New restrictions for all Shropshire bird keepers from 27 January

All bird keepers in Shropshire must from Monday 27 January keep their birds housed to protect them from bird flu.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency has said the whole of the Shropshire Council area will be subject to an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) with mandatory housing and biosecurity measures for any kept birds.

This applies to pet birds, commercial flocks and just a few birds in a backyard flock.

This follows the reporting of an outbreak of avian flu in a large commercial poultry flock near Wem earlier this week.

The county is one of 3 new areas nationally where these restrictions will now apply.

All bird keepers should remain vigilant and follow these housing and stringent biosecurity measures, in addition to following any Protection/Surveillance Zone restrictions to prevent future outbreaks.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km surveillance zone is already in force around the outbreak near Wem.

Flock keepers are being asked to look for any signs of diseases whilst ensuring good levels of biosecurity at their premises. The following advice will assist you in identifying and reporting any potential cases:

Spot the signs of Bird Flu:

• Unusual quietness, decreased activity levels.
• Decreased levels of vocalisation.
• Decreased levels of feed and water consumption.
• Decreased egg production.

If you are concerned about the health of your animals, please seek advice from your vet.

Advice for bird keepers

It is currently a legal requirement to register all flocks of birds in order that information can be sent to you. Registration of flocks can be completed by going to: www.gov.uk/bird-flu

For more information please click here