Avian Influenza Official Guidance from APHA
There is a lot of confusing misinformation about Avian Influenza and what you must do and what is allowed or not allowed. This page is intended to clarify the situation.
LATEST IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!!! MOST OF THE uk NOW HAS A MANDATORY BIOSECURITY REQUIREMENT. sOME AREAS HOWEVER ARE IN FULL LOCKDOWN wHERE THERE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED CASES. cHECK THE DEFRA/APHA WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST POSITION. ENGLAND IS NOW IN A MANDATORY HOUSING ORDER. THE REST OF THE UK MAY FOLLOW SUIT BUT PLEASE CHECK.
England is now subject to a complete housing order as at 30th October 2025. This is in addition to strict biosecurity. No movements are allowed in active infected zones (view the interactive map). Check your text messages for latest news from APHA. The news is likely to change as the seasons progress.
Avian Influenza season during the winter and spring months is likely to be the norm. There have been several H5N1 infection clusters in many parts of the country. Keep in mind when planning your chicken areas, that you will have to keep them covered in a lockdown/housing order situation. Further information from APHA on preventing the risk from Avian Influenza can be found at this link. This link shows a map of where the current bird flu cases have been. There is guidance on the APHA site here.
What does a housing order mean?
When there is a housing order in force, then it means all captive birds have to be kept under cover with a roof. This applies if you keep 50 birds or more or if you keep less then if you sell or give away your eggs you do need to house. If welfare issues or difficulty in providing suitable housing, then a net providing full coverage of any area used by poultry or other fowl. The proviso being the net should not allow small birds to enter or foul the ground. A tarpaulin over the top of any runs will keep droppings from wild birds away from the ground below.
Strict biosecurity measures are also required to help minimise the risk of infection spreading. This applies to all bird keepers in England, Scotland and Wales, whether birds are kept commercially or as pets, regardless of whatever type or size. These measures include cleansing and disinfecting clothing, footwear and equipment, reducing the movement of people to and from areas, and preventing access by poultry to ponds and watercourses. Failure to adhere to the housing order means you face a very large fine and possible imprisonment if you are found out.
Bird flu biosecurity recommendations (this is good practice regardless of a lockdown)
- Keep ALL birds indoors or under cover with either a roof/tarpaulin or small holed nets to exclude wild birds and vermin. This becomes compulsory whenever a housing order is declared
- Ensure that you feed and water your birds in an area that wild birds and vermin cannot contaminate either by drinking or droppings
- Prevent visitors to the area the birds are in
- Make any ponds and boggy areas out of bounds to your birds and other wild birds
- Don’t encourage wild birds onto your property by feeding them
- Enhance your biosecurity by using a DEFRA APPROVED disinfectant foot dip at all entrances if possible. Clean boots and clothing are essential. Disinfect all hard paved areas also.
- Keep waterfowl (ducks, geese etc) separated from other poultry as the risk to waterfowl is greater.
- Always wash your hands thoroughly after dealing with poultry and make sure that you don’t put your hands near your mouth at any time.
The Food Standards Agency are also offering reassurance that bird flu will not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. The eating of Poultry products and eating eggs are safe.
What happens following a local outbreak
If avian influenza infection is suspect at a given location, then a vet will evaluate all birds. On confirmation of disease then all the birds on the site are subject to a humane cull order. There can be no “get out of jail free card” to play here however – all birds die.
Temporary no-movement zones are then created around ground zero. Once the final tests come back and their strain is identified, the following zones are declared. Severe movement restrictions are put in place in the active Protection Zones and active Surveillance Zones. No movement of birds in, or out, or within etc. Surveillance zones are in place for about a month, but checking on the APHA website or viewing the interactive map will give you the current picture. Rules then revert to Prevention zone rules when the active zones are no longer in the active state.
BIRD FLU IS A NOTIFIABLE DISEASE so it is an offence to not report it. Contact details to report suspected possible cases are on the DEFRA/APHA website or contact your vet.
Not all outbreaks are from commercial poultry outfits
The biggest numbers of actual birds in enforced humane cullings have been in commercial units but there have been just as many infected “premises” from hobby keepers too. Many people are blaming the commercial poultry units for the spread however this is not the whole story. So everyone needs to do their bit to protect all birds. The Farne Islands were subject to a massive cull because of Avian Influenza with many wild birds such as Puffins having huge dents in their numbers. Many bird species will find it difficult to recover from such enormous losses.
Can you still buy birds when there is a housing order?
Yes you can BUT ONLY IF THE BIRDS DO NOT MOVE TO/FROM/OR WITHIN A CURRENTLY ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE ZONE. See the heading below for the interactive map to check whether you as buyer or the seller are outside an active zone. There are some situations where movement is allowed in an active zone BUT ONLY UNDER A LICENCE OBTAINED BEFOREHAND. If you wish to buy chickens from us, we will check beforehand if you are in an active zone. We record all sales for traceability.
