As the serious and notifiable disease H5N8 bird flu continues to be found in wild birds and some kept flocks in the UK, the government has come together with countryside and shooting organisations to issue the following important information to all involved with gamebirds.
The Outbreak
Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu, is a disease that affects gamebirds, chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry. It can also occur in many species of wild birds. For those following our updates, a severe strain of the disease, H5N8, has been found in wild and captive birds throughout Europe, including the UK. The H5N8 strain is highly pathogenic and can be passed from wild birds to kept flocks, causing the birds to fall ill and die. It can be transmitted directly from bird to bird or via the environment, for example in bird droppings or on people and equipment. Risks to human health from H5N8 are very low and bird flu does not pose a food safety risk. However, the potential impacts of bird flu on the UK’s poultry industries, on bird collections and not least on wildlife and shooting are hard to exaggerate. It is not just the disease itself but also the essential legal measures taken to eradicate it that could affect your activities, so the following information is very important. By taking the right actions now, you will not only be protecting your own birds and interests, you will also be contributing to a nationwide effort to safeguard all bird-related businesses, particularly those located in your area.
The Law
To reduce the risk of bird flu spreading further, there is currently a legal requirement throughout the UK for all captive birds, including gamebirds, to be housed or otherwise kept separate from wild birds. There is also a UK-wide ban on Bird Gatherings. These are mainly bird shows and auctions but they include any situation where birds come together from several places and then, shortly afterwards, either go back where they came from or go on to other destinations. Around the outbreaks in captive flocks there are additional restrictions, usually out to 10km from the infected premises and often lasting many weeks. These include restrictions on the movement of birds, bird products and people and also an automatic ban on all game bird releasing. Licences can sometimes be obtained for movements but never for releasing. There is a longstanding legal requirement to register with the Government if you keep a total of 50 or more gamebirds or other poultry (all bird keepers are expected to register in Northern Ireland). This applies even if your premises are only stocked for part of the year. You can register in England, in Scotland, in Wales, or in Northern Ireland. Full details of all the legal restrictions in place are constantly updated on the Gov.uk website.
Bio-security
Cleanliness, disinfection and attention to detail when moving and mixing birds are always important in game bird management but never more so than now. If you keep game birds, look for any bio-security risks in what you do and address them. Keep species apart, especially ducks, and avoid penning any birds close to open water. Separate different game bird production stages, for example keeping laying birds away from hatching and rearing facilities. Minimise human and vehicle contact between such functions and ensure that any people or items moving between them are bio-secure. Use foot baths containing government-approved disinfectant products. Brief staff thoroughly and restrict access by non-essential visitors. Be scrupulous with your record keeping as to where birds, people and equipment have come from and gone to. Keep food and water clean and, as far as possible, inaccessible to wild birds.
Separating Wild Birds from Game Birds
The legal requirement to house kept birds or to otherwise separate them from wild birds will remain in place throughout Great Britain until at least 28th February 2017. A similar requirement is in place in Northern Ireland and the end date is under review. Government accepts that housing is not always possible, either because of welfare considerations or for practical reasons, such as a lack of suitable facilities. Where housing is not possible, the legal requirement is to take ‘reasonable and practical measures’ to separate all kept game birds from wild birds. This could involve putting roof-netting over any outdoor pens, for example, or using scaring to keep wild birds away, coupled with covering feeders and drinkers to make access by wild birds more difficult. Local Authorities have been briefed on these requirements and on enforcement.
Catching-up
Catching-up game birds from the wild when we know there is H5N8 out there clearly needs to be done with great care. Bird flu is often associated with wetlands and wildfowl species and it would be most unwise to catch up any ducks at this time. The Government game bird codes dating from 2009 and supported by all the shooting and countryside organisations state, “In order to minimise the risk of disease transmission and promote welfare, laying stock should, wherever possible, be maintained as a closed breeding flock. Where adult laying birds have to be brought in, particularly from the wild, all possible action should be taken to check the provenance and health of the birds.” Gathered-up birds should be kept physically isolated in a bio-secure area, preferably housed and completely separated from wild birds. They should be kept as far apart as possible from the main flock, and monitored regularly, for at least two weeks before introduction to the main flock. All persons entering the area where these birds are kept should practice high levels of biosecurity ideally by wearing footwear restricted to area or at the very least removing all soiling and disinfecting their boots on leaving. Any deaths or signs of disease should be subject to veterinary investigation. Where caught up game birds go to a single destination and remain there for breeding, any risk of a bird flu outbreak is contained at that one site. This form of catching-up remains legal. It is illegal to catch-up birds which are then to be moved on from their initial destination on to one or more other locations as the risk of spread is much greater and government interpret this latter activity as a ‘Bird Gathering’ and thus it is currently banned under the emergency measures. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all catching up after 1 February is illegal under the Game Act of 1831 and the Game Preservation Act (Northern Ireland) 1928. In Scotland a further 28 days from the end of the shooting season is allowed.
Moving Game Birds
The animal transport regulations permit only healthy gamebirds to be moved. Maximum journey times are also specified and all consignments must be accompanied by an Animal Transport Certificate. The current outbreak restrictions also prevent captive gamebirds from being moved within or from the 10km control zones around kept bird outbreaks, except under licence. Elsewhere, good biosecurity implies moving game birds around as little as possible while the outbreak lasts. All journeys must be undertaken with great care. Transport must be cleaned and disinfected between consignments, as the law requires, and accurate records of all gamebird movements must be kept. Imports and exports of game birds to and from the UK (alive or dead) are covered by additional rules and can be stopped by Order to prevent the spread of notifiable diseases such as bird flu. Typically, no export of eggs or birds are allowed from premises within 10km of a confirmed outbreak in kept birds. Those who source game from abroad should keep an eye on the extent of such restrictions in Europe.
Laying and Rearing Pens
The setting up and use of game bird laying pens and rearing systems is allowed within the current restrictions provided they meet the requirement to take reasonable and practical measures to separate all kept game birds from wild birds.
Game Bird Releasing
The national restrictions associated with controlling bird flu do not currently affect game bird releasing but within the 10km control zones around kept bird outbreaks, no game bird releasing is allowed, not even under licence. So far, we have been fortunate that there has not been a bird flu outbreak within the UK during the main period for releasing game birds but we cannot know what will happen later in 2017.
Bird Flu in France
Bird flu outbreaks continue to be associated with the duck operations in the south and are still well away from the major game laying areas in the north. As in the UK, bird flu restrictions are placed on a geographical area and not on the whole country and we feel confident that this is a situation very similar to last year. We do not see any restrictions having an impact on the selling of game bird day olds or eggs from the major co-operatives in France. The French have also secured transport links for game to the UK for the forthcoming season.
St David’s Game Bird Services will keep you up to date with any new developments
We wish you a good close to the shooting season.
