DEFRA have issued a housing order for all free range poultry across England for the next 30 days. Scottish Ministers have also declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone covering the whole of Scotland, requiring that all poultry and captive birds must be kept indoors. Although the AI strain (H5N8) that has been causing issues in Europe has not yet reached our poultry, this is being done as a precaution. During this time we need to ensure that stress caused to free ranging birds is minimised through the use of environmental enrichment such as pecking blocks, CD’s or string. The levels of stress in flocks can be reduced through the use of in-water supplements containing essential oils, amino acids and nicotinamide. For organic birds, it is important to ensure that any products used are accredited by your accreditation body.
In addition to housing the birds, it is essential to maintain good biosecurity at all times through:
- Ensuring only essential personnel visit the birds;
- Good vermin control;
- Use DEFRA approved disinfectants in covered boot dips and replenish as required;
- Hand sanitisation upon entering and exiting sheds (or bio-secure area);
- Using separate footwear for each house or bio-secure area (in the case of several small sheds being used for each age group);
- Wearing PPE;
- Ensuring vehicles have their wheels disinfected upon entering the site;
- Ensuring that dung pads are cleared up where sheds are moved to ensure any accidentally spilled feed is unavailable to wild birds;
- Ensuring that the areas around feed bins are kept clean and any spillages are promptly cleared up;
- Ensuring that any unexplained mortality or production drop is reported to your vet;
- Ensuring that any dead wild birds found are reported to DEFRA.
If you have any queries or concerns, please contact us.
7th December 2016