For all those who have been doing their best to keep the wild bird population and other people’s poultry flocks safe by restricting their own birds, today’s government announcement comes as very welcome news:
19 March 2021: The risk of avian influenza to both wild and kept birds has reduced to ‘medium’. The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) requiring enhanced biosecurity will remain in force but Wednesday 31 March 2021 will be the last day poultry and other captive birds will need to be housed (housing restrictions end 23:59 31 March 2021). Bird gatherings are still prohibited. High standards of biosecurity remain essential as infection may still be present in the environment.
So, can we expect a lot of clucking and crowing by happy chickens at 00:00 on 1 April? And if ‘bird gatherings will still be prohibited’ are they OK to meet up in groups of six if socially distanced? I must have missed the announcement by the PM, complete with Union Jeggs, for the Poultry’s Path out of Lockdown.