Bird flu H5N1 has been confirmed in two Northern commercial flocks this week: near Penrith, Westmorland and Furness on 18 October, and near Wybunbury, Cheshire East on 13 October. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency have put 3km protection and 10km surveillance zones in place around both sites, with humane culling under way. UKHSA says the risk to the public is very low, and the Food Standards Agency says properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.

All of England remains in an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone with mandatory biosecurity. The AIPZ was most recently updated on 22 September to clarify measures for game bird rearers and shoot operators and to tighten reporting duties for all keepers where there are changes in mortality, egg production or feed and water intake. There is no nationwide housing order at present, though housing can be required on premises within protection zones.

For readers in Cumbria and Cheshire, the immediate question is whether your smallholding, yard or village lies inside a zone. Being in a zone changes day‑to‑day operations: movements of poultry, eggs, litter and equipment are controlled and many activities need a licence. Use the Defra interactive disease map before moving anything on or off a premises.

If you keep birds inside the 3km protection zone, expect tighter restrictions and case‑by‑case licensing from APHA; in the wider 10km surveillance zone, movement controls and heightened reporting remain in force. The legal detail sits in the APHA declarations for each site, which keepers should read in full before planning any workarounds.

Zooming out, this brings England to three confirmed H5N1 cases for the 2025–26 season so far, with one reported in Northern Ireland. Under World Organisation for Animal Health rules the UK is no longer classed as free from HPAI this season.

Shoots and estates across Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire should clock the AIPZ changes: clearer duties for rearers and operators, vehicle and footwear disinfection, steps to keep wild birds off feeders and drinkers, and requirements to collect and record dead birds around release pens. Treat this as pre‑season housekeeping that protects the day’s sport and the jobs behind it.

For households, walkers and dog owners, the advice is straightforward. Do not touch sick or dead wild birds; report carcasses via the government helpline. Wash hands after contact with droppings or feathers. UKHSA continues to assess the public health risk as very low.

Feeding garden birds is fine with good hygiene. Keep feeders and baths clean, as the British Trust for Ornithology advises, and-while an AIPZ is in force-don’t feed gamebirds within 500 metres of premises housing more than 500 birds. It’s a small step that helps protect nearby flocks.

Outside disease control zones, bird gatherings can go ahead with the right paperwork: organisers of poultry events need a specific licence, while a general licence applies to other captive birds. Inside zones, gatherings are not permitted. Check the latest licence conditions before setting dates.

Free‑range producers should note a rule change made earlier this year: when housing measures are imposed, free‑range poultry meat can continue to be sold as free‑range for the duration of the housing period rather than switching label after 12 weeks. That removes a costly headache seen in past winters.

Last season brought 81 confirmed HPAI cases in England. It’s early days in 2025–26, but the North’s poultry and game businesses know the drill: keep wild birds away from feed and water, tighten yard entry, refresh footbaths and keep meticulous records. Above all, keep checking the Defra map as zones shift.