• Isolate new stock for 2-3 weeks (quarantine)
• Isolate birds after taking to an exhibition for 7 days
• Change clothes and wash boots before and after visiting other breeders
• Change clothes and wash boots before and after attending a sale
• Keep fresh poultry disinfectant at the entrance to poultry areas for dipping footwear and prevent wild birds (particularly wildfowl) from accessing feed and ground area, do not let chickens forage under wild bird feeders. Virkon S is proven to control poultry pathogens including avian influenza virus
• Disinfect crates before and after use, especially if lent to others. However, it is preferable not to be sharing equipment
• Disinfect vehicles which have been on poultry premises but avoid taking vehicles onto other premises
• Wash hands before and after handling poultry
• Comply with any import/export regulations/guidelines

These are common-sense measures which can easily be incorporated into daily routine.

It is important to quarantine new stock in case they are bringing disease with them. If they do not show any signs after 2-3 weeks, it is probably safe to mix them with your original stock.

Which disinfectant is best for poultry?
Any disinfectant based on phenol is toxic to poultry unless very well rinsed off. Thus it is better to use one that is not toxic to birds but still effective. There are really only two choices: Virkon (see pdf below) or
F10 (http://www.f10products.co.uk/)

Virkon information

Post mortem technique
Post mortem technique