UK orders bird housing in England as Scotland tightens flu rules

UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss has ordered birdkeepers across England to house poultry and captive birds indoors from 00:01 UK local time on 13 November 2026 (04:01 Yerevan time). The rule applies to keepers with 50 or more birds and to smaller flocks whose owners sell or give away eggs, poultry products or live birds. Some birds, including certain zoo birds, are exempt.

Scotland’s chief veterinary officer declared a separate prevention zone covering all of Scotland, with compulsory precautions for every birdkeeper from 12:00 UK local time on Tuesday, 10 November 2026 (16:00 Yerevan time). Scotland requires free-ranging birds to be fenced in, rather than requiring every bird to be housed indoors.

The measures follow increased detections in kept and wild birds. A prevention zone also covered England, Scotland and Wales in 2025, The Guardian said.

What birdkeepers must do

England’s separate prevention zone took effect at 09:00 UK local time on 11 November 2026 (13:00 Yerevan time). Its measures apply to all keepers, including owners of pets and small backyard flocks. They must record information and report changes in egg production; keepers are also urged to report suspected disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

In England, keepers must disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with birds, clean housing regularly, restrict movement around bird areas and control vermin. They must protect feed and water from wild birds, prevent poultry from reaching ponds and watercourses, and keep birds in fenced or enclosed areas.

In Scotland, keepers must fence off ponds, watercourses and standing water, with exceptions including some zoo birds. They must disinfect footwear and concrete areas, keep bird areas clean and tidy, fence off wet or boggy areas, limit movement through enclosures, separate domestic ducks and geese from other poultry, make bird areas unattractive to wild birds, and feed and water birds in enclosed areas. Suspected disease should be reported to the agency’s local field services office.

Detections and health risks

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a form of bird flu that causes illness and high death rates in birds. Scotland’s chief veterinary officer, Sheila Voas, said migratory birds posed a heightened risk of introducing the virus to kept birds.

In its November 10 announcement, Scotland’s government said there had been 6 cases in kept birds in Great Britain during the current October–April season: two in Scotland and four in England. It said surveillance showed the virus circulating in wild birds across the UK and assessed the risk to poultry and other captive birds as very high.

The UK government and Public Health Scotland said the risk to human health remained very low. Food Standards Scotland said properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat. The UK government does not currently expect an overall effect on the availability of Christmas turkeys or other seasonal poultry.

Scotland’s prevention zone will remain in place until further notice, with the government keeping it under regular review.