Bird flu FAQ for backyard keepers: 2026/27 season. With practical advice a top tips.

Situation right now (As of the 8th November 2026) - checked every day.

Remember is doesn't hurt to be prepared!

• No national housing order and no prevention zone (AIPZ) anywhere in the UK.
  • England, Scotland and Wales lifted their AIPZs on 4 June 2026.
  • Northern Ireland lifted its AIPZ on 15 May 2026.
  • You only have to house your birds if you’re inside a protection zone (or a captive bird monitoring zone).
• Cases this season: Confirmed in kept birds since the season started on 1 October.
  • H5N5 at Ness, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, on 2 October 2026.
  • H5N1 in commercial poultry near Belford, Northumberland, on 19 October 2026.
  • H5N1 has been confirmed at a premises near Biggar, Scottish Borders on 3rd November.
  • H5N1 in Brigg north Lincs on the 4th November.
  • H5N1 at two locations, Garstang in Lancs and Pocklington in Yorkshire.
  • All have 3km protection and 10km surveillance zones.
  • None so far in Wales or Northern Ireland.
• Current Risk levels (Great Britain):
  • Wild birds: medium.
  • Poultry: low where biosecurity is poor, very low where it’s stringent.
• What to expect: last winter (2025/26) there were 100 HPAI cases in the UK. Housing orders have usually come in during autumn or winter. Get your housing plan sorted now.
• Rules change fast, sometimes overnight. Always check:
  • GOV.UK latest situation in England
  • the bird flu zone map
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  You can also sign up for free APHA disease alerts.

I’ve kept hens through every bird flu winter since the big H5N8 years. Since 2021, the strain causing the trouble in the UK has been H5N1, and now H5N5 as well.

Below: The results of the survey I conducted suggest us poultry keepers can be a bit naughty when it comes to bird flu compliance with 31.1% taking no precautionary measures at all.

Full survey results here. Each winter I get the same questions from readers and neighbours. These are the answers I’d give over the garden fence, checked against what Defra, APHA and the devolved governments say today.

Where the law says you must, I’ve said so. Everything else is what has worked for me. 

Do I have to keep my hens in?

Not right now, unless you’re in a zone. As of November 2026 there’s no prevention zone in force anywhere in the UK. Your birds can go out. The exception is a 3km protection zone around an infected premises, or a captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone. There, you must house your birds. Put your postcode into the zone map to check. If any part of your premises falls inside a zone, the rules apply to the whole premises.

That can change quickly. In recent winters the government has declared a prevention zone in the autumn. In England it brought in housing for some areas from 30 October 2025. I’d treat housing as likely this winter and get ready now, rather than scrambling in the dark the night an order comes in.

Even without a zone, Defra expects every keeper to do the basics:

• keep birds in fenced or netted areas
• keep them away from standing water
• keep feed and water covered
• clean hard surfaces with an approved disinfectant

What counts as “housing”?

Housing means your birds can’t have contact with wild birds or their droppings. GOV.UK says you can use any of these:

• existing buildings such as sheds, garages, barns and verandas
• temporary structures with solid walls and a roof
• a polytunnel, though these get very hot, so only in cool weather
• a fully covered pen, such as one made of straw bales or pallets with a tarpaulin roof

Netting should have a mesh no bigger than 25mm. Stop wild birds perching on the roof and fouling through it.

Below: Here’s what I built. I used two 8ft pallets for the ends and 12ft timbers along the sides. Covered with mesh and a reinforced tarpaulin.

You can see the straw to cover the floor, the dust bath on the right and the sprouts for added treats.

That gives 96 square feet of floor and about 6ft of headroom, so I can (almost) stand up to clean out. I clad it in 1 inch chicken mesh, with a tarpaulin over the top and scaffolding netting down the open sides.

Inside I put a dust bath, a nest box and a beak stone. A friend of mine kept his hens in a cleared-out garage one winter. It works if you take out any chemicals or dangerous items and give them light and air. Whatever you use, keep it ventilated and dry, and keep it below about 21°C.

Do I need to register my birds?

Yes, even if you only have two pet hens.

