The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that mandatory housing measures to protect poultry and other captive birds from avian influenza will come into effect across all of England from 00:01 on Thursday, 6 November 2025.
The new measures mean that all bird keepers, regardless of their location, must keep their flocks housed to reduce the risk of contact with infected wild birds. The announcement follows the continued presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) across Great Britain and the wider European region.
England, Scotland, and Wales remain under an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ), which requires all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity and hygiene standards designed to prevent the introduction and spread of the disease.
Under the new national housing order:
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Anyone keeping more than 50 birds of any species must house them, including poultry and other captive birds.
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Bird keepers with any number of poultry, even small backyard flocks, must also comply if the birds or their products (such as eggs or meat) are intended for sale or distribution.
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Keepers with fewer than 50 birds for private use (for example, keeping hens for personal egg consumption) are exempt from housing requirements, though they are still expected to maintain rigorous biosecurity.
Defra urged all poultry keepers to familiarise themselves with the updated disease zone map and to take immediate steps to ensure their birds are housed safely and securely, following the official AIPZ declaration guidance.
The decision to extend the housing order comes amid ongoing detections of bird flu in wild birds and domestic flocks across the UK, with officials warning that vigilance and strict preventive action remain critical to protecting the national poultry industry.
Check what zone you’re in on the bird flu disease zone map.
Source: UK Government – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), Bird flu (avian influenza): latest situation in England, updated October 2025.
Read the official announcement on GOV.UK
