A small commercial poultry unit in West Yorkshire has confirmed a case of bird flu, just weeks after the government lifted the mandatory housing order.
Defra confirmed that a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was detected in poultry near Ravensthorpe on 11 June 2025.
The farm, which was selling eggs and poultry products directly to the public at the farm gate, kept around 60 chickens, 20 ducks, and five geese.
“All poultry on the premises will be humanely culled,” Defra stated in its official update.
In line with standard disease control measures, a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been established around the site.
These zones impose strict movement restrictions and enhanced biosecurity protocols for other poultry keepers in the area.
It comes after the mandatory housing order for poultry and captive birds across England was lifted last month following the winter period.
However, the avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) mandating strict biosecurity remains in place in England, Scotland and Wales.
Meanwhile, a cross-party group of MPs and peers recently urged the government to fast-track gene editing legislation for farmed animals amid rising global bird flu cases.
The group called for the urgent implementation of secondary legislation under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, enabling the use of gene editing in livestock.
