As autumn begins, the chief vets of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the UK are encouraging keepers of chickens to take action now to reduce the risk of avian influenza during the winter.
Simple measures have been outlined by the vets and put forward to poultry keepers in order to help keep flocks disease free.
The first action that can be taken is keeping the area where birds live clean and tidy, keeping rats and mice away and regularly disinfecting any hard surfaces. Clean footwear before and after visits should also be considered.
Vets have also suggested that keepers place birds’ food and water in fully enclosed areas that are protected from wild birds, and remove any spilled feed regularly.
Keepers should also consider putting fencing around outdoor areas where birds are allowed and limiting their access to ponds or areas visited by wild waterfowl.
Defra has reported that last winter, the H5N8 strain of bird flu was found in 13 kept flocks in the UK.
There has been a decline in the number of cases over the summer but the disease is still circulating in kept poultry across Europe, with Italy reported as the most recent country to suffer a series of outbreaks. It has also recently been confirmed in a dead mute swan in Norfolk.
The government is working with groups including NFUs in England and Scotland, the UFU, RSPCA, British Hen Welfare Trust and Poultry Club of Great Britain to highlight the importance of keeping up high biosecurity even though the immediate disease risk has dropped.
The UK’s chief veterinary officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: “While it is undoubtedly good news we haven’t confirmed a case in kept birds in the UK for two months, the disease remains a threat – particularly as we move again towards the colder months.
“For that reason we cannot afford to rest on our laurels and I want to remind keepers of flocks large and small to do everything they can to reduce the risk to their birds.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
