Mandatory housing measures for poultry and other captive birds will be lifted in England and Wales from 00:01am on Thursday 9 April 2026.
As birds may have been housed for several months, there is a 7 day notice period to give keepers time to prepare. Keepers should follow the guidance on preparing to let birds outside again, including cleansing and disinfecting hard surfaces, fencing off ponds or standing water and reintroducing wild bird deterrents.
Birds must still be housed if you are in a protection zone or captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone. All keepers must continue to follow strict biosecurity measures to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading.
Mandatory biosecurity measures remain in place in England, Scotland and Wales.