Flying Racing Pigeons (Columbiformes) The government’s rules on how to manage racing pigeons during a bird flu (avian influenza) outbreak can be seen here alongside a comprehensive guide to biosecurity here.

Source: RPRA Pigeon Racing News

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Flying Racing Pigeons (Columbiformes) The government’s rules on how to manage racing pigeons during a bird flu (avian influenza) outbreak can be seen here alongside a comprehensive guide to biosecurity here.

Bird Flu – Flying Racing Pigeons Flying Racing Pigeons (Columbiformes) The government’s rules on how to manage racing pigeons during a bird flu (avian influenza) outbreak can be seen here alongside a comprehensive guide to biosecurity here. For racing, you must apply for a general licence to gather your pigeons together at a club headquarters from the local APHA. Defra’s information booklet on bird gatherings can be seen here. If you are in a 3km protection zone or a 10km surveillance zone, the licence will not be granted. If the club headquarters is within one of these, it must be relocated beyond the confines of the zone and will require a new licence. In any other area you must follow strict biosecurity rules which can be found here. The following provisions apply to all keepers of racing pigeons, doves or other columbiformes in the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, including where there is mandatory housing in place: Keepers may temporarily let their birds out briefly before feeding each day to meet the bird’s welfare requirements for up to an hour. Lofts/bird houses must not be left open for several hours for the birds to come and go as they please. Contact between the racing pigeons, doves or other Columbiformes either directly or indirectly with wild birds must be minimised wherever possible. Pigeons from the same loft/pigeon house may be transported to a point some distance from the home loft/pigeon house and released/liberated and allowed to return to the loft/pigeon house as part of a training and conditioning programme. The vehicle used and baskets/boxes must be cleansed and disinfected using a government- approved disinfectant. Provided the gathering is registered with APHA and the conditions of the “General licence to arrange a fair, market, show, exhibition or other gathering involving the collecting together of captive birds in England” are complied with, pigeon racing and multi-loft training are permitted whilst the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone is in force. Birds may be basketed, marked and transported to a liberation site and released to fly back to their home loft/pigeon house. The vehicle/transporter and baskets/boxes must be cleansed and disinfected using a government approved disinfectant. Pigeons, doves and other Columbiformes may be transported to another location and released to fly free at functions and events provided the birds are either gathered again and returned to their home premises as soon as practical or they fly to return to their home premises. Care should be taken to avoid locations where there are large numbers of wild birds or domestic poultry. An event where birds from more than one premises are present is a bird gathering and must be registered with APHA and meet the conditions of “General licence to arrange a fair, market, show, exhibition or other gathering involving the collecting together of captive birds in England”. DO NOT RELEASE RACING PIGEONS IN A 3KM OR 10KM CONTROL ZONE! One or two RPRA approved liberation sites do fall within a 3km or 10km control zone, and the…