All poultry keepers, even those with just a few birds, will need to log their flocks on a national register this autumn.

Under current rules only those with 50 birds or more must submit their details.

But as part of a move to tighten up disease control following avian influenza outbreaks, this requirement is being extended to every poultry keeper in Wales.

The register will be used to identify all bird keepers in disease control zones, enabling more effective surveillance.

Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council, said that “timely communication’’ would ensure that all bird keepers received important updates and stayed informed, “amplifying efforts to work together to track and control the spread of avian influenza’’.

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“Alongside stringent biosecurity measures, registration is another tool in the toolbox to safeguard bird health,’’ said Mr Griffiths.

Bird keepers will need to provide information such as contact details, the location where birds are kept, the species and number of birds and what they are kept for.

Keepers are encouraged to register their birds ahead of the legal deadline on 1 October 2024.

It comes after the UK’s worst ever outbreak of avian influenza, with more than 360 cases across Great Britain since late October 2021, including in a significant number of backyard flocks.