This is welcome news for businesses in the poultry sector, which have faced difficult times over the past year. The measures were introduced in response to the world’s biggest bird flu outbreak in history, which led to the culling of 4 million birds in the UK alone.
The decision by the Chief Veterinary Officer means that eggs from hens with access to outdoor areas can be sold as “free-range” again, and this will be especially important for the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (Bfrepa). The Bfrepa’s chief executive noted that hens display natural behaviors while on the range, such as scratching, dust bathing, and foraging for food, and this is a key aspect of free-range and organic egg production.
Despite the lifting of the mandatory housing measures, avian flu is still expected to be circulating in the environment for several weeks. This means that “scrupulous standards” of biosecurity will need to be maintained to protect the birds from further outbreaks. The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer urged bird keepers to remain vigilant and make sure that they follow all necessary biosecurity measures.
The risk to the public from the bird flu outbreak is said to be very low, according to the UK Health Security Agency. However, the massive number of bird deaths around the world, as well as spillover of the flu into other animals, is a cause for concern. It’s clear that the bird flu virus is highly contagious and can have a devastating impact on the poultry sector.
While the mandatory housing order has been lifted in England and Wales, birds in Northern Ireland remain under lockdown. in Scotland, the housing order was never implemented, as the country’s chief vet did not see enough evidence to justify such a move.
