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Compulsory housing: Poultry farming in Rudolstadt is strictly regulated!
Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district office orders poultry to be kept in affected districts in order to prevent avian influenza.
Compulsory housing: Poultry farming in Rudolstadt is strictly regulated!
What is happening in Rudolstadt? The city administration announces that the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district office has issued a general order to protect against avian influenza. This important measure affects the districts of Rudolstadt-Stadt, Oberpreilipp, Unterpreilipp, Cumbach, Volkstedt and Schwarza, where poultry and captive birds must be kept immediately. According to the notice published on November 6, 2025, the regulation will come into force the day after the notice.
To ensure the safety of the animals, poultry farmers must keep their animals in closed stables or under covered structures that are protected against wild birds. Permitted covers are nets or grids with a maximum mesh size of 25 mm. For some other areas in the district, installation requirements also apply, which are shown in a cartographic appendix. Anyone who has not yet reported their stocks is requested to do so immediately to the Veterinary and Food Inspection Office (VLÜA). The contact address is veterinaeramt@kreis-slf.de or by telephone at 03672 823-732.
Background of the measures
The reason for these drastic measures is confirmed evidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), better known as avian influenza, in Thuringia. Of particular concern are several outbreaks in domestic poultry flocks in October 2025 as well as positive findings in wild birds. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute has classified the risk of entry from wild birds as high since October 20, 2025. Water areas such as the Saale and the Hohenwarte reservoir contribute to an increased risk and require quick preventive measures.
The city administration of Rudolstadt appeals to all poultry farmers to consistently implement the housing obligation and the associated biosecurity measures. Failure to comply with the regulations can be treated as an administrative offense and punished with severe fines of up to 30,000 euros. Suspected cases of avian influenza must also be reported immediately to the veterinary office to ensure a quick response.
In conclusion, it remains to be said: In worrying times like these, it is important that the population is informed and sensitized. Only by acting together and implementing the measures ordered can the spread of avian influenza be avoided. Furthermore, a good hand when setting up the stables is required so that the animals can be protected as best as possible.