Chicken owners must fill out register to beat bird flu

CHICKEN owners will need to register with the Government or risk a £5,000 fine under new rules to combat bird flu.

All poultry and captive bird keepers will be required to register their birds online from Oct 1.

Under previous rules, only flocks of 50 or more birds would have to be registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The rules do not affect budgies, parrots, canaries or similar species that are kept indoors or in a dedicated bird house without outside access.

Owners who fail to register their birds face a maximum fine or six months in prison. A consultation found just 13 per cent of keepers backed the change to existing registration rules.

The change is designed to help limit the spread of avian influenza, which has led to the culling of poultry, and the death of 50,000 wild birds since 2021.

There have been several cases of infections in humans, and it has also been discovered in other mammals including foxes, otters and seals.

Signs of infection in birds include swollen heads, loss of coordination and twisting of the neck and head. The UK was officially declared avian flu-free last week, but the changes are to limit future outbreaks.

The Government said that by registering keepers would ensure they receive updates on avian disease outbreaks and information on biosecurity rules to help protect their flocks.

Christine Middlemiss, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, said: “These new rules will enable us to have a full picture of the number and location of birds kept across Britain, making it easier to track and manage the spread of disease.”

James Mottershead, the National Farmers’ Union Poultry Board chairman said: “These changes should help the Government communicate important information to all poultry keepers in a more timely manner, which in turn will help protect the health of the national flock.”

Jane Howorth, of the British Hen Welfare Trust, which rehomes commercial laying chickens, said the red tape could deter people from keeping rescue hens.

“There has been an outpouring of frustration that people will have to comply with another level of bureaucracy,” she said.