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| 'Keep poultry inside' amid bird flu risk, keepers told | 'Keep poultry inside' amid bird flu risk, keepers told |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Poultry keepers have been told to keep their birds inside to protect them from a highly-infectious strain of avian flu in Europe. | Poultry keepers have been told to keep their birds inside to protect them from a highly-infectious strain of avian flu in Europe. |
| Chicken, turkey and duck owners must keep them indoors for 30 days or take steps to separate them from wild birds. | Chicken, turkey and duck owners must keep them indoors for 30 days or take steps to separate them from wild birds. |
| The H5N8 bird flu strain has been found in poultry and wild birds in 14 countries including Germany and France. | The H5N8 bird flu strain has been found in poultry and wild birds in 14 countries including Germany and France. |
| The government's chief vet Prof Nigel Gibbens said the risk to humans was low and no UK cases had been found. | The government's chief vet Prof Nigel Gibbens said the risk to humans was low and no UK cases had been found. |
| The precautionary measures announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) apply to farmers and anyone in England who keeps any birds, even those with a few chickens in their back garden. | The precautionary measures announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) apply to farmers and anyone in England who keeps any birds, even those with a few chickens in their back garden. |
| Similar restrictions have been introduced in Scotland and Wales. | |
| Farmers are being asked to look for signs of infection and to take robust disinfectant measures. | Farmers are being asked to look for signs of infection and to take robust disinfectant measures. |
| Members of the public are also being told to report cases of dead wild waterfowl - such as swans, geese and ducks - or gulls, or five or more dead birds of other species to Defra. | Members of the public are also being told to report cases of dead wild waterfowl - such as swans, geese and ducks - or gulls, or five or more dead birds of other species to Defra. |
| Defra said it had increased its surveillance, and keepers are being urged to make sure feed and water is not accessible to wild birds. | Defra said it had increased its surveillance, and keepers are being urged to make sure feed and water is not accessible to wild birds. |
| 'Happy birds' | 'Happy birds' |
| Daniel Brown, a chicken farmer from Cambridge with 40,000 hens in three sheds, said Defra had made the correct decision. | Daniel Brown, a chicken farmer from Cambridge with 40,000 hens in three sheds, said Defra had made the correct decision. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We'll be shutting them in this morning. We'll be putting in extra toys for the birds - straw bales, empty bottles, cardboard boxes - anything to give them something else to think about. | He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We'll be shutting them in this morning. We'll be putting in extra toys for the birds - straw bales, empty bottles, cardboard boxes - anything to give them something else to think about. |
| "They love going outside, and now they can't for their own safety so we'll be doing anything we can just to keep the birds happy." | "They love going outside, and now they can't for their own safety so we'll be doing anything we can just to keep the birds happy." |
| Prof Gibbens said: "We are closely monitoring the situation across Europe and have scaled up surveillance in response to the heightened risk. | Prof Gibbens said: "We are closely monitoring the situation across Europe and have scaled up surveillance in response to the heightened risk. |
| "As a precaution, and to allow time for poultry and captive bird keepers to put in place appropriate biosecurity measures, we have declared a 30-day prevention zone to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds." | "As a precaution, and to allow time for poultry and captive bird keepers to put in place appropriate biosecurity measures, we have declared a 30-day prevention zone to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds." |
| Prof Gibbens said the disease can get into housed birds and urged farmers to increase and maintain their biosecurity. | Prof Gibbens said the disease can get into housed birds and urged farmers to increase and maintain their biosecurity. |
| The British Poultry Council said eggs could still be sold as free range because the measures were compulsory, and there was no threat to supplies of Christmas turkeys. | The British Poultry Council said eggs could still be sold as free range because the measures were compulsory, and there was no threat to supplies of Christmas turkeys. |
| Last month, 190,000 ducks were culled in the Netherlands to try to prevent the spread of bird flu across northern Europe. | Last month, 190,000 ducks were culled in the Netherlands to try to prevent the spread of bird flu across northern Europe. |