Farmers across Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lincolnshire woke on Monday to another tightening of bird flu controls, as Defra confirmed fresh H5N1 cases and new disease zones. With the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in force across England since 6 November, keepers in the North are back to high alert and, for many, back to housing birds full time.

On Monday 24 November 2025, officials ended the 3km protection zone around the affected premises near Bedale, Thirsk and Malton in North Yorkshire. That area now sits inside a wider surveillance zone, which still brings movement rules and testing requirements but eases the tightest restrictions on neighbouring holdings.

Over the weekend, HPAI H5N1 was confirmed at a large commercial site near Gainsborough in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire, and at a second major unit near Swaffham in Norfolk. In both locations, Defra established a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone and ordered the humane culling of birds on the infected premises.

Cumbria saw progress. Protection zones around two sites near Penrith were lifted on 23 November after disease control work and surveillance were completed. Those areas move to surveillance‑only status, still under watch but with fewer day‑to‑day constraints for farms and smallholders.

Elsewhere in the North, H5N1 was confirmed on 19 November in commercial poultry near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, triggering the standard 3km and 10km zones. Earlier, on 21 November, a case near Claydon in Mid Suffolk added pressure to national resources, while a zone near Wybunbury in Cheshire East was scaled back to surveillance following checks.

Further outbreaks were recorded on 18 November, including a fourth large commercial unit near Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire and a small backyard flock near Lawshall in Suffolk. Each site brought the familiar mix of tight movement rules, biosecurity checks and culling designed to halt spread into wild birds and neighbouring holdings.

Across England and Wales, housing measures now sit within the AIPZ. If you keep more than 50 birds of any kind, you must house them. Keepers with fewer than 50 birds for their own use do not have to house, but if you sell or give away eggs, products or live birds, your flock is treated as poultry and must be housed. Everyone, from smallholders to major producers, must apply strict hygiene and biosecurity.

The practical rules depend on where you are. Inside a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone, movements of poultry, eggs, by‑products and even some mammals may need a licence. The Defra disease zone map on GOV.UK remains the single source of truth for boundaries and day‑by‑day changes, and keepers are advised to check it before arranging collections or deliveries.

The scale of the season is now clear. Since 1 October 2025, the UK has confirmed 52 H5N1 cases: 41 in England, 7 in Wales, 3 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Scotland. Under World Organisation for Animal Health rules, the UK is no longer considered free from highly pathogenic avian influenza for this season.

Risk levels have been raised accordingly. Government scientists assess the risk of H5 in wild birds across Great Britain as very high. For poultry and captive birds, exposure risk is very high where biosecurity is weak, and medium where robust measures are consistently in place. The UK Health Security Agency says the risk to the general public is very low. The Food Standards Agency says properly cooked poultry and eggs remain safe to eat.

Wild bird management matters here in the North, where coastal flyways and reservoirs attract wintering flocks. Do not touch sick or dead wild birds; report finds via GOV.UK and wash hands if you come into contact with faeces or feathers. The British Trust for Ornithology advises keeping garden feeders and baths clean. In an AIPZ you must not feed wild gamebirds within 500 metres of premises housing more than 500 captive birds.

Avian influenza can spill into mammals. Influenza of avian origin is notifiable in wild and kept mammals. Vets, rescuers and laboratories must report suspect cases or positive influenza A findings immediately - 03000 200 301 in England, 03003 038 268 in Wales, or the local APHA Field Services Office in Scotland. Failure to report is an offence.

Bird gatherings are tightly controlled. Outside disease control zones in England, gatherings may be permitted under licence, but they are not allowed for most poultry where housing is mandatory under the AIPZ. Vaccination remains prohibited for poultry and most captive birds in England. Only zoos with authorisation from the Animal and Plant Health Agency may vaccinate, while Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate continue to track vaccine development.

For keepers, the to‑do list is familiar but urgent: house birds where required, limit visitors, clean and disinfect regularly, review vermin control, and keep paperwork ready in case movement licences are needed. Register flocks, sign up for Defra alerts, and consider the government's Stop the Spread webinars for practical tips. Speak to your abattoir, egg collector and feed supplier early if you are inside or near a zone.

From Ryedale turkey producers to smallholders in the Eden Valley and broiler units on the Lincolnshire edge, the coming weeks will be tight. The Northern Ledger will continue to track zones affecting Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lincolnshire and publish updates as Defra revises boundaries.