• England and Wales: you must register within one month of keeping poultry or other captive birds, whatever the number. Register here, or call 03000 200 301. You must confirm your details every 12 months and tell APHA about changes within 30 days. If you don’t register, you’re breaking the law.
• Scotland: registration is also compulsory for anyone who keeps birds, including pets. See gov.scot.
• Northern Ireland: contact DAERA.

Registering is how APHA knows to warn you if there’s an outbreak down the road. It’s the single most useful five minutes you’ll spend this winter.

Can I still sell or give away eggs?

Outside a zone, yes. Bird flu doesn’t change the normal rules on selling eggs. Inside a protection zone, you can’t move eggs off your premises without a licence. The one exception is table eggs going to wholesale or retail for direct sale. Check the rules for your zone before you put a box out at the gate.

If you sell eggs as “free range” and your birds have to be housed, you can keep calling them free range for 16 weeks from the date they were housed. Ignore the old “until 28 February” date you’ll see on older pages. It’s 16 weeks from housing (egg marketing standards).

Can I go to shows, sales and auctions?

Outside disease control zones, gatherings can go ahead in England and Wales. The organiser must follow the general licence conditions and notify APHA at least seven days beforehand. If you’re only taking birds along, you don’t need to apply for anything yourself.

For every gathering, show and auction I have been to recently you need to be registered to buy or sell, so check with the organiser.

Inside any zone, organising or attending a bird gathering isn’t allowed. In Northern Ireland, gatherings have been allowed under a general licence since 15 May 2026. When the risk level rises, the rules tighten fast, and shows get cancelled at short notice. See holding a bird gathering in England.

My own rule: anything coming back from a show goes into quarantine away from the flock for a couple of weeks. That includes birds, crates and boots.

What are the signs, and what do I do if I suspect it?

People I have spoken to who have dealt with Avian Influenza cases say Bird flu  spreads very quickly, infects the whole flock and kills large numbers of birds in a short space of time.

HPAI usually hits hard and fast. GOV.UK lists these signs:

• sudden death
• birds lying down and unresponsive
• drooping wings
• swollen head
• a blue, swollen comb and wattles
• gaping, snicking or rattling breathing
• loose, discoloured droppings
• a sudden fall in laying
• twisting of the head and neck
• red patches on the shanks

Ducks and geese can carry it with no signs at all.

Plenty of these signs have everyday causes too. My sick chicken symptom checker and the pages on combs and diarrhoea will help you rule things out.

Below: This blue in the comb can be a sign of bird flu.

But several birds dying suddenly or in quick succession is a cause for concern. Bird flu is notifiable, and you must report a suspicion immediately, even if the signs are mild:

• England: APHA, 03000 200 301
• Wales: 03003 038 268
• Scotland: your local APHA Field Services Office
• Northern Ireland: DAERA, 0300 200 7840

Also ring your vet. Don’t move birds, eggs or kit off the premises until you’ve been told what to do. Not reporting is an offence.

Is it safe to eat eggs and chicken?

Yes. The Food Standards Agency says bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.

Don’t eat or sell anything from birds you suspect are ill. Wash your hands after collecting eggs, as you always should.

Can my dog or cat catch it?

They can, though the risk is small. Bird flu viruses can infect mammals, including cats and dogs. Keep pets away from dead or sick wild birds, their droppings and feathers, and from bird tables and water bowls.

Don’t feed them raw meat from non-commercial poultry, game or wild birds. Keep your dog under control near ducks, geese and gulls. Keep cats and dogs out of your poultry area too, because they can carry droppings in on their paws. Ring your vet if a pet that has been near wild birds falls ill. See how to keep pets safe.

Can I catch it?

It’s very unlikely. The UK Health Security Agency says bird flu is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public is very low. Human cases are rare and come from close, prolonged contact with infected birds.

The case UKHSA confirmed in England in January 2025 was someone who had worked closely with a large infected flock on a farm. If your birds are suspected or confirmed to have it, follow APHA’s instructions. Don’t handle sick or dead birds without gloves. Tell your GP or NHS 111 if you feel unwell afterwards. See UKHSA advice for the public.

How do I keep wild birds away?

