The UK will lift mandatory poultry housing as avian flu declines

On Tuesday, the England and Wales government announced the lift of mandatory poultry housing. It has been in place since the...

On Tuesday, the UK government announced the lift of mandatory poultry housing in England and Wales. It has been in place since the end of 2022 as one of the strongest measures in the area to control the spread of the avian influenza virus. 

This ban will be lifted from 00:01 on April 18, 2023, said the Chief Veterinary Officer. It means that from next week all poultry and birds can be outside because avian flu cases are decreasing.

Additionally, the Chief Veterinary Officer said, “It is thanks to the hard work of all bird keepers and vets who have played their part in keeping flocks safe this winter that we are in a position to take this action. However, the unprecedented nature of this outbreak has proven it’s more important than ever for bird keepers to remain vigilant for signs of disease and maintain stringent standards of biosecurity.”

The UK government informed that scientific and risk evaluations demonstrated the reduction of bird flu cases, which alleviates poultry producers to have their birds outside, and eggs laid outside can be labeled as "free-range eggs" again. However, those birds within a Protection Zone cannot keep outside.