant to them, such as on any local avian disease outbreaks and information on biosecurity rules to help protect the health of their flocks.
This will help to manage potential disease outbreaks, such as avian influenza and Newcastle disease, and limit any spread.
The new measures come following the UK’s worst-ever outbreak of avian influenza, with more than 360 cases across Great Britain since October 2021.
In England and Wales, keepers are encouraged to register their birds ahead of the legal deadline on 1 October 2024. In Scotland, keepers can register from 1 September 2024 when there will be a new Scottish Kept Bird Register in place.
Stuart Hinchly, Monogastric Sales Manager at AIC Member business Massey Feeds, said: "This new legislation is a good move and will allow the poultry industry to better manage the challenges and the risks of Avian Influenza, especially on a local level."
The UK's Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: "These new rules will enable us to have a full picture of the number and location of birds kept across Great Britain, making it easier to track and manage the spread of avian disease.
"This information will be vital in helping to inform future risk assessments and maintain our commitment to continually building our extensive avian influenza research portfolio."
Further details can be found on the GOV.UK, gov.scot and gov.wales websites.
Author
Oli Hill
As Head of Communications, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media. A qualified multimedia journalist, he previously spent six years working at Farmers Weekly magazine as a Senior Reporter on the arable team, and latterly as Community Editor. More recently he was Communications Manager at Red Tractor.
