Avian Influenza: Update on rules regarding game farm hatcheries

More News

Some of our members have been asking questions about game farm hatcheries that might fall into or have fallen into an Avian Influenza control zone. For over a fortnight the NGO and sector Vets have been trying to get confirmation from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) about what the consequences are for purchasers if a hatchery they are using falls under a bird flu zone. We have now been told that this information will not be shared until after this week.   

We appreciate that this is frustrating for those of you for whom this applies, and please be assured that we are pushing as hard as we can on the APHA to get answers as soon as possible.  

All we can be clear about so far is that:  

♦Poults are not allowed to leave or enter an AI control zone and a license cannot be issued for that movement – unless in the very unlikely event that they were being moved into bio-secure housing to be monitored for 21 days prior to release into a free area. 
♦Releasing of game is not permitted within an AI zone.

In bird flu disease zones, certain movements of poultry, other captive birds, eggs, poultry products or materials associated with their keeping, or mammals from or to premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept, are not permitted. This is to control further disease spread.  

Some low-risk activities or movements are possible, provided that all conditions of a general licence that is issued by the government are met by the person responsible. If it is not possible to meet the conditions, or if the activity or movement is not covered by a general licence, you can apply for a specific licence.  

To move game bird chicks from within a control zone very strict bio-security measures will need to be met and the hatchery premises will need to have been inspected by the authorities and designated as having received approval. The hatchery will almost certainly need to apply for an individual license which can be done at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-exemption-from-avian-influenza-disease-control-restrictions. Premises receiving chicks will need to have passed a Veterinary inspection and applied for, and had, a licence issued for that movement (this can take time so liaise now with your Vet). Any chicks placed will be quarantined before an inspection 21 days after arrival, and until that point have to be held in sheds/shelters that meet strict requirements as laid out by DEFRA. 

Licences for the movement within or from the captive bird (monitoring) controlled zones currently in force are not required.  

It is essential that all shoots have biosecurity planning and to ensure they are registered on the Poultry Register so any cases in your area can be quickly resolved and cleared up and we can keep the cogs turning.  

A reminder of the link if you haven’t already registered: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/poultry-including-game-birds-registration-rules-and-forms  

This is a very fluid situation and the APHA/DEFRA/NRW are constantly monitoring the situation. This is the current advice and guidance. The NGO are happy to answer any questions you might have, and we would also recommend liaising with your specialist game bird vet.