Avian influenza (Bird flu): Questions & answers
This page was last updated on 1 March 2006.
Great Britain Poultry Register
- Why a register?
- When do flock owners have to register?
- Which bird species have to be registered?
- Which premises have to be registered?
- Hatchery or breeding flock operators already registered under the Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries Order 1993?
- Why are we not registering sites with less than 50 poultry?
- How will the register work?
- Don’t you already hold this information?
- What are the benefits of a central register?
- Who will be responsible for registering premises?
- What information has to be provided?
- How many premises and birds have been registered?
Why a register?
A. Defra, the Scottish Executive, and the Welsh Assembly Government have developed a register to gather essential information about poultry species held on commercial premises for the purposes of risk assessment, disease prevention and control. A central register will help to communicate with poultry owners more effectively and identify where poultry are kept so that resources can be targeted where they are most needed. A separate register is being developed for Northern Ireland and we are liaising closely that that information can be effectively on a UK level.
When do flock owners have to register?
A. Details of how the registration process works and when people have to register their premises has been publicised widely. Details can be viewed at the GB Poultry Register homepage. The register opened on 9 December 2005 with completion by 28 February 2006.
Which bird species have to be registered?
A. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, partridges, quail, pheasants, ostriches, emus, rheas, and pigeons (reared for meat).
Which premises need to be registered?
A. It is a legal requirement that commercial poultry premises with 50 or more poultry must register.
- Avian Influenza (Preventative Measures) (No2) Regulations 2005
- Avian Influenza (Preventative Measures) (Scotland) Regulations 2005
- Avian
Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) (No2) Regulations 2005
- A "commercial 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.
Hatchery or breeding flock operators already registered under the Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries Order 1993?
A. It is a legal requirement that these operators register. The register of breeding flock and hatchery operators is maintained by State Veterinary Service and is being used as repository data for the Poultry Register. However the scope and requirements of registration under the Order is different and it may not be practical to transfer this data directly to the Poultry Register.
Why are we not registering sites with less than 50 poultry?
A. In GB there will be a very large amount of information to process in a relatively short time, even when limiting information to flocks of 50 or more. Our epidemiologists advise us that the risk factor is higher when flocks reach a density of 50 or more. However, it is possible for owners of smaller flocks to register on a voluntary basis now should they so wish and we would encourage them to do so.
How will the register work?
A. We have developed a registration system that will make it as easy as possible for poultry premises to be registered. Registration can be by phoning the call centre advisor (via freephone number 0800 634 1112), or on line (via e-mail or post) at the GB Poultry Register homepage.
Don’t you already hold this information?
A. Previously, Government and various individual poultry organisations held information separately but no central register existed with the data required for the prevention, control and risk assessment of avian influenza. The GB Poultry register provides this central repository.
The GB Poultry Register registration process is not connected to other related registration schemes or surveys. This is the restrictions imposed by the Data Protect Act 1998. Under the Act, data cannot be shared cross data holders. You may have already provided similar information to others but you must register with the GB Poultry Register to comply legally.
What are the benefits of a central register?
A. 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.
Who will be responsible for registering premises?
A. Either the owner of the premises or the person with day to day responsibility for the birds at the premises.
What information has to be provided?
A. 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. Also, how many birds are usually on the premises and the purposes for which they are reared. People will also be asked some essential information that can assist risk assessment, for example, whether the poultry have access to the open air or whether there are bodies of water close by that attract wild birds.
How many premises and birds have been registered?
A. Up to date information on the number of premises and birds registered can be found at the GB Poultry Register homepage.
Page last modified:
14 November, 2007