Poultry housing confinement order to be lifted soon in Kilkenny

The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine has announced that the legal requirement to confine/house poultry and other birds as a precautionary measure against Avian Influenza will be lifted from April 18, 2023.

Legislation requiring the precautionary confinement of birds in Ireland to mitigate the risk of spread of avian influenza to poultry was introduced on 7 November 2022.

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The decision to now withdraw this requirement is based on a number of parameters which indicate a reducing risk of an avian influenza incursion - including the fact that no case of bird flu has been confirmed here in wild birds for a period of 5 weeks, reduced numbers of migratory waterfowl and increasing environmental temperatures and daylight hours.

Removing the requirement to confine birds means that all poultry and bird owners may allow their birds access to open areas and runs from April 18.

The Department, however, urges flock owners to remain vigilant as, notwithstanding the reduced risk, there is still the possibility of the virus being present in the environment or being transmitted to their flock by wild birds.

The Department emphasises however that specific enhanced biosecurity requirements that were introduced in September remain in place. 

These are requirements to ensure that poultry or other captive birds cannot come into contact with wild birds, that all areas that poultry and captive birds have access to must be fenced and that they are restricted from access to open or permanent standing water.