The main risk is waterfowl and gulls, and their droppings. Here’s what I do:

• Cover the run roof. I use a tarp or solid sheeting rather than netting alone, because droppings fall through netting.
• Feed and water under cover. Use feeders that wild birds can’t get into, and sweep up spilled feed every day. Spilled grain brings in wild birds, which brings in the virus.
• Fence off or net ponds and puddles. Drain wet patches.
• Change feeding times so wild birds don’t learn the routine.
• Use deterrents such as scarecrows, foil streamers or spike strips on perching spots. Check the outside area daily for feathers, droppings and dead birds.
• Take down bird feeders near the run for the winter. I love my garden birds, but not next to the hens.

If you find dead wild birds, especially swans, geese, ducks, gulls or birds of prey, don’t touch them. Report them online or on 03459 33 55 77.

Biosecurity checklist

These come from GOV.UK’s prevention guidance, plus my own habits:

• Registered with APHA (or the Scottish register or DAERA) and details up to date
• Signed up for APHA disease alerts
• Housing plan ready: somewhere covered, netted at 25mm or less, ventilated, with room for everyone
• Ducks and geese kept separate from hens
• Feed, water and bedding stored covered, where wild birds and rats can’t reach them
• Boots used only in the run, or a foot dip at the door, kept topped up and covered
• A Defra-approved disinfectant used at the right dilution. Bleach, boiling water and diatomaceous earth aren’t substitutes, and DE isn’t Defra-approved.
• Rats and mice controlled
• Visitors kept to a minimum, with a note of who came and when
• New birds quarantined in clean housing with separate kit, and handled last
• Simple daily records kept: deaths, eggs, feed and water, and birds or eggs in and out
• Vet and APHA numbers on the shed door

What happens if I’m in a protection or surveillance zone?

When bird flu is confirmed, APHA normally declares a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone around the infected premises. If APHA only suspects bird flu, it can declare temporary control zones while it tests. You’ll get a letter or alert if you’re registered. You’ll also see it on the zone map.

In all zones:

• no bird fairs, markets, shows or sales
• keep records
• no releasing game birds

In a protection zone, on top of that:

• you must house your birds
• you can’t move birds without a licence (pet birds are excepted)
• you can’t move eggs without a licence, except table eggs going to wholesale or retail for direct sale
• you can’t spread or remove poultry litter

Breaking the rules can mean a fine and up to six months in prison. Zones normally last for weeks rather than months. They’re lifted once APHA has finished its surveillance. See the full rules for each zone.

How do I keep hens happy if they’re shut in for months?

The longest stretch mine have done was most of a winter, and boredom is the real enemy. Bored hens feather-peck, and that turns bloody quickly.

This is what I have found helps beat the boredom:

• Space. Don’t cram them in, and add extra perches at different heights.
• Light. Natural light where possible, and never permanent dark or 24 hour light. You should be able to read a newspaper.
• Dry, crumbly litter. Clear out wet patches every day.
• Things to do:
  • a dust bath (dry soil and sand in a crate)
  • a pecking block or beak stone
  • a hanging cabbage
  • a straw or shavings bale to pull apart
  • whole grains scattered in the litter every afternoon
• Greens. I sprout wheat, barley and maize in trays. It gives them something fresh to work at when they can’t get to the grass.
• Check them twice a day for feather pecking, weight loss and red mite, which love a warm, closed shed.

Avoid sudden diet changes.

Below: Here is a video on how to provide greens for confined chickens in the form of sprouts.

If pecking starts, add more enrichment, dim the light a little and talk to your vet. GOV.UK’s housing and welfare guidance is worth a read too.

Readers in the US

The US position is different, and so are the rules. USDA APHIS has been confirming HPAI in commercial and backyard flocks since February 2022. Detections peak in spring and autumn with migration. For current numbers, see the APHIS detections dashboard. On 15 October 2026, CDC said the current public health risk is low. A(H5) has also been found in dairy cattle there, with sporadic human cases in farm workers. Report sick birds to your state veterinarian or USDA, and follow the CDC guidance.

Related reading on Cluckin.net

• The laws and regulations of chicken and poultry keeping
• The sick chicken symptom checker
• Common chicken diseases, their causes, symptoms and treatments