Applying for a licence
Licences can be obtained from the APHA using the online . To apply online you will need to register and create sign in details. There will be two steps for verification.
Once registered, applying online means you can track the status of your application and receive your licence electronically via the new system.
Please apply for licences in advance to allow sufficient time for them to be processed. General licences for certain activities are available at: .
You can find out if you are in a disease control zone by using the .
Please note that
- if your holding falls partially within a protection zone and partially within a surveillance zone or disease free area, your entire holding is considered to be in the protection zone, and
- if your holding falls partially within a surveillance zone and partially within a disease free area, your holding is considered to be in the surveillance zone.
Carrying out on-farm slaughter and processing of seasonal poultry inside disease control zones
If your holding is within a 3km Protection Zone (PZ) or a 10km Surveillance Zone (SZ) a licence is required to carry out on-farm slaughter and sell poultry meat direct to consumers or to local retail premises for direct sales to customers only.
Only birds produced on the same CPH (County Parish Holding) which have been reared on farm* can be slaughtered on-farm.
*Reared on farm could include:
- Day Old Chicks that are grown on the farm and then split into different sheds but within the same premises or CPH are considered to be reared on the farm.
- Poultry, such as turkeys which are grown and then sent to the farm for finishing before a zone was in place are classed as birds suitable for on-farm slaughter.
- After a zone is in place birds which are moved onto the farm for finishing must have been on the farm where the on-farm slaughter facility is located for a minimum of three weeks.
On-farm slaughter licences require a pre-slaughter inspection by an OV (Official Veterinarian) to confirm the birds are free of any signs of avian influenza (this will need to be carried out at the poultry keeper鈥檚 expense).
Inspection by a veterinary inspector is required in a 3km PZ (Protection Zone) 鈥� you should liaise with APHA and provide plenty of notice so that this can be scheduled.
In addition, if any part of your holding with poultry is within a 3km PZ your on-farm slaughter facility must also be appropriately designated by the APHA.
If your holding is outside of a 3km PZ but within a 10km Surveillance Zone (SZ) an APHA designation for your on-farm slaughter facility is not currently required but this is under review so please before commencing any movements/slaughtering.
Find out more about the rules at: .
Restrictions on farmgate or direct to retail sales within disease control zones
A licence (EXD 393(PZ)) is required to move meat produced from animals originating in a 3km Protection Zone (PZ).
The licence for on-farm slaughter also covers the sale of that poultry meat as long as it is direct to consumers or to local retail premises for direct sales to customers only.
You must not apply a health or identification mark to meat from a PZ.
If your holding is outside of a 3km PZ but within a 10km Surveillance Zone (SZ) then no licence is required to move meat from birds slaughtered on-farm.
Record keeping
Records must be kept of the name and address of any person visiting a premises within a 3km PZ or 10km SZ, the date of the visit and whether the person had any contact with poultry or captive birds on the premises. Please make sure that any personal data is collected and stored in a way that is GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliant.
You should also record the quantities of poultry meat moved from the slaughter facility to the farm shop, local retailer or customer collection area.
You should also retain good records of mortality, feed intake, water intake for at least the previous five days before movement to the on-farm slaughter facility in respect of all poultry at the source premises by the owner of the premises and examined during the pre-movement inspection of the poultry.
Biosecurity measures on collection day
Anyone who enters or leaves premises within a disease control zone by vehicle must cleanse and disinfect any part of the vehicle which may have been contaminated.
If members of the public are coming onto your premises to collect poultry meat then appropriate steps should be taken to avoid any contamination from their vehicles or footwear.
It is advisable to keep public away from poultry areas and have them park off site or in a location which is far away for poultry.
If you are delivering poultry meat from within a disease control zone you must cleanse and disinfect the vehicle and any equipment used to carry or transport the meat as soon as it is unloaded.
It is a legal requirement to abide by the biosecurity measures defined in the disease control zone declaration and the nationwide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone.
More information on biosecurity is available at: .
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