Poultry registration form guidance

It is a legal requirement* for all commercial premises with 50 or more poultry to register. This applies whether the 50 poultry are of a single species or a combination of the species below. Non-compliance could result in a £5000 fine.

The definition “commercial” does not refer to the shoot itself, but is for the purpose of identifying the compensation value of birds, should they need to be culled.

It then follows that all premises which have birds with a monetary compensation value are viewed to be “commercial”.

In any case, Defra have called for all shoots to register even those with less than fifty birds, but, of course, this would be voluntary.

Where companies keep poultry at more than one commercial poultry premises they should supply information for each separate premises on a separate form.

In addition, the requirement still applies if the premises are only usually stocked to this level for part of the year.

All premises with 50 birds or more in total need to be registered. This can be done by answering one question, that is to say, you are not required to register each pen separately.

Birds are considered captive in release pens until the birds can fly, or walk, freely to and from the pen.

Details of the name of the person responsible for the poultry at each premises and the legal owner of the poultry must be provided.

This form should be filled in by the keeper of the birds.

BASC reminds employed keepers that they should have permission from their employer before submitting information on their behalf.

For game bird premises, please note that the information supplied should only relate to captive birds and those still under the control of the keeper, and not to birds that may remain on the premises (for example, in a woodland area on the premises) after release.

For the purposes of the GB Register “poultry” means all birds reared, given, sold or kept in captivity for showing, breeding, the production of meat or eggs for consumption, the production of other commercial products or for restocking supplies of game.

The bird species which must be registered include the following:

• chickens (including bantams)
• pheasants when confined in a rearing or release pen
• partridges when confined in a rearing or release pen
• ducks when confined in a rearing or release pen
• turkeys
• pigeons (reared for meat)
• ostriches
• geese
• emus
• guinea fowl
• rheas
• quail
• cassowaries
• kiwis

If you keep large numbers of poultry and it is difficult to account for all individuals please provide an estimate based on your written records to within 10% accuracy.

Premises where all poultry and their eggs are kept by their owners for their own consumption or, in the case of poultry, as pets are not viewed as commercial.

Defra guidance can be found here

Download a copy of the GB Poultry Registration form below, the form is also available in Welsh:
*Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006
*Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) Regulations 2006
*Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Scotland) Order 2007

Completed forms must be sent to:
Email a scanned copy to customer.Registration@apha.gov.uk

Post the form to:
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA),
Cardiff Customer Service Centre,
Cromlin West,
Cardiff Edge Business Park,
Longwood Drive,
Whitchurch,
Cardiff,
CF14 7YU.