Victoria brings in mandatory poultry housing as bird flu spreads from the south

Victoria brings in mandatory poultry housing as bird flu spreads from the south

Victoria has become the first Australian state to introduce mandatory housing orders for chickens as H5N1 bird flu spreads from the state's south-west.

Poultry housing introduced in Victoria amid H5 bird flu detections

Image: davit85/stock.adobe.comVictoria has introduced temporary poultry housing requirements in higher risk areas following further detections of H5 bird flu in wild birds. The Victorian chief veterinary officer Dr Graeme Cooke has introduced the requirement for an initial 14 days, with poultry owners who keep 50 or more birds in metropolitan Melbourne, coastal areas and some neighbouring areas required to house their birds to reduce contact wit…