Bird flu prompts cull in England

England ordered a new cull of commercial poultry near Gainsborough after highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu was confirmed there on April 14. (gov.uk) The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the case was found at a third large commercial poultry unit near Gainsborough, in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire. Officials imposed a 3-kilometre protection zone and a 10-kilometre surveillance zone around the site. (gov.uk) (yahoo.com) A separate H5N1 case was confirmed on April 11 at commercial poultry premises near Market Rasen, also in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire County Council said the same 3-kilometre and 10-kilometre control zones were declared around that site. (lincolnshire.gov.uk) (farmersguide.co.uk) Those detections came just after England lifted mandatory housing measures for poultry and other captive birds at 12:01 a.m. on April 9, 2026. The national Avian Influenza Prevention Zone still remains in force, so keepers must continue biosecurity and hygiene rules even though birds can go outside again in most areas. (gov.uk) (nfuonline.com) In practice, the rule change split England’s response in two. National housing rules were eased, but any infected premises still triggers local lockdown-style controls on bird movements, eggs, equipment and related materials. (gov.uk 1) (gov.uk 2) Bird flu, also called avian influenza, is a virus that spreads among birds through droppings, saliva and contaminated ground, feed or water. When H5N1 is confirmed in commercial flocks, the standard response is to humanely cull the birds and lock down the surrounding area to limit spread. (yahoo.com) (gov.uk) Lincolnshire has been a recurring hotspot this season. County and national notices list the April 11 Market Rasen case and the April 14 Gainsborough case, and FarmingUK reported a third commercial outbreak was also confirmed on April 14 near Great Shelford in Cambridgeshire. (lincolnshire.gov.uk) (farminguk.com) The Gainsborough area had already dealt with an earlier outbreak this season. Government records show H5N1 was confirmed near Gainsborough on November 23, 2025, and all poultry on that premises were culled before the local protection zone was later scaled back. (gov.uk) For poultry farmers, the immediate next step is not national policy but the map around each infected farm. Outside birds may be allowed again in much of England, but around Gainsborough and Market Rasen the disease-control zones now set the rules. (gov.uk) (lincolnshire.gov.uk)