Business information

Poultry / Birds in Hertfordshire

Current legislation requires some keepers poultry to register.

Poultry includes birds of the following species:

Chickens (including bantams), Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Guinea fowl, Partridges, Pheasants, Quail, Pigeons (reared for meat only), Cassowaries, Emus, Ostriches, Rheas, Kiwis.

Poultry,for these purposes means any of the above which are: reared, given, sold, or kept in captivity for commercial purposes including:

Showing, breeding, the production of meat or eggs for consumption, The production of other commercial products; and re-stocking supplies of game.



Requirement to Register and keep written records

Any person who keeps 50 or more poultry as defined above shall register, and, make a written record of the following:

• the address of the premises and their holding number (if they have one)
• the owner of the poultry and the person in day to day management of the premises where they are kept (if different)
• the species kept at the premises
• the husbandry system or systems in use at the premises (for example, whether poultry are kept for meat, hatching eggs or eggs for consumption)
• the maximum number of each species of poultry that could be present on the premises
• any factors (such as seasonal stocking variations) which might result in significant differences in the numbers or species of poultry on the premises
• the number and species of any poultry with access to the open air
• the presence on or in the vicinity of the premises of any body of water which attracts wild birds
• such other information as the Secretary of State requires for the purpose of carrying out a risk assessment under regulation 4 or 5 or otherwise complying with the Commission Decision

Fair, Market, Show, Exhibition
No person shall permit birds to be collected together at any fair, market, show, exhibition or other gathering except under the authority of a licence issued by the Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State shall only grant a licence if a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out and she is satisfied that the gathering and the transit of birds to and from the gathering would not significantly increase the risk of transmission of Avian influenza virus.........

Applications for licences can be downloaded from the 'Defra' website. Select the 'external' link "department for environment, food & rural affairs" & follow the 'quick links'.

In Hertfordshire there are registered breeding flocks, hatcheries and other large scale poultry keepers involved in egg and meat production. There are also an undefined amount of other ‘back yard’ keepers such as;

• any farm keeping less than 50 birds, (as defined above)
• allotment holders,
• other private keepers of poultry.

It is estimated that at least 90% of all farmers within the area keep some poultry.

Keepers of small numbers (less than 50) of poultry (as defined above) are also advised to submit their details to the National Poultry Register by telephoning 0800 634 1112.

What are the benefits?

If we know where your birds are kept and how many you have, we will be able to communicate with you quickly and help manage any potential disease outbreak by targeting resources where they are needed most.

The sooner we know where your birds are, the better prepared we will be to prevent and control a disease outbreak.
Previously, Government and various individual poultry organisations held information separately but no central register existed.

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.