Bird flu confirmed on North Lincolnshire duck farm: new 3km and 10km zones in force

5 November 2026

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) has been confirmed on a commercial duck farm near Brigg, North Lincolnshire. It is the second commercial poultry case in England this season, after a free-range flock near Belford, Northumberland, on 19 October. It is also the third UK commercial case in a fortnight, following an outbreak near Biggar in the Scottish Borders on 2 November.

What has happened

Defra confirmed the case on the evening of Wednesday 4 November. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) declared a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone around the premises at 19:15 that evening. The outbreak is designated AIV 2026/23. All poultry on the infected farm will be culled.

Industry outbreak records suggest around 64,000 ducks are affected, but the official notification gives no bird count, so treat that figure as unconfirmed.

Why it matters

Each new commercial case early in the season raises the chance of further spread, particularly with wild bird risk currently assessed as medium. APHA rates the risk to poultry as low where biosecurity is poor, and very low where good biosecurity is consistently maintained. The Chief Veterinary Officer has said good biosecurity is the best defence.

What farmers need to do

• Inside the 3km zone: birds must be housed, and movements on or off premises are banned unless licensed. Controls also cover eggs, poultry meat, litter, manure and slurry. These rules come from news reports, so check the full zone declaration on GOV.UK for the exact wording.
• In the 10km zone: be ready for the surveillance zone movement rules, and check the declaration for the specific requirements.
• Everywhere: bird gatherings such as markets and shows are prohibited within the control zones. Keepers elsewhere should tighten biosecurity now, including on mixed farms, and watch feed and water consumption closely, as APHA advises.
• Report suspicion early: contact APHA or your vet. FarmingUK gives 03000 200 301 for England, but our earlier post listed a different number, so check the number on GOV.UK before ringing.

Zone rules stay in place until Defra lifts them, and there is no end date yet.

Sources

• Bird flu outbreak strikes Lincolnshire duck farm, triggering poultry cull, FarmingUK
• Bird flu confirmed in commercial duck flock in Lincolnshire, Poultry News

This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice.