Defra has expanded its mandatory housing order to cover more areas of England, meaning poultry farmers and backyard keepers must house their birds indoors.
From Sunday 16 February, farmers in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire must follow the strict rule due to the continued spread of bird flu.
The new counties are in addition to those which already have a housing order, including East Yorkshire, City of Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Shropshire, York and North Yorkshire.
Farmers and keepers in counties with a housing order must also continue to follow the biosecurity measures as required by the England-wide avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ).
The UK's chief veterinary officer, who announced the development today (12 February), said the housing order would help reduce the risk of further cases.
Christine Middlemiss said: "Following the continued increasing number of bird flu cases, particularly in areas of concentrated poultry farming, we are now extending housing measures further.
"Keepers are reminded to continue remaining vigilant to any signs of disease, check which requirements apply to them while continuing to exercise robust biosecurity measures and ensure you report suspected disease immediately."
The housing order means all bird keepers, whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few in a backyard flock, must keep them housed indoors.
The measure is in addition to the requirement to follow the stringent biosecurity measures as part of the AIPZ, which has been in force across the whole of England since 24 January
It comes after the government recently banned all gatherings of poultry nationwide to stem the spread of avian influenza.
The ban, which came into force on Monday 10 February, includes any bird fairs, markets, shows, sales, exhibitions.
What does the housing measure mean?
The mandatory measure means bird keepers in the affected counties must:
• Housing or netting all poultry and captive birds
• Cleanse and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
• Reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products, and use effective vermin control
• Keep records of mortality, movement of poultry and poultry products and any changes in production
• Thoroughly cleanse and disinfect housing on a continuous basis
• Keep fresh disinfectant at the right concentration at all farm and poultry housing entry and exit points
