Avian Influenza - advice for keepers of poultry and captive birds
Added at 14:32 on 05 January 2022
For your information - from Environmental Health - Highland Council
I would like to take this opportunity to make you aware of Avian Influenza/ Bird Flu and the biosecurity measures including housing measures that all keepers of poultry and captive birds must currently implement to protect their birds and comply with the law.
It is important every keeper of poultry and captive birds within Scotland and Great Britain is aware of the current Avian Influenza/ Bird Flu controls and implements them.
All linked attachments are also available from the Scottish Government website https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu/
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed in Scotland and in other parts of the UK
https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-outbreaks/
We need to reduce the number of outbreaks of Avian Influenza/ Bird Flu within Scotland and to do that all keepers of poultry and captive birds need to be aware and comply with the current Bird Flu controls to protect their birds and in turn protect other bird keepers in their local area.
Avian Influenza
On the 3rd November 2021 at 16:55 a declaration was made to make the whole of Scotland an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone. And a similar prevention Zone was set up across England and Wales so now the whole of Great Britain is part of an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone.
At that time all keepers of poultry and captive birds had to keep their birds contained and only feed and water in a manner where wild birds cannot access and adopt high standards of biosecurity. The Bird Flu controls stopped short of introducing compulsory housing measures.
As the situation with Avian Influenza got worse from Mon 29th November 2021 compulsory housing measures were introduced for all keepers of poultry and captive birds across Great Britain. Last Xmas we were in the same situation where housing measures were compulsory for all poultry and captive birds
For your information the following documents outiine advice and requirements including the requirement for compulsory housing measures-
- Latest Scottish Government declaration for Avian Influenza Prevention Zone with compulsory housing measures requirements and other requirements applicable within a Prevention Zone.
- Latest DEFRA biosecurity guidance amended to include compulsory housing measures
- AIPZ Self- assessment checklist- which needs to be completed by all keepers of poultry and captive birds
- Chicken and Turkey keepers poster AIPZ housing measures
- Duck, Geese and Game bird keepers AIPZ housing measures
The AIPZ Self-assessment checklist should be completed by all keepers of poultry or captive birds as this will help to identify where action has to be carried out to protect their birds
And the attached DEFRA biosecurity guidance contains practical advice on complying with the compulsory housing measures and all biosecurity requirements.
More information can be found on the following web pages–
https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu/pages/latest-situation/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu/pages/biosecurity/
Avian Influenza in Scotland
It is a bit of a lottery when the Avian Influenza will strike next. Granted so far the poultry premises affected have been in the South of Scotland. But Avian Influenza has been confirmed in wild birds further North, including, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland. Bird Flu is quite a problem in Dumfriesshire at the moment. There is more information on the Scottish Government website about Avian Influenza in Scotland. Please click on the hyperlinks below-
https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-outbreaks/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-in-wild-birds
Keep Ducks and geese away from chickens and other poultry
Please note in the attached chicken and turkey keepers poster it says not to keep ducks and geese in the same housing or enclosure as chickens and the attached DEFRA biosecurity guidance goes on to say
“ Ducks and geese should not be kept with other poultry species as they often don’t show any signs of disease but can still pass it on to chickens, turkeys or other poultry species.”
Any keeper of poultry or captive birds who fails to comply with the compulsory housing measures or other requirements of an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone may be committing an offence under Section 73 of the Animal Health Act 1981.
If you are aware of any other people who keep poultry or captive birds in a manner not complying with the current bird flu controls the Environmental Health department of the Highland Council will be grateful to hear from you.
You can contact Environmental Health by-
Telephone: 01349 886603
Email: envhealth@highland.gov.uk
Or submit a request or complaint through the Highland Council website https://www.highland.gov.uk/
If you require any further information or assistance please contact-
Clifford Smith Senior Environmental Health Officer