Avian flu Protection Measures in force.

Goatherderess

Member
Location
North Dorset
My 14 hens are shut in with tarp on top of their enclosed run and I am amazed at all the pigeons, small birds and crows hanging round their pen. Driving round, I can see chickens wandering around in people's gardens and some on farms. I wouldn't want to be the backyard chicken owner responsible for a local outbreak....
 

llamedos

New Member
Confirmed. Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It's the same strain (H5N8) as in Louth, Lincolnshire in December 2016.

A 3 kilometre Protection Zone and 10 kilometre Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the infected premises, to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
 

Fleeced

Member
Two neighbouring farms are still free ranging their flocks. And the local shoot's pheasants are classed as wild birds and not subject to housing. They are tamer than my geese.
 

Old Boar

Member
Location
West Wales
Oh heck - that is a bit close to home! Mine are netted in a run but they are not happy, but the neighbour has a lot of chickens loose, and another has geese loose, and another with a flock of ducks all running around.
 

llamedos

New Member
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone that has been in place since 6 December will be extended until 28 February to help protect poultry and captive birds from avian flu, the Chief Veterinary Officer has announced.

The zone requires keepers of poultry and other captive birds to continue to keep their birds indoors, or take appropriate practical steps to keep them separate from wild birds.

It covers England and similar declarations have been made in Scotland and Wales. There is also a GB-wide ban on poultry shows and gatherings.

If you keep poultry, you must also practice good biosecurity to minimise the risk of infection spreading via items such as feed, clothing or equipment.

Public Health England advises that the risk to public health remains very low and the Food Standards Agency is clear that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said:

The Prevention Zone means anyone who keeps poultry such as chickens, ducks and geese, even as pets, must take action to stop them coming into contact with wild birds to protect them from avian flu.

Birds should be moved into a suitable building, or if that isn’t possible owners must take sensible precautions to keep them away from wild birds, like putting up netting to create a temporary enclosure and keeping food and water supplies inside where they cannot be contaminated by wild birds.

Even when birds are kept indoors a risk of infection remains so keepers must also practice good biosecurity, for example by disinfecting footwear and equipment and washing clothing after contact with birds.

The H5N8 strain of Avian Influenza has been circulating in Europe for several weeks. An outbreak was confirmed in turkeys at a farm in Lincolnshire on 16 December and swift action taken to limit the risk of spread, including a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone around the infected farm.

A further case was confirmed in a back yard flock in Carmarthenshire on 3 January and the Welsh Government has put in place control measures including a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone around the infected premises.

The disease has also been found in wild birds in Wales, England and Scotland.

Nigel Gibbens added:

Recent H5N8 avian flu findings in wild birds and a backyard flock in Wales highlight just how essential it is to minimise contact between wild and captive birds and maintain good biosecurity to reduce the risk of infection.

We must continue to be vigilant and do all we can to protect against this highly pathogenic strain of the disease, which is why we are extending the Prevention Zone, have introduced a ban on poultry gatherings and continue to strengthen surveillance to understand the extent of infection in wild birds.

Source APH-DEFRA
 
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llamedos

New Member
Post note in a second DEFRA email:


News story: Avian influenza (bird flu) in winter 2016 to 2017

4 January, 2017 at 03:09pm


[Updated: Updated following announcement that the prevention zone will be extended to 28 February 2017, and to reflect confirmation of avian influenza in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks in Carmarthenshire, Wales.]

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone that has been in place since 6 December will be extended until 28 February to help protect poultry and captive birds from avian flu, the Chief Veterinary Officer has announced.

did you miss this :scratchhead:
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
did you miss this :scratchhead:

No. This was the original you posted from:

Screen Shot 2017-01-04 at 15.31.52.png


This was the addendum they posted a few minutes later citing the domestic fowl affected in Carmarthenshire

Screen Shot 2017-01-04 at 15.32.00.png
 

Fleeced

Member
Can we have penalties for those that don't house?

Legislation on avian influenza

The legislation covering avian influenza includes:

Enforcement
Avian influenza controls are enforced by local authorities.

Penalties for offences
Breach of controls is an offence, with a penalty of up to £5,000 on summary conviction and up to 3 months’ imprisonment per offence.
 
I've got a small number of Geese, with the sole purpose to deter trespassers from entering my yard. They are males, and in no way productive.

There are foxes about, when I did keep poultry on a larger scale I had several attacks. Locking the Geese up will basically make them cornered, and therefore Fox fodder.

I'm at a loss as to what to do.

Should I lock them up, making them more likely to be killed by a fox, and making keeping them pointless?

Do I leave them out?

If they die suspiciously I'd obviously contact Defra. Waterfowl don't really show signs of bird flu, but I'm keeping a closer eye on them.


I'm in Essex, so not in the areas where bird flu has been found.

My yard is small, and fenced off. The only birds that tend to visit are a couple of Robins, and maybe a few pigeons.

I can shoot the pigeons if that is seen as being beneficial...
 

Chickcatcher

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
SG9
If they die suspiciously I'd obviously contact Defra. Waterfowl don't really show signs of bird flu, but I'm keeping a closer eye on them.


I'm in Essex, so not in the areas where bird flu has been found.


Sadly @edessex you say Waterfowl don't really show signs of bird flu perhaps you could tell that to the Cormorants that have perished or even the Perigrin. This strain "Kills" wildfowl . Worse than that it is a major carrier. Incubation period up to 20 odd days and can lay in an infective state for over 50 days
 
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SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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