Food and drink

Eggs and poultry

Legislation in the eggs and poultry sector

This section provides brief details regarding key current legislation relating to poultry production in England and Wales.

It does not provide an exhaustive account of legislation appertaining to poultry production, nor is it intended to be a definitive statement on the law or a substitute for the legislation, which should be consulted and legal advice sought as appropriate.

It should be noted that in most cases the legislation applies to people who keep small backyard flocks as well as commercial poultry producers.

This information was compiled by ADAS on behalf of Defra.

  • Planning controls
    • The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995
    • The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999
  • Housing
    • The Building Regulations 1985
    • Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994
    • British Standard 5502. Buildings and Structures for Agriculture
    • The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000
  • Sources of birds
    • The Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries Order 1993 SI Number 1898
  • Feeds and water
    • The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000
    • The Feedingstuffs Regulations 1988 SI 396
    • The Feedingstuffs (Zootechnical Products) Regulations 1998 SI No 1047
    • The Feedingstuffs (Establishments and Intermediaries) Regulations 1999
    • The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order (No 2) 1996
    • The BSE (No.2) Amendment Order 1999
    • The BSE (Feedingstuffs and Surveillance) Regulations 1999
  • Health
    • The Animal Health Act 1981
    • The Poultry Breeding and Hatcheries Order 1993 SI No 1898
    • The Zoonoses Order 1989 SI No 285
    • The Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 SI No 1078
    • Animals (Approved Disinfectants) Order 1978 as amended
    • The Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968
    • The Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) Regulations 1997
    • The Medicated Feedingstuffs Regulations 1998
  • Welfare
    • The Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968
    • The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007
    • The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000
    • The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966
    • Animal Welfare Act 2006
    • The Animals Act 1971
  • Transport
    • The Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 2007
  • Markets
    • The Welfare of Animals at Markets Order 1990 SI No 2628
  • Slaughter
    • The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995
  • Processing
    • The Food Safety Act 1990
    • The Poultrymeat, Farmed Game Bird and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 SI No. 540
    • EC Council Regulation 1906/90 and EC Commission Regulation 1538/91 on Certain Marketing Standards for Poultrymeat
    • The Egg Marketing Standards Regulations 1995 SI No 1544
    • The Egg Products Regulations 1993 SI No 1520
    • The Ungraded Eggs (Hygiene) Regulations 1990 SI No 1323
  • Health and safety
    • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
    • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
    • Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
    • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999
    • Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
    • Noise at Work Regulations 1989
  • Environmental protection and pollution control
    • Environmental Protection Act 1990
    • Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999
    • Pollution Prevention and Control (England) Regulations 1999
    • The Water Resources Act 1991
    • The Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations 1991 as amended
    • The Protection ofWater against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution (England and Wales) Regulations 1996) and the Action Programme for Nitrate VulnerableZones (England and Wales) Regulations 1998
    • Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Air, Water, and Soil 1998
    • The Animal By-Products Order 1999 and The Dogs Act 1906 as amended
    • Highways Act 1980
  • Marketing standards
    • EC Council Regulation 1906/90 and Commission Regulation 1538/91 on Certain Marketing Standards for Poultrymeat
    • Marketing Standards for Eggs

 

Page published: 29 August 2007

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs