“Level trading footing with their UK and EU counterparts.” That’s how Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca‑Davies framed Wales’ move to end the 12‑week limit on free‑range poultry meat labels. The new regulations were made on 22 October and come into force on 21 November 2025.

In plain terms, when the Chief Veterinary Officer orders mandatory housing to curb bird flu, meat from genuinely free‑range systems in Wales can keep its free‑range label for as long as those restrictions last, provided all other standards are met. The change amends Annex V of Regulation 543/2008 as it applies in Wales.

Welsh Government papers say housing measures in 2021/22 and 2022/23 stretched well beyond 12 weeks, exposing longer‑reared birds to relabelling and lost value. Officials stress these are marketing standards only; food safety rules sit elsewhere.

For readers across the North who buy Welsh birds into the North West and Yorkshire, alignment matters. England and Scotland confirmed this spring they would remove the same 12‑week cap and aimed to lay instruments ahead of winter 2025/26; Westminster debated the English measure in September. That reduces cross‑border confusion for processors and retailers.

Ministers told peers the policy chiefly affects higher‑value birds with longer cycles - turkeys, ducks and geese - because standard broilers rarely reach 12 weeks. Expect the biggest practical impact in the run‑up to Christmas.

There’s recent precedent. Wales removed the 16‑week limit for egg labelling earlier this year, with the Free‑Range Egg Marketing Standards (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025 taking effect on 21 February.

Producer groups have long pushed for a GB‑wide fix. “These moves will be welcomed by the sector as they ensure that poultry producers are not left at a competitive disadvantage,” said NFU Poultry Board chair James Mottershead when England confirmed its plans. NFU Cymru also backed a Welsh change during last year’s consultation.

Not everyone is relaxed about consumer understanding. UK Government’s consultation response flags worries about confusion if housing orders persist for months; officials say they’ll encourage clear point‑of‑sale notices when measures are in force. Welsh guidance also notes that marketing standards don’t affect hygiene or SPS rules.

Bottom line for Northern buyers: from 21 November, Welsh free‑range poultry meat can keep its label throughout any housing order, reducing relabelling costs and supply friction into Northern stores and butchers - and keeping Christmas orders steadier if bird flu strikes.