UK Requires Farmers And Homeowners Must Register Their Poultry And Backyard Flocks To Stop Spread Of Bird Flu

This even includes poultry birds kept as pets.

The United Kingdom has implemented a new policy that requires families and farmers to register their poultry flocks, whether they have hundreds or just even one or two in their backyards.

Originally the preexisting law required that poultry keepers of 50 or more birds to file a registration with the government, but this law has been adjusted for any number of birds. A new separate filing was created for people who manage less than 50 birds, which used to be optional.

This applies to all poultry birds, even “any you keep as pets,” the government says, which includes:

chickens
turkeys
aviary birds
birds of prey
cassowaries
ducks
emus
geese
guinea fowls
kiwis
ostriches
partridges
pheasants
pigeons
psittacines (for example parrots, budgies and cockatiels)
quails
rheas

Registration information will include things such as the size of the flock, how they are fed and raised, farming systems, other livestock on the farm or backyard, etc.

This law will be implemented in September and October depending on the jurisdiction.

Apparently this new law change is in keeping with an increased national guidance on disease control in lieu of purported spread of avian influenza, according to Farmers Weekly.

The paper said: ‘By registering their birds, keepers will ensure they receive important updates relevant to them, such as local avian disease outbreaks and information on biosecurity rules to help protect their flocks. The register will also be used to identify all bird keepers in disease control zones, allowing for more effective surveillance.’

Since late-2021 a new deadly strain of bird flu, spread across Europe and into the U.S., and really hit the U.K. hard, which eventually prompted the British government to ban ‘free-range’ eggs from the grocery stores.

Timely communication ensures all bird keepers receive important updates and stay informed, amplifying efforts to work together to track and control the spread of avian influenza…