Further bird flu control zones introduced in North Northants

21 November 2022

Bird keepers within a 3km Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ) and a 10km Avian Influenza Surveillance Zone (AISZ) must now follow a set of rules, following further outbreaks of Avian (or bird) flu in the Oundle area.

The outbreaks follow a previous case discovered nearby on 7 November and takes the total to four outbreaks in the area.

To help bird keepers know whether they are impacted by the Zones and the rules they must follow, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have published a map of AIPZs and AISZs across the country.

Officers from NNC’s Trading Standards team are responsible for enforcing the requirements and are currently working with APHA to prevent the spread of bird flu in North Northamptonshire.

Within the 3km Protection zone, bird keepers must: 

• follow the rules for 10km surveillance zones and 10km temporary control zones
• keep poultry and other captive birds housed
• follow the instructions from your veterinary inspector to dispose of any bird carcasses
• not spread poultry litter, manure, or slurry, or remove them from your premises
• not move poultry or other captive birds onto or off your premises without a licence (there are exceptions for pets)
• not move eggs without a licence (you can move table eggs to wholesale or retail premises to be sold directly to consumers)
• not move poultry meat inside or outside the zone

Within the 10km surveillance zone, bird keepers are required to: 

• keep a record of all poultry or poultry eggs that enter or leave your premises, except table eggs that are being moved direct to wholesale or retail premises to be sold directly to consumers
• not move poultry, other captive birds, or mammals (including pigs) to or from premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept without a licence (there are exceptions for pets)
• not spread poultry litter, manure, or slurry, or remove them from your premises

Following these latest cases, our Officers will continue to be out and about in the area and are working with local bird keepers. But, as previously, I would ask anyone who keeps birds in the area to check whether they fall within the 3km or 10km zones by using APHA’s online map and then following the necessary rules. These zones have been brought in for a reason.Cllr David Brackenbury, the council’s Executive member for Growth and Regeneration (which covers Trading Standards)

The zones introduced follow a mandatory housing rule for all birds across the country which was introduced on 7 November 2022.

I understand what a difficult time this is for bird keepers in North Northamptonshire and across the whole of the UK. However, I would urge you to follow the rules that have been introduced in your area to prevent the further spread of Avian flu.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

Registering birds

People are being asked to register poultry, even if only kept as pets, so Defra can contact them during an outbreak. This is a legal requirement if people have 50 or more birds. 

Poultry includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeon, partridge, quail, guinea fowl and pheasants.