Poultry owners across Lincolnshire will let their flocks outside for the first time this year
Mandatory housing-order restrictions, aimed at containing the virus, have today come to an end
Last updated 18th Apr 2023
For the first time since November, you can expect to see chickens and turkeys outside from today, as all Bird Flu restrictions are lifted.
The move's been welcomed by farmers and owners across the county, as their birds have been kept inside to protect them from the deadly virus
Andy Guy is the Poultry Advisor for the East Midlands National Farmers Union, he says it's be a relief to anyone who has birds:
"It will take the pressure off enormously, as the weather warms up, we get more and more concerned about hens being shut in buildings that really aren't designed for keeping them in, in the summer months. So it's important that we manage to get them out onto their free range.
"The restrictions were brought in back in the autumn to protect birds from the avian influenza outbreak, which flared up again, and it's partly to protect the individual birds, but also to try to restrict the spread of the disease.
"Over the last few years, it's been proven to work quite successfully. There've been outbreaks rumbling on all the way through the winter but it has kept it under control."
He continued to say it's a positive step forward for farmers and domestic owners:
"I mean clearly birds that are used to being free range birds that then get constrained inside buildings - It's not an ideal situation at all.
"Typically the farming community will be trying to put some kind of environmental enrichment into the area, to give them something to do, to keep their minds occupied.
So people typically have put straw bales in, and they've created scrapes and scratches and things for chickens to play with in the buildings, to try and keep them occupied.
"A bored bird is not something that anybody wants to to have."
Andy continued to say that owners still need to be vigilant:
"People should maintain vigilance, remain vigilant because the disease is still there.
"As the weather warms up, the virus is not so active and doesn't thrive so well, so the risk is reduced, but there is still a disease in circulation.
"So looking out for the symptoms of your birds being off colour, perhaps they're not laying as many eggs as they usually do, maybe they're just a bit reticent about coming forward to eat.
You know, there's a variety of symptoms, but anybody who keeps birds will know when their birds are off and so I'd advise them be very alert to that, because the disease hasn't gone away."
Dr Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, said:
"Whilst the lifting of the mandatory housing measures will be welcome news to bird keepers, scrupulous biosecurity remains the most critical form of defence to help keep your birds safe.
It is thanks to the hard work of all bird keepers and vets who have played their part in keeping flocks safe this winter that we are in a position to take this action.
However, the unprecedented nature of this outbreak has proven it’s more important than ever for bird keepers to remain vigilant for signs of disease and maintain stringent standards of biosecurity.
Those who intend to allow their birds outside are advised to use the upcoming days to prepare their outside areas for the release of their birds.
This will include cleansing and disinfection of hard surfaces, fencing off ponds or standing water and reintroduction of wild bird deterrents."