Autumn is when bird flu comes back onto every poultry keeper’s radar. Wild birds arrive for the winter, the virus circulates more widely, and outbreaks in kept birds start to be confirmed. That matters just as much for three hens in a back garden as for a commercial farm, because the rules on registering, reporting and biosecurity apply to every keeper.
This guide sets out what UK backyard keepers can do now, based on GOV.UK guidance from Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). It is practical husbandry information, not veterinary advice: if you are worried about your birds, speak to a vet. For general cold-weather care, see our winter checklist for backyard chickens.
Where things stand this autumn
GOV.UK’s latest situation page for England (updated 21 October 2026) reports that the first case of the 2026 to 2027 season was confirmed in what GOV.UK describes as commercial backyard poultry on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, on 2 October 2026. After that case Great Britain lost its status as free from highly pathogenic avian influenza. A case in commercial poultry near Belford, Northumberland, followed on 19 October 2026.
The same page assesses the risk to poultry as low where biosecurity is suboptimal or poor, and very low where stringent biosecurity is consistently applied, while the risk in wild birds is assessed as medium. The UK Health Security Agency advises that the risk to the general public’s health is very low, and the Food Standards Agency says properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.
Rules can change quickly at this time of year. The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone that covered Great Britain was lifted on 4 June 2026, but prevention zones and housing orders can be declared again if the risk rises. Check the latest situation page, and the cases and disease control zones page, rather than relying on what applied last winter. Keepers in Wales and Scotland should also check their own government’s pages.
1. Make sure you are registered
In England and Wales you must register within one month of keeping poultry or other captive birds at any premises, whatever the size of your flock, and GOV.UK says you are breaking the law if you don’t. There are separate routes for keepers of fewer than 50 birds and 50 or more. Registering means APHA can contact you during an outbreak near you. Scotland has its own Scottish Kept Birds Register.
2. Keep wild birds away from your flock
GOV.UK lists contact with wild birds, especially waterfowl such as geese, ducks, swans and gulls, their droppings, and dirty footwear, clothing and equipment as the main ways bird flu reaches kept birds. Practical steps from the guidance include:
- keep feed, water and bedding covered and enclosed so wild birds and rodents can’t reach them;
- check outside areas daily and remove wild bird droppings, feathers and carcasses;
- vary feeding times, because wild birds learn when food appears;
- fence off or net ponds and standing water;
- repair holes in the coop, stop wild birds nesting or roosting on it, and clear moss from the roof;
- if your birds are not housed, keep them in a fenced or netted area.
If you keep ducks or geese as well as chickens, the guidance says to keep them in a separate pen, because they don’t always show signs of bird flu and can pass it on.
3. Clean boots, clean kit
Wear clean clothing and footwear when you go into your birds’ housing. GOV.UK says to use either a foot dip with a Defra-approved disinfectant on the way in and out, or dedicated boots that stay with the birds. Clean and disinfect buckets, feeders, egg trays and other equipment regularly with a Defra-approved product at the dilution listed for diseases of poultry. Our guide to deep cleaning a chicken coop covers the routine.
4. Limit visitors and quarantine new birds
Keep visits to your birds to people who need to be there, and keep a simple record of who visited and when. If you buy new birds, check their health first and keep them separate, in cleaned and disinfected housing with their own equipment. Our guide to introducing new chickens to a flock explains how to run a quarantine at home.
5. Know the signs, and report
GOV.UK lists signs of highly pathogenic bird flu that include sudden death, lethargy, birds eating or drinking less than usual, a sudden drop in laying, breathing difficulty, a swollen head, and swelling or blue discolouration of the comb and wattles. GOV.UK notes that these signs can indicate bird flu, but the virus can only be confirmed through laboratory tests. Our guide to early respiratory signs in backyard chickens covers what to watch for day to day.
Bird flu is a notifiable disease. If you suspect it, even if the signs are mild, you or your vet must report it to APHA straight away: call 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales, or contact your local Field Services Office in Scotland. Not reporting it is breaking the law. For any other worry about your birds’ health, speak to your vet.
If you find dead wild birds, GOV.UK has guidance on when and how to report them.
6. Plan ahead for housing
In past winters, for example from 7 November 2022, mandatory housing measures in England legally required all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors, regardless of flock size. Under current GOV.UK guidance, if you are in a protection zone or a captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone, you must house your birds. Decide now where your hens would go. GOV.UK’s guidance on housing your birds safely says you are responsible for their welfare while they are housed, and suggests you:
- avoid overcrowding and give natural light where possible;
- make sure there is enough ventilation, food and fresh, clean water;
- use good-quality litter and keep it dry;
- provide enrichment such as straw bales, scattered whole grain, dust-bathing boxes, pecking blocks or cabbages;
- check the birds more than once a day, and look out for red mite.
GOV.UK also confirms that you cannot vaccinate poultry against bird flu in England, so good biosecurity is the main protection you have.
Bird flu checklist for backyard keepers
- Registered with APHA (or the Scottish Kept Birds Register).
- Feed, water and bedding covered; ponds netted or fenced off.
- Coop repaired, with no gaps for wild birds or rodents.
- Foot dip or dedicated boots by the run; equipment cleaned with a Defra-approved disinfectant.
- New birds quarantined; a visitor log kept.
- APHA’s number saved in your phone, and a plan for housing your birds if needed.
- The latest situation page checked regularly this winter.
Buying and selling birds this winter
The Eggschange is a UK classifieds marketplace for hatching eggs, chicks, chickens and poultry equipment. You can browse current listings, or place a listing for £1 for 90 days. If you are buying, ask the seller about their flock’s health, collect in clean crates and quarantine new birds at home. If you are in a disease control zone, check whether you need a licence before you move any birds or eggs. See how The Eggschange works, read more of our poultry guides, or contact us with a question.
Sources: GOV.UK (Defra and APHA), Bird flu: latest situation in England (updated 21 October 2026), how to prevent it and stop it spreading, how to spot and report it, Avian Influenza Prevention Zone lifts as risk reduces (4 June 2026) and registering as a keeper. Checked 28 October 2026.