BIRD FLU NOTICE as of Monday April 7th 2025

All allotment sites managed by Alnwick Town Council are now within an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) so, to control the outbreak of bird flu, the following measures are being introduced:

ALL birds kept on allotments MUST be kept inside
Ducks and geese MUST be kept separate from other birds
Prevent your birds coming into contact with wild birds or rodents
Clean housing, equipment, vehicles and footwear regularly
Keep records of any bird deaths and follow instructions from a veterinary inspector to dispose of any bird carcasses
Do not spread poultry litter or remove it from your plot
Do not move live poultry or other captive birds on or off your plot
You can still take eggs from the plot
Do not spread poultry litter on your plot or remove it from your plot

Flying racing pigeons, doves and other Columbiformes

You can fly racing pigeons and doves from their home loft for up to one hour, once a day as a single loft
Try to prevent your birds having any contact with wild birds and try to avoid flying your birds in areas where there are lots of poultry
You must not leave lofts open for birds to come and go
Clean and disinfect any baskets, boxes and vehicles you use

What happens if you do not follow the rules

You will put your birds at risk of bird flu and they may die
You could also be fined and spend up to 6 months in prison.

If you think someone is not following the rules please call the Town Council on 01665 602574 and leave a message.

Welfare of housed birds

Housing your birds during a disease outbreak may impact the welfare of your birds, especially if they’re not used to being housed for long periods.

You are responsible for the welfare of your birds while they’re housed. You should:

make sure they’re not overcrowded
make sure they have natural light where possible – do not keep them permanently in the dark (during the day you should be able to see your birds clearly and artificial light should follow typical day and night patterns)
monitor the temperature inside the housing and do not allow temperatures to go significantly above 21°C
make sure there is enough ventilation
make sure they have enough food and fresh, clean water (clean water-drinkers frequently and do not use standing water
use good quality litter that crumbles easily – you can use damp-proof membranes for earth floors to help keep litter dry
provide enrichment items to prevent boredom like straw bales, shaving bales, low barriers, scattered whole grain, dustbathing boxes, pecking blocks, cabbages, rope and footballs
check them more than once a day to make sure they’re healthy and have enough food, water and dry bedding
check for skin parasites like red mite

Welfare of ducks, geese, swans and game birds

All ducks, geese and swans must be housed if possible

If this is not practical, keep them in fully netted areas.

If you cannot house or fully net an outdoor bird area because of unavoidable welfare concerns, you must:

feed and water your birds undercover

Avoid keeping ducks and geese with other poultry. Ducks and geese often do not show any signs of disease but can still pass it on to other captive birds.

Ducks need access to open water like troughs and buckets. They use them to preen and immerse their heads to keep their eyes, nostrils, beaks and plumage healthy.

To help keep bedding dry, you can:

put open water sources on raised, perforated plastic floors
place a container underneath to catch any water that drips through