Different brand auto door??

[The Dogmother]

The only movement of my eggs at the moment is from the nest to my mouth (via the pan)

[Lesley]

Yuk! - that conjured up a rather nasty image for a moment then

 

I've sold 5 dozen eggs this morning

[The Dogmother]

Good for you Lesley - Ian is after some too, so he may call you/be at the market tomorrow.

[LJ's Chooks]

Wow I've not logged on for a few days ... this stuff is scary! My heart goes out to those of you affected, we're down the road in sunny hampshire, so not a million miles away.

 

when people say they are keeping their chooks under cover... what does that mean... just a roof over them or physically inside an outbuilding?

 

sorry for the dim question, but I'd like to be prepared.

[Christian]

A cover over the run is fine LJ. Not a dim question at all

[The Dogmother]

That's alright LJ, it's not daft at all.

 

DEFRA are happy to class them as under cover if they are inside the Omlet run and it is covered. So using shower curtains to cover the run is sufficient. The idea is to prevent any contact with wild birds.

 

The restrictions do mean that we're not allowed to move any poultry however - one of my girls has been poorly and needs to go to the vet (5 mins walk away) but they have to come out as i can't move the chook.

[LJ's Chooks]

thanks Claret & Christian (not sure my chooks would survive without you two watching from afar!!!)

 

Claret - I hope things improve, and your sick chook gets better. We're still egg free thanks to our vet...oh and visit from lice of course! only another 7 weeks to go!!! I even had to buy eggs this week.... nearly 2 pounds in Sainsbury's.... I'm going to stop giving them away!!! I should be swapping for Wine!!!

 

Good luck everyone with bird flu...

[The Dogmother]

A cover over the run is fine LJ. Not a dim question at all

 

Sorry Christian, cross-posted.

[UkButton]

I'm right on the blavk line of of the second zone... Any do's don'ts or must haves?

[The Dogmother]

Just keep checking the DEFRA site D; the statements changed several times last week, so I am checking on a daily basis.

 

If you're in the outer zone, then no need to keep them under cover any more, but you can't sell your eggs, nor move the chooks around.

[Bexiboo]

Just a quicky q. My husband is picking up our chooks on the weekend and may have to drive through the zones to get to where they are (they are at a home not a farm) where they are is miles away from the zone so they are ok to be moved but I am guessing he will have to make sure he drives home around the zone rather than through it?

 

Thanks.

[The Dogmother]

You'd have to check that with DEFRA, but my guess is that so long as the chooks are in a box and under cover, in a car that it will be OK. The disease is only spread by contact with infected birds or their faeces.

[Gallina]

I think that all hen-keepers should have some means of covering their run handy. It's better to be prepared, just in case bird flu breaks out near you.

 

And if you go on holiday, tell your chicken-sitters where this cover is! Otherwise they will be very stressed if there is a local outbreak, and may not realize that the only action they need take is to throw a cover over the run.

 

The local BBC news showed DEFRA going door to door in the inner zone near Banbury asking people if they kept birds (it's not just hens, but canaries etc. too). I thought it was so daft that they had to deal with the outbreak in this medieval way that I signed up on the poultry register. You don't have to do this if you have fewer than 50 birds, but if you do you should get up-to-date information if you are affected (although I gather that people who did hear from DEFRA had heard it on the news first....)

[The Dogmother]

It's daft isn't it? I know quite a few poultry keepers around here, som,e with large flocks that are registered with DEFRA; none of them have heard anything from DEFRA and wouldn't have any information at all if it weren't for the internet.

[Lesley]

We're registered - and we've still not heard a thing

 

We're on the black line of the outer zone as well UKButton - it runs across the next field we think. As our address is technically the village which is 2 miles away then I presume that is where DEFRA think we live

[The Dogmother]

I saw the vet this evening (to have Sadie put to sleep ) and he hasn't heard when the restrictions are likely to be lifted.

[Hen Watch]

I signed up on the poultry register. You don't have to do this if you have fewer than 50 birds, but if you do you should get up-to-date information if you are affected (although I gather that people who did hear from DEFRA had heard it on the news first....)

 

Yes I got the info on text the following day on Wednesday 4th. But I wonder if they have some kind of priority system ??? I assume with only 4 birds I must be classed as lower risk and also outside the zone so perhaps they stagger the alert info???? I am still pleased to get texts though, as I often don't watch the news on busy days, or even, like 2 weeks ago, I was on holiday with no TV and then I would have had to inform my chicken sitter if any measures were needed.

 

If you want to know what mobile text info I was sent, I added it to this post.

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25958

 

Also just found this interesting info on DEFRA website about their alert system. It says "The GB Poultry Register allows Government and its Agencies to contact poultry keepers about important developments regarding disease in a targeted way through email, post and SMS text by mobile. To date the use of SMS text to mobiles has proved to be the most efficient, direct and popular route................"

"If you are not a poultry keeper but wish to receive SMS text alerts to your mobile you may register for this service"

 

So it seems that you can register to get the texts if you are NOT a poultry keeper but as it asks you for your company details I assume it is for people working in the poultry industry.