The UK Chief Veterinary Officer is putting in place mandatory housing for poultry in north, central and east of England.
Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers
Measures will take effect from Thursday 30 October 2025 and applies to keepers of more than 50 birds and any sellers of poultry products.
It is recognised that this does present enforcement difficulties at premises with less than 50 birds unless there is local knowledge about the premises or they are clearly selling eggs at the gate.
The affected areas include Cheshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Tyne & Wear, West Yorkshire.
The measures do not apply to hobby keepers, only to keepers who have more than 50 birds, and those that sell or give away eggs or poultry products due to the increased biosecurity risk that comes with trading these products such as vehicle movements. These keepers must keep their birds housed to protect them from bird flu.
Bird keepers are advised to check if they are in a bird flu disease zone on this map and read more further advice on how to comply with the requirements. Keepers are encouraged to take action to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading and be vigilant for signs of disease and report it to keep birds safe.
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) also remains in force across the entirety of Great Britain to mitigate the risk of outbreaks of the disease. This requires taking enhanced biosecurity measures such as reporting of changes in egg production, mandatory record keeping, disinfecting footwear, and cleansing & disinfecting housing and concrete walkways on a continuous basis
The AIPZ measures apply to all bird keepers whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock and are essential to protecting flocks from avian influenza. Keepers in the areas with housing measures need to be additionally vigilant to the requirements of the AIPZ.
Guidance on Bird flu (avian influenza): housing your birds safely and Bird flu (avian influenza): how to prevent it and stop it spreading have been subject to minor changes.
Local authorities can access a range of APHA communication tools relating to HPAI on the KHub.
The ACTSO HPAI briefing for managers and officers is also available on the KHub. It covers England, Wales and Scotland and includes up to date information on foot patrols in response to confirmed cases that has been agreed with APHA.
