Form

Poultry and other captive birds: registration rules and forms

How and when you must register as a bird keeper (including for any birds you keep as pets).

Documents

Register to be a keeper of 50 or more poultry or other captive birds (IRA81) - compulsory

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Register to be a keeper of less than 50 poultry or other captive birds (IRA82) - voluntary

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Details

In this guide, poultry and other captive birds includes:

  • chickens
  • turkeys
  • aviary birds
  • birds of prey
  • cassowaries
  • ducks
  • emus
  • geese
  • guinea fowls
  • kiwis
  • ostriches
  • partridges
  • pheasants
  • pigeons
  • psittacines (for example parrots, budgies and cockatiels)
  • quails
  • rheas

You’re a bird keeper if you’re in charge of the day-to-day care of birds, including any you keep as pets.

Compulsory registration – 50 or more birds

You must register using the compulsory registration form within one month of keeping 50 or more birds on your premises. You’re breaking the law if you do not register. The law applies if you keep:

  • 50 or more birds captive for any period of time
  • flocks made up of different species, such as chickens, ducks or geese
  • birds for the consumption of meat and eggs, restocking of game birds, other commercial purposes or breeding for any of these 3 purposes

You’ll need this information to complete the form:

  • your contact details
  • details of the person or company that owns or rents your site
  • your site’s location and county parish holding (CPH) number - (find out how to get a permanent CPH number in England, Scotland and Wales)
  • details of the birds you keep and how you farm them (species, number you usually keep, what you keep them for, your farming system)
  • how many birds of each species you usually keep each month (your stocking arrangements)
  • details of any businesses you supply with your poultry
  • a list of other livestock you keep on the site

Voluntary registration – less than 50 birds

You can register 49 birds or less, including any you keep as pets. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) encourages you to register even though you do not have to by law.

By registering:

  • APHA will be able to contact you if there’s a disease outbreak (such as bird flu) in your area
  • you’ll help prevent the spread of disease and protect the national poultry flock

You’ll need this information to complete your application:

  • your contact details
  • details of the owner of the birds (if this is not you)
  • the location where you keep the birds
  • details of the birds you keep (species, number and what you keep them for)

You can register online by either:

Where to send your application

Send your application by email to customer.registration@apha.gov.uk or send it by post to:

Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Cardiff Customer Service Centre
Cromlin West
Cardiff Edge Business Park
Longwood Drive
Whitchurch
Cardiff
CF14 7YU

Alternatively, you can call the Animal and Plant health Agency (APHA) on 03000 200 301 and apply over the phone.

For the voluntary registration of less than 50 birds you can also use the online service.

Get help

If you need help completing the forms, contact the Great Britain Poultry Register helpline:

Disease alerts

You do not need to sign up to receive disease alerts for notifiable poultry diseases if you are registered on the Great Britain poultry register.

To receive email and text alerts for other exotic notifiable diseases register with the APHA alerts service.

Pollution prevention and control (PPC) permits

If your premises can hold more than 40,000 birds, you may need to apply for a PPC permit. Read guidance from:

A Welsh translation of the forms and guidance is also available.

Published 6 November 2018
Last updated 12 December 2023 + show all updates
  1. Updated the forms and guidance. Added a link to new online service for voluntary registration.

  2. Removed coronavirus (COVID-19) references relating to applications.

  3. Updated the forms with a new office address.

  4. Added coronavirus statement on sending application by email.

  5. Disease alerts section updated

  6. Documents updated with email address

  7. Document IRA81 and IRA81(Welsh) updated

  8. Documents updated

  9. Added translation

  10. First published.