The Poultry Keeper

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/vetsurveillance/poultry/index.htm

Veterinary surveillance: Great Britain Poultry Register

Defra, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government, backed by the poultry industry, are developing a register to gather essential information about poultry held on commercial premises. The register will help provide additional protection against the threat of avian influenza.

Currently government and various individual poultry organisations hold information separately but no central register exists. Combining information such as the size and location of poultry premises onto one database will both help effective communication with poultry keepers and help manage any potential outbreak.

A separate register is being developed for Northern Ireland and we are liaising closely so information can be effectively collected on a UK–level.

Who needs to register?
At present commercial poultry premises with 50 or more poultry must register by law. *
A "commercial poultry premises" means premises where poultry are kept for commercial purposes and does not include premises where all poultry and their eggs are kept by their owners for their own consumption, or in the case of poultry, as pets.

Poultry means all birds that are reared or kept in captivity for the production of meat, hatching eggs and eggs for consumption, the production of other commercial products, for restocking supplies of game or for breeding these categories of birds. Poultry kept for showing, or given or sold to other keepers, whether for breeding or show purposes, are also required to be registered.

Which bird species need to be registered
chickens (including bantams)
turkeys
ducks
geese
guinea fowl
partridges
quail
pheasants
pigeons (reared for meat)
ostriches
emus
cassowaries
kiwis
rheas

What are the benefits?
A central register will help us to communicate with you, as a poultry keeper, quickly and effectively. Identifying where poultry are kept means that if a disease outbreak occurs, resources can be targeted where they are most needed. The database will be another safeguard to help us identify an outbreak and limit its spread.

What information needs to be provided?
You will be asked the name and address of the person with day to day responsibility for the birds, the owner of the birds (if this is different) and where the birds are kept. We need to know how many birds are present on the premises and the purposes for which they are reared. You will also be asked some essential information that can assist risk assessment, for example, whether the birds have access to the open air or whether there are bodies of water close by that attract wild birds.

How will you be able to register?
You will be able to register by phone or post. We also intend to offer an on-line Internet option.

Timing
We plan to start collecting information within the next month. We will allow you a reasonable time and opportunity to register your poultry.

More information
We shall publicise more details about the register very soon – so watch this space.

For more information on how to make sure that good hygiene practices are in place, to help you prevent the spread of animal disease, please see our biosecurity pages.

* Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations 2005 ; Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Scotland) Regulations 2005; Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) Regulations 2005. (All links go to the OPSI website)

poultry poofs · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:18 am Post subject:

Interesting news and what the egg marketing inspector told us was in the pipe line although he did say it was more than likely to encompass everyone with poultry or wildfowl due to the large numbers of small hobbiest keepers but that would all depend on the seriousness of any AI threat.

He did say that anyone as a registered egg producer supplying to the retail trade irrespective of flock size would automatically be registered as the details are shared between the Government veterinary service as a matter of cause and with other agencies.
No big deal really if we all act as responsible poultry keepers anyway.
rich

debcat · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:25 am Post subject:

Up here (SEERAD) we (crofters) have to fill a form in saying how many laying hens, chick, etc we have. The forms come 2 years out of 3, My numbers have gone up loads since the last time I filled a form in but they do know that I have hens and ducks.

poultry poofs · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:31 am Post subject:

You will have to send the 'extra's' on a day trip fishing when the inspector comes Very Happy

debcat · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:39 am Post subject:

what do they expect between the beginning of june and now Confused

poultry poofs · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:16 am Post subject:

In reality they probably dont expect you to wait for their approval living where you do.Its just not practical.
You have to live first and fill in forms second but I dont need to tell you that and most DEFRA people are common sense people.
Its the stuff they are told to do by Government that doesnt often make sense Confused

debcat · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:25 am Post subject:

I have to keep records for the sheep and have started keeping records for the hens this year so I can account for each one, either sold or in the pot Confused

Figure thats where we are headed anyway Confused

poultry poofs · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:37 am Post subject:

Thats the way we are going anyway AI or no AI.
Since Governments realised what computers can do they want to categorise and file data on everything.
So some spotty twonk can stand up in Parliamentary question time and tell us we have 60,955221 chickens 30,450993 sheep and Mrs summersdale from Ainthwaite lane Carlingdale has a 97 year old venetian terrapin called charlie Rolling Eyes

debcat · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:50 am Post subject:

I have enough trouble explaining tame sheep Confused

Let alone why I swopped a trio of hens for dog sitting Confused

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6954 Location: isle of lewis

what about 2 dozen eggs for days fly fishing ,send them to me
and the trio are getting along nicely ,
suz