Poultry in Britain must be registered

Poultry owners in Britain have less than two months to register their flocks on the national Poultry Register, government officials said.

The Great Britain Poultry Register is essential to prepare for any outbreak of avian flu, said Lord William Bach, Undersecretary of State for Sustainable Farming and Food in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

"Of course we hope our poultry flocks stay disease-free but we cannot ignore the risk," he said during a visit to a hatchery and two poultry farms in Bampton.

"The register will mean we can build up a detailed picture of our flocks, their location and their size and this means we will be able to respond effectively in the event of an outbreak."

Bach said he was encouraged that many poultry organizations have responded to the call for flocks to be registered.

"I want to remind people that anyone who has more than 50 birds needs to register them with us by Feb. 28," he said.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International