Captive Birds in Britain Must Be Kept Indoors
Amidst an outbreak of bird flu, all poultry, captive birds, turkeys, and hens must be kept indoors in Britain from the 14th of December. These measures have been put in place to prevent the spread of bird flu after a number of cases were detected.
The risk to humans does however remain low and should not impact the consumption of poultry. Keeping them indoors and away from wild birds will be a legal requirement from the 14th. This means ALL owners, not just poultry farmers will have to adhere to the rules in order to curb the infectious disease.
More on the outbreak
The precautions against avian flu were ordered by Chief Veterinary Officers for England, Scotland, and Wales after a small outbreak in Norfolk. It’s important to note, especially with the rise in poultry purchases during lockdown, that the new rules do cover hens and chickens that are kept as pets in the garden. To limit the spread of the disease, owners will have to implement biosecurity measures as well as keeping their captive birds indoors.
What is poultry?
- Chickens
- Ducks
- Turkeys
- Geese
- Pigeon (bred for meat)
- Partridge
- Quail
- Guinea fowl
- Pheasants
Defra is keeping the measure under “regular review” and hasn’t yet provided an end date. For more information, visit the government website here.
