Nearly 100,000 hens to be culled in Gelderland after avian flu outbreak
A poultry farm in Neede, Gelderland, has confirmed an avian flu case, leading to the culling of 97,450 hens. Residents and farmers within a 10-kilometer zone face transport bans, impacting local businesses and animal welfare.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Neede, municipality of Berkelland, Gelderland |
| Number of hens to be culled | 97,450 |
| Affected zone radius | 10 kilometers |
| Poultry farms in 10km zone | 21 |
| Transport ban | Birds, hatching eggs, table eggs, manure, and used litter |
| National measures | Indoor housing and containment obligation since October 2025 |
| Visitor restrictions | Ban on visiting bird enclosures tightened since November 2025 |
| Responsible authorities | Ministry of Agriculture, NVWA |
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) is responsible for managing animal disease outbreaks, including avian flu, to protect public health and the agricultural sector. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) enforces these measures to prevent further spread and ensure compliance.
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Read the full translated article below
Avian flu confirmed in Neede, Gelderland
Avian flu has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Neede (municipality of Berkelland, province of Gelderland), specifically at a meat chicken breeder facility. To prevent the spread of the virus, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) has decided to cull approximately 97,450 hens at the location, as carried out by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
There are no other poultry farms within the 1-kilometre and 3-kilometre zones surrounding the infected location. Within the 10-kilometre zone, there are 21 other poultry farms.
Transport ban
An immediate transport ban is now in effect across the entire 10-kilometre zone. This means that birds, hatching eggs and/or table eggs may not be transported from locations with poultry within this zone. The ban also applies to the removal of poultry manure and used litter. These measures are necessary to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the country. Other animals and their products may still be transported to and from poultry locations, provided this is done in accordance with the strict conditions of the hygiene protocol.
The location of the 10-kilometre zone can be viewed on the Animal Diseases Viewer of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
National measures
A national indoor housing and containment obligation has been in effect in the Netherlands since 16 October 2025. The indoor housing obligation applies to all commercially kept birds. The containment obligation applies to non-commercially kept high-risk birds (for example, hobby chickens).
Since 26 November 2025, the national ban on visiting bird enclosures has been tightened. Visits to these facilities are only permitted if the visit is necessary for public health, animal health, animal welfare or the health of people present in the barn.
Tracing investigation
The NVWA is conducting a tracing investigation into high-risk contacts. This involves examining whether products or poultry were transported to or from this location in the period prior to the report. Additional measures, such as extra sampling or blocking a high-risk contact farm, may follow if necessary. These measures will be announced via an update to this press release and through the online channels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).