- Location
- Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Avian flu Protection Measures in force.
- Thread starter Dealer
- Start date
- Location
- South Wales UK
Most free range xmas birds be dead by now anyhow I guess.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
I appreciate that, but I'm still wanting to understand how housing my 4 chucks (isolated from anything but the odd wild bird stealing food) is going to make any difference whatsoever, when the vastly bigger numbers of wild birds are potentially carrying disease all over the shop.
Possibly the reasoning is that some domestic birds are kept in. Very close contact with humans.
Not saying this is in any way comparable to poultry workers , but i was talking to an asthma specialist the other day who told me about a recent patient, a young girl who regularly took her pet chicken to bed!
This close contact human to bird is the perfect conditions for the virus to make the jump to humans.
Poultry workers should be very aware of this risk, but when you have tens of thousnds of people in the UK who believe their free range pets are no risk, they are very wrong. There are probably 10 times as many keep poultry as pets than do it commercially
Paddington
Member
- Location
- Soggy Shropshire
Non of our outbuildings are bird proof, at least to the dozens of house sparrows we have round here, Yorkshire boarding, gaps under doors, eaves etc so will have to settle for some bird proof netting when the wind drops. 
They're not happy.
bj_cardiff
Member
- Location
- Carmarthenshire
Just wondering how everyone is interpriting the rules regarding geese? My understanding is that they don't have to be housed?
dstudent
Member
I m really sorry for you Pasty my condoleces. I fell completly useless I wish I could help. All the best.
Thanks, we knew it was coming so really done a lot of grieving already. But sometimes it seems everything falls on you at once. I'm in the process of ordering a polytunnel and we've decided to up the budget and go much bigger so at least next time we could get all birds under cover in the cooler months at least. Problem is I keep rare breeds so not only are they hard to replace quickly, it would cost thousands and I would lose thousands of income most of next year. It's a bit of a nightmare scenario as I don't suppose there is any compo on hens and if there is it'll be based on brown layers at a few quid each. I've just got to do all I can and hope for the best. Doesn't help that I'm near the coast so probably first in line.
I'm netting all my outside runs which at least will stop the bigger birds getting in but not the little ones as my pens are all Heras panels. I suppose I could get a load of that cheap green plastic net for the panels. They'll still find the gaps though.Non of our outbuildings are bird proof, at least to the dozens of house sparrows we have round here, Yorkshire boarding, gaps under doors, eaves etc so will have to settle for some bird proof netting when the wind drops.
Grassman
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
I will struggle with all the layers inside for a month. I have some old polytunnel hoops which I think with some bale stack netting over will do as an outside safe area for them. If that's allowed. I'm not sure what the rules are.
It seems the rules are you have do your best. So you could show willing and probably get away with it. The flip side I guess is that if you do get hit, you will lose all your stock and your neighbours might not be happy either. I think I have just come up with a genius plan in the last 10 mins. Heras panels with the legs jammed in the ground and leaned together to form an inverted V. Could be as long as you like, assuming a grown human could get in there. Then decent tarps over the top and mesh on the ends. That might work for me as my groups are usually 10-15 birds. Where they are on the deck there would be maximum space and I would just have to keep chucking straw and shavings in so a deep litter system. I could probably knock all that up in a day.
Next question. Anyone know where one can purchase really good tarps? Pref green and ones which will last more than the 2 weeks the ebay ones do.
Next question. Anyone know where one can purchase really good tarps? Pref green and ones which will last more than the 2 weeks the ebay ones do.
I recall henrar mentioning a firm called Adams Tarpaulins, http://www.adamstarpaulins.com/ I believe this is them, Angus.
I think it may propaganda. I also think that stressing the birds and crowding them into a shed where pigeons and starlings may abound overhead, is a recipe for an outbreak. I realise that wild birds are not meant to be anywhere near the poultry, but in practice how many small keepers have that quality of housing.I appreciate that, but I'm still wanting to understand how housing my 4 chucks (isolated from anything but the odd wild bird stealing food) is going to make any difference whatsoever, when the vastly bigger numbers of wild birds are potentially carrying disease all over the shop.
- Location
- Near Beeston Castle
I have interpreted it that I don't have anywhere to put them indoors so can't.
At the weekend I am going to reduce their field in size so they will be out of any muddy bits, reason being I am trying to keep them out of possibly infected water as per the rules.
Friend of mine decided he didn't want to house his hens for a month so chopped their heads off. I don't plan on interpreting the rules that way for a couple of weeks yet.
oldoaktree
Member
- Location
- County Durham
I've locked my few geeese and hens up in an old out house buts it's been a right f on I feel for any commercial poultry farmer
- Location
- West Suffolk
Daniel
Member
- Location
- Mildenhall, Suffolk
Pretty well thanks, had a smother of 7 birds in one house this morning, which can happen whether the doors are open or not, but a reminder to keep on top of it. To be honest its so grim out they are better off with the doors shut, if only we could explain that to them! How are the ducks?
- Location
- West Suffolk
Good to hear, any drop in production?
The ducks are fine too, they probably would like a splash in water though.
The ducks are fine too, they probably would like a splash in water though.
Daniel
Member
- Location
- Mildenhall, Suffolk
Not so far, feed intake has decreased slightly in one shed so it's probably unsettled then a bit, will need to keep a close eye.
- Location
- SG9
@Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Not sure if you were at Newmarket on Wednesday APHA meeting but sure scares the life out of me.
The point perhaps that should be reiterated here I feel was the one about CPH Numbers. I understood it to be that if you are in an "IP" Zone with your own chickens not infected your whole CPH will be subject to an immediate and complete shut down and subject to Permit Movements for everything including personnel that could be using "Business" premises within that "CPH" area, am I right or wrong.
Hi Daniel,
Not sure if you were at Newmarket on Wednesday APHA meeting but sure scares the life out of me.
The point perhaps that should be reiterated here I feel was the one about CPH Numbers. I understood it to be that if you are in an "IP" Zone with your own chickens not infected your whole CPH will be subject to an immediate and complete shut down and subject to Permit Movements for everything including personnel that could be using "Business" premises within that "CPH" area, am I right or wrong.