Bird keepers in England and Scotland ordered to house poultry indoors

Poultry and captive birds in England and Scotland must be kept indoors for the second year in a row due to an elevated risk of bird flu, the Guardian and the Farmers Guardian report. The British government declared an England-wide avian influenza prevention zone, requiring anyone with 50 or more poultry or captive birds to keep them inside. The Guardian added that Scotland implemented a similar nationwide designation on Tuesday. [1][2]

Bird keepers under the mandatory orders must adhere to enhanced biosecurity standards, according to the Guardian. These measures require keepers to report suspected cases of the disease as well as any changes in egg production. [1]

Poultry refers to domesticated birds raised by humans to harvest animal products including meat, eggs, or feathers. The practice is known as poultry farming. Seabird populations along the southern coast of England had previously suffered severe losses from avian flu outbreaks before showing recovery through conservation work, as FTMQ News reported earlier. [3][6]