An  Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been declared across the whole of England so if you keep poultry, whether commercially on a farm, or as pets in your garden, or rearing game birds, you should keep a close watch on them for signs of disease and maintain good biosecurity at all times. If you have any concerns about the health of your poultry, seek prompt advice from your vet Good biosecurity improves the overall health and productivity of your flock by helping keep out poultry diseases such as avian influenza and limiting the spread of disease in an outbreak. To ensure good biosecurity, all poultry keepers should:

• Minimise movement in and out of bird enclosures
• Clean footwear before and after visiting birds
• Clean and disinfect vehicles and equipment that have come into contact with poultry
• Keep areas where birds live clean and tidy, and regularly disinfect hard surfaces such as paths and walkways
• Humanely control rats and mice
• Place birds’ food and water in fully enclosed areas protected from wild birds, and remove any spilled feed regularly
• Make sure there is no direct contact with poultry or other captive birds on other neighbouring premises
• Avoid keeping ducks and geese with other poultry species, where possible
• Keep birds separate from wildlife and wild waterfowl by putting suitable fencing around outdoor areas they access

It is important to keep a watch on birds for any signs of disease and report any very sick birds or unexplained deaths to your vet.  Keep a record of all vehicles that enter any part of the premises where poultry are kept and of all people who come into any direct contact with the poultry, along with keeping records of all poultry, captive bird and egg movements. More guidance on Avian Influenza can also be found here:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu