bird flu FREE-range poultry must now go into lockdown in a bid to protect against devastating bird flu. From December 14, all bird keepers, including those with small backyard flocks, will be legally required to keep their birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease. The housing order will stay in place until the government deems the risk has passed. The measures build on the strengthened biosecurity regulations brought in as part of the Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ) on November 11, following several confirmed outbreaks in wild and captive birds across the UK.