When will the housing order be lifted?

Published on : 27 Mar 2026

Looking at previous years, Housing Orders have generally been introduced between October and November and lifted between early April and mid May

The implementation of Housing Orders (HO) is risk based and takes into account a number of factors, including the level of infection in wild birds and the risk to commercial poultry. It is a devolved matter, with each part of the UK making its own decision based on its individual risk assessment.

With the situation, thankfully, improving, reflected in a much smaller number of wild birds testing positive, a marked slowdown in commercial cases, and improving weather as we move into spring, questions are beginning to be raised about when the current HO in England, Northern Ireland and Wales may be lifted.

Looking at previous years, Housing Orders have generally been introduced between October and November and lifted between early April and mid May. For example, the 2016 to 2017 order ran from November to April, 2020 to 2021 from December to April, 2021 to 2022 from November to May, and 2022 to 2023 from November to May. Last year, the HO was lifted in a phased approach beginning on 15 May, with the later timing reflecting a particularly difficult March, which saw 12 cases, and April, which saw six cases.

Historically, durations have ranged from around 100 to over 160 days. With the current order starting in late October to early November 2025, these patterns suggest that, if previous seasons are a guide, lifting would most likely fall towards the end of April. It is also possible that England, Northern Ireland and Wales could choose to lift their Housing Orders on different dates.

BFREPA attends the weekly Defra AI Core Group meetings where this issue is discussed, and the first substantive discussion on lifting the current HO took place yesterday. No decision has yet been made, but Defra were keen to hear the industry’s views.

Despite the last case in commercial poultry, both layers and poultry meat, being recorded on 24 January, BFREPA will be urging Defra, Daera and the Welsh Government to proceed with extreme caution, as it remains early days and members’ livelihoods are at risk. Members will be kept updated as discussions progress.