Northern Ireland: Poultry ordered to be kept indoors following confirmation of bird flu cases
7th November 2025
All poultry and captive birds on farms across Northern Ireland must now be kept indoors following the confirmation of new bird flu cases.
From Thursday 6th November 2025, it is a legal requirement for all bird keepers, such as commercial producers, smallholders, backyard flocks and pet bird owners, to house their birds or otherwise keep them separate from wild birds.
The housing order supplements the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) introduced on 1st November 2025.
A ban on the gatherings of galliformes (including pheasants, partridge, quail, chickens, turkey, guinea fowl), anseriformes (including ducks, geese, swans) and poultry has also been implemented.
Cases confirmed
DAERA confirmed today that following the conclusion of veterinary surveillance activities, the surveillance zone (SZ) put in place following confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in a commercial poultry premises outside Omagh, Co Tyrone, will be lifted.
This is effective from 2pm on Saturday 8th November 2025. PZs and SZs remain in place near Pomeroy, County Tyrone, and Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh.
H5N1 is present at commercial poultry premises near Pomeroy, County Tyrone, and Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh.
As a result, the temporary control zones (TCZs) that were put in place have now been revoked and replaced by 3km protection zones (PZs) and 10km surveillance zones (SZs) around each infected premises. These are effective from today, 7th November 2025.
The avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) for the whole of NI remains in place.
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