The Irish Farmer's Association (IFA) is calling on poultry producers to house their birds now rather than waiting for a housing order to come into effect.

A compulsory housing order will come into effect on Monday, November 10, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon announced yesterday (Wednesday, November 6).

There have been two cases of avian influenza (bird flu) at two commercial turkey premises.

The first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was confirmed on Tuesday (November 4) in a commercial turkey flock in Co. Carlow.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed the second case in a turkey flock on a premises near Kells, Co. Meath yesterday.

Reacting to the confirmation of a second case of avian flu on a turkey farm in Co. Meath, IFA poultry chairperson Nigel Sweetnam said there "has to be a laser-like focus" on biosecurity across the country.

"Flock owners must work to guarantee the tightest controls are in place," Sweetnam said.

"The housing order takes effect from next Monday, but producers should house their birds and take the necessary steps to protect their birds," he added.

Sweetnam called on poultry producers to review their biosecurity protocols in detail and ensure there are "no gaps anywhere".

"Housing the birds is an additional protection, but effective biosecurity protocols that minimise the risk are our number one defence," he said.

"The risk is so high that only controls that are strictly implemented and managed robustly will work in the fight to limit the spread of avian flu," the IFA poultry chairperson added.

Housing order

Announcing the housing order yesterday, Minister Heydon said: “Due to the increased risk of avian influenza to our poultry, I am taking action to reduce the threat to our industry and to our poultry farmers’ livelihoods.

"Poultry and captive birds must, from Monday, November 10, be housed or confined in such a manner that they do not have access to other poultry, captive birds, or wild birds," the minister explained.

Minister Heydon emphasised the importance of biosecurity, describing it as the single most effective way to prevent the virus spreading from wild birds into poultry, or between poultry flocks.

"All those who have poultry or kept birds must take strict precautions and exercise the highest standards of biosecurity to protect their flocks from the threat of avian influenza, and to protect the poultry sector in Ireland," Minister Heydon said.