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Rules for bird keepers introduced in Oundle area

Community, safety and emergencies

11 November 2022

Avian flu guidance logo

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 an outbreak of Avian (or bird) flu being discovered at a rural premises near Oundle on 7 November.

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
I would ask anyone who keeps birds in the Oundle and Thrapston area to check whether they fall within the 3km or 10km zones by using APHA’s online map and then follow the necessary rules.

These zones have been brought in, to prevent further cases and we must do all we can to try and stop Avian Flu from spreading to other birds in the area.
Cllr David Brackenbury, the council’s Executive member for Growth and Regeneration (which covers Trading Standards)

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

This is a really difficult time for bird keepers in North Northamptonshire and across the wider country. Even if you are not within one of the Zones that has been introduced, I would urge you to follow the mandatory housing rules that have been introduced.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.