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Millions of free-range chickens and other birds will have to stay indoors from December 14, in an offensive by the national government to try to limit the spread of a virulent strain of bird flu in Britain.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said in a statement that the chief veterinarians of England, Scotland and Wales had agreed to the new legal requirement for all poultry farmers to bring their flocks indoors to keep them separate from potentially infectious wild birds.
The new strict confinement measures, which have already been introduced in the Netherlands, apply not only to large commercial poultry farms, but also to smaller breeders with hens in hen houses or garden pens. Keepers are urged to use the next 11 days to prepare for new measures, including taking steps to safeguard animal welfare, consult their veterinarian, and, where necessary, erect additional housing or separate areas with nets .
Eggs can continue to be marketed and labeled as “free range” for 16 weeks after the birds have been indoors, but if restrictions last longer, they must be downgraded to “free range” using stickers on the packaging. . Similarly, poultry meat can be labeled free-range for 12 weeks. To be defined as free-range in the UK, a chicken must normally be at least 56 days old before slaughter and have had access to outer space for at least half that time.
Premium free-range eggs currently account for 56% of retail egg sales in the UK, the highest proportion of any European country, while only 2% of eggs are from the barn system.
Aimee Mahony, Senior Poultry Advisor for the National Farmers Union, urged all farmers to comply with the new rules. “Due to a number of confirmed cases of avian influenza, the introduction of these new housing measures is the next logical step to better protect poultry. These new measures mean that every poultry farmer, whether they have a hen in the garden or a large poultry business, must house their birds indoors and I urge everyone who owns poultry to take these measures. really. It is crucial that everyone remains vigilant and report any signs of disease in their birds as soon as possible. “
On Sunday, all 10,500 turkeys on a farm in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, were euthanized after an outbreak was detected on Saturday, while a 3 km (2 mi) and 10 km temporary control zone was installed to stop the spread. of the illness. About 13,500 birds were euthanized earlier this month following confirmation of an outbreak of bird flu at a commercial farm in Helsby, near Frodsham in Cheshire.
Defra reiterated that the risk to human health and food safety from the virus was “very low.”
Farmers in the UK and Europe have been on alert following outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza among wild and domestic birds in western Russia and Kazakhstan. Wild birds migrating from continental Europe during the winter period can transmit the disease to poultry and other captive birds.
In a joint statement, Britain’s top three vets said: “We have taken swift action to limit the spread of the disease and are now planning to introduce a legal requirement for poultry farmers to keep their birds housed or separated from birds. wild. We have not made this decision lightly, but it is the best way to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease. “
A spokesperson for the British Egg Industry Council said: “To date there have been no cases of bird flu in free-range laying flocks; however, it is vital that we continue to protect the health and well-being of the UK laying flock and commercial poultry operations. The requirement to keep the birds indoors as of December 14 is a further step to those that have already been taken to continue protecting the flocks ”.
It is the first time in four years that a house order has been imposed in the UK poultry sector due to a significant outbreak of bird flu, when measures were implemented from December 2016 to May 2017.
A spokesperson for Compassion in World Farming said: “We understand the reasons for bringing poultry indoors, but urge that the period be kept as short as possible and that steps be taken to ensure the welfare of birds temporarily confined indoors.” .
