December 12, 2005

UK farmers to register poultry by February

UK's poultry raisers will have to register their birds by February 2006 as part of a new scheme to boost government and industry's ability to effectively tackle a bird flu outbreak.

The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations 2005 require those who usually keep 50 or more poultry on a commercial poultry premises to register their birds.

Currently, there are no central database of poultry flocks, said the country's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister Ben Bradshaw, adding that the aim of the register is to gather essential information about birds on commercial premises across the country, so that the department could have a better picture of the size, type and proximity of flocks.