DEFINITIONS of Avian Influenza Declared Zones
| Zone Name | Description of Zone |
| Protection Zone | A zone at a 3km radius from round the site of an infection – Movement restrictions apply. No birds moved in out or within this zone. Current map of infections and zone status here |
| Surveillance Zone | A wider zone of 10km radius from around the site of an infection – Movement restrictions apply. No birds moved in out or within this zone. |
| Prevention Zone AIPZ | Refers to the rest of the country not in any active Protection or Surveillance Zones. Bird gatherings may be banned but movements are allowed only in this zone. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all issue their own terms (do’s and don’ts) on this. |
| Increased Biosecurity | Required legally by all areas of the country. |
| Housing Order | All birds must be housed under cover or a roof or nets to exclude wild birds and vermin. No contact to be possible between any other animal and the poultry or the ground they have access to. The Govt website gives the latest case location updates or you can sign up to the notification service detailed below. Notifications can be delivered to you either by email or text as you specify once you sign up. See link below |
What You Can Do for the Future
It is becoming a yearly phenomenon to endure Bird Flu lockdowns so if you wish to continue to keep poultry, your best options are to make sure you are ready. Plan well ahead to make your chicken’s area secure, big enough, and welfare friendly for any future declarations. This will make the restrictions easier on you and your birds each year.
Avian Influenza has always been very seasonal, due to bird migration patterns, but is now endemic. This means that there is now a reservoir of infection in our own native birds who may not always show signs of disease. Our birds can now be a potential source of infection throughout the year. The risk to our native bird populations could have disastrous consequences for their future survival.
Latest Situation
Regardless of what this page says, you should still refer to this Govt website for the very latest position. Advice lines and reporting numbers are also on the page. Wales and Scotland or Northern Ireland have their own rules so you should contact their websites for the latest info.
In Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you should contact your local APHA office. Again the contact numbers are on the link above.
Register your UK flock – This Is Now Compulsory
As of 1st October 2024 the Government have made it a legal requirement that everyone MUST sign up to the free poultry register. It is compulsory if you have even 1 bird as a pet. Poultry includes chickens, pheasants and other gamebirds, geese, ducks, turkeys and other waterfowl.The links to the forms are here There is no intrusion or hoops to jump through which is helpful. You don’t need to register birds that never go outside such as parrots, budgies etc. Note that you only need a CPH number if you keep 50 or more in total. Less than 50 will not need a CPH number to register.
Reporting Cases of Dead Birds
Bird flu is a notifiable disease. If you suspect a bird with having bird flu you can report it to APHA on 03000 200 301 if you’re in England
03003 038 268 if you’re in Wales
your local Field Services Office if you’re in Scotland
You should report any cases of wild bird deaths to a local Vet or RSPB in the first instance. APHA are keen to hear about kept birds rather than wild birds. Wild birds cases – report dead wild birds online
Symptoms of Avian Influenza
There are 2 types of avian influenza.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)
This is the more serious type which is often fatal in birds. The main clinical signs of HPAI in birds are:
- swollen head
- blue discolouration of neck and throat
- loss of appetite
- respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling
- diarrhoea
- fewer eggs laid
- increased mortality
Clinical signs can vary between species of bird and some species (for example ducks and geese) may show minimal clinical signs.
Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI)
LPAI is usually less serious but it can cause mild breathing problems, however affected birds will not always show clear signs of infection.
The severity of LPAI depends on the type of bird and also whether it has any other illnesses.
Interactive Map of the current bird flu situation
An interactive map is also here to show you where there are infections and also where tighter restrictions are in place at the moment Interactive map click here
Wild bird cases in the UK
The interactive map doesn’t account for wild bird confirmed cases of Avian Influenza. The government records wild bird cases in a separate way. Numbers of deaths in 2021-22 were massive and although the majority are waterfowl there are also birds of prey and some garden birds. There is the possibility that smaller garden type birds have been “tidied up” by other animals or other bird eating species or even flies. Flies can clear a corpse in days which would make the deaths difficult to locate and record.
Webinar giving Vet guidance on Bird flu
DEFRA/APHA have produced a recording of a webinar to give more advice on why it is important to follow the rules. It has loads of useful info albeit related to winter of 2021/2022. The advice and information is still very relevant. Find the webinar here There are versions for both commercial and home based flocks.
Sign up now for the free alerts service
The government has a free alerts service where they send you a text message or an email with the latest avian influenza news so you know when you are clear or otherwise. It is very useful service. All you need to do is give an email address or a mobile number for either an email or a text message alert.
Sign up here it only takes a minute.
Not just a UK problem
See the map below to see how widespread the infections are, because as you see, the UK is not alone. Many countries are struggling to gain control. Economic losses are huge for the major producers and exporters who cannot carry on their normal trading.
avian Influenza info from Overseas
The CDC in the USA (Centre for Disease Control) has extensive information on the types of influenza. It also gives statistics on the human cases worldwide and the risk factors. If you are keen to know more then it is a good resource.