Since 2 December 2025, all poultry farmers in the district of Ludwigsburg who keep all or part of their poultry in a zone up to 500 meters to the right or 500 meters to the left of the banks of the Neckar or in the districts of Hessigheim, Benningen or Neckarweihingen must keep their poultry indoors. This means that poultry may either only be kept in closed stables or under a device consisting of an overhanging, tight cover that is secured at the top against entry and a side boundary that is secured against the entry of wild birds. Nets or grids with a maximum mesh size of 25 millimeters can also be used as a top cover.
Poultry farmers can use the following link to check whether the parcel of land on which they keep poultry is wholly or partly within one of the two 500-meter zones: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/699bcbef5a85453293359e68c9885ca2. Information can also be obtained from the Ludwigsburg District Office Veterinary and Food Inspection Department, Hindenburgstr. 20/3, Room 111, 71638 Ludwigsburg, Tel. 07141 144-2031.
Poultry exhibitions and poultry markets prohibited
The stricter biosecurity measures continue to apply to all other poultry farmers in the district from the first animal onwards. The general decree prohibits poultry exhibitions, poultry markets and events of a similar nature within the two 500-meter zones and in the districts of Hessigheim, Benningen and Neckarweihingen.
Under certain conditions, the veterinary office can approve exceptions to the obligation to keep poultry confined in individual cases. Anyone who violates the obligation to keep animals in stables commits an administrative offense, which is punishable by a fine.
Stabling obligation is intended to prevent the spread of avian influenza to poultry flocks
"The risk of poultry kept outdoors coming into contact with the avian influenza pathogen is significantly higher than for poultry kept exclusively indoors. Influenza viruses are transmitted to domestic poultry primarily through contact with virus-containing excrement from wild birds that has been released into surface water, feed or the litter of poultry kept outdoors," explains Dr. Ulrich Koepsel, Head of the Veterinary and Food Monitoring Department. However, influenza viruses could also be introduced into poultry houses by the livestock owner via litter, equipment, footwear or clothing contaminated with excrement from infected wild birds. For this reason, it is of great importance that the mandatory biosecurity measures are observed even in the smallest poultry farms in order to prevent the spread of avian influenza from wild birds to poultry flocks and thus not to endanger the animal production - eggs and poultry meat - of high-quality food in Baden-Württemberg.
Poultry are only officially ordered to be kept indoors if the epidemic pressure and the risk of the virus entering the domestic poultry population from the wild poultry population is high and this measure is therefore absolutely necessary. Local conditions and the occurrence of infected wild birds play a role in the decision as to where in the district a containment order is issued. As it is not always possible to keep poultry in a closed barn due to animal welfare concerns, the possibility of preventing poultry from coming into contact with wild birds or their excrement in other ways, such as secured side boundaries and covers, has been opened up.
