Avian flu: Better communication with backyard keepers needed in UK

United Kingdom

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Innovation & Technology

Published Nov 2, 2023

Tridge summary

Confusion over government guidelines regarding avian flu in the UK is hindering compliance among poultry keepers, particularly small-scale or backyard keepers. Many of these keepers feel that the guidelines are only feasible for commercial operations, leading to a lack of understanding and compliance. The research suggests that there is a need for improved communication and tailored messaging to address the specific challenges faced by small-scale poultry keepers.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Confusion over government guidelines is preventing UK poultry keepers from complying with avian flu rules, according new research from the University of Nottingham. The study, published in the journal Heliyon, follows the UK’s largest avian flu outbreak to date, which began in 2021. Systems for dealing with the issue tend to be focused on large commercial poultry flocks and do not consider small-scale (backyard) poultry keepers, who have made up 18% of the recent outbreaks, scientists said. Over 1,500 poultry keepers volunteered to take part in the study, and although 99% were aware of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) regulations, many of them said that government communication has been unclear, with some participants believing that the measures were only achievable for commercial set ups. The study highlights a failure by Defra and APHA to connect with small-scale keepers; especially those who see their birds as pets, researchers say. Climate and geography influenced the ...

Source: UKFarmersguide