Michelle1123 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Following the outbreak of HN51 Avian Flu we have been *asked* by our neighbours to get rid of our hens, as they are worried about the risks to themselves. So would anybody be willing to give a good home to our 2 beautiful hens. (medium size) They are under a year old, one lays daily (has every day since we got her) and the other lays about 5 times a week. No lull in laying over the winter! They are goodlife hens, and are fully vaccinated against salmonella and the like. They have been fed an organic diet of layers pellets, and kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s. (they love marmite on toast, and blueberries!) Much loved hens, so loving home needed! ETA: We are just off J14 of the M1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Cant believe your neighbours are complaining. As usual the media are scaring the public. There is more chance of someone dying of normal flu than avian flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Please don't respond to your neighbours ill informed request. Wait until there is some realistic guidance before you make any sort of decision. My guess is that the whole thing will have blown over in a couple of weeks. Something more newsworthy will knock it off the top spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Whilst I can understand that you want to be on good terms with your neighbours, what has it got to do with them? I can appreciate that it is difficult as you have to live near them, but it is your choice to keep chickens! Unless you share a garden, I can't really see why they are getting involved. Do they still eat eggs after the salmonella scare, beef after the CJD scare, foot and mouth???? Why not go on the defra website and print off details to explain to them the risks etc. I'm sure they will understand your attachment to your girls. Sorry to sound a bit bullish, but that would be answer (probably not as polite ) Best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 im with you christian. Just told my hubby about this post and his reply is something I couldnt repeat on this forum !! I've been reading up about Avian Flu tonight. "it is unlikely that backgarden chickens will be at risk unless they come into contact with migratory birds - swans, geese, ducks etc. And cannot be caught from normal garden birds" I agree - arm yourself with information and advise this to your neighbours. Try to reassure them there is no panic....you have 2 garden chickens, your'e not a commercial chicken farmer! good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 To be honest I couldn't type what I was really thinking C x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I agree with everyone above. Its not always easy to stand up to someone who has a fixed view on something like this, but I am afraid they are simply wrong to ask you to do this Please be strong & try to give them the plain & true facts. So many of us are going to have to deal with people like this I can imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Oh Michelle - what a worry for you - just to add my voice of support to all the others - please dont re home your chooks immediately - try and explain to your neighbours what the real risks are (i.e. non existent or minimal FROM your chooks) Lots of positive thoughts xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Hi Michelle, I'm going to back up what the others have said on this too - it sounds like you love your chickens so it would be awful for you to regret this later.... You say that your neighbours have *asked* you to get rid of your chickens which makes it sound like they are being quite forceful/agressive. Poor you. Hopefully when you got the chickens you checked that there were no local bylaws stating you're not supposed to have chickens and nothing in the deeds of your house......in which case you are legally allowed to keep chickens whether your neighbours like it or not. Arm yourself with the info from Defra and see if your neighbours will have a rational conversation with you about this. There is a national register that only people keeping over 50 birds are legally required to sign up to but those with less birds can also do so on a voluntary basis - Defra say it is so they can contact people immediately in case of breaking news or an emergency situation - you could offer to sign up to this and see if it calms your neighbours down. I wonder if anyone else on the forum has already been approached by neighbours about this..... You have loads of support from us lot here, please keep in touch, Lorna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conkers Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Michelle, good luck with this. I know how hard it must be when you have unsupportive neighbours, in this case, sounds like they are looking for any excuse to deprive you of your hens. Having just lost one I know how gut wrenching this must be for you. Mean people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Please keep hold of your lovely chooks - Your neighbours are having a knee jerk reaction made worse by our appalling media. I would be gutted if my neighbours asked me to get rid of the girls. Please, please don't rehome them.... If needs be I'm sure someone would 'chicken sit' them until the furore is over. MK is miles from Lowestoft so hang on in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Don't panic! You don't live anywhere near Bernard Matthews! Keep your hens in the run for a week or two, and keep it covered so that your birds have no contact with wild birds. This is a sensible precaution for everyone at the moment, and it will show your neighbours that you are making an effort. Provided this outbreak does not spread, the fuss will soon blow over. I had a lot of snide comments last time there was an outbreak, but it has stopped now (except from my 86-year-old mother, who still reminds me to wash my hands every time I go near my chickens: but at least she is worrying about me, not about herself!). In the meantime, if your neighbours have any trees in their garden, tell them that they are far more likely to catch avian flu from a bird in a tree than from a run on the ground, as bird's mess (by which the disease is spread) is subject to the laws of gravity. Wild birds are the most serious threat, and they are common to everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I agree with everything that has been said. Please talk to your neighbours if you can. If you have an eglu and it would make your life easier (it is horrible to fall out with neighbours) you can bring your girls for a holiday with us for a few weeks - we are about 40 minutes away, the other side of Bedford. We have a bit of grass left for them! But try and hang on in there. We are going to keep an eye on the news today to decide whether we will stop our girls free-ranging - I am not too worried but it might allay any fears our neighbours may have. They have not said anything yet but they might after today's newspapers. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveypup Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I agree with everybody too. The media unfortunately love scaremongering - it sells newspapers! I wonder how your neighbours would feel if you asked them to get rid of their dog (if they have one) as you were allergic, or one of their children because they are obnoxious! Some people love nothing better in life than whinging and moaning about something or other. Stand your ground you are doing nothing wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I wonder how your neighbours would feel if you asked them to get rid of one of their children because they are obnoxious! Now THAT is a good idea - it would make the world a much nicer place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Or their car, as they might possibly run you over..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 or they might give you a cold by breathing in their own back garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrookhamChooks Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 or they might give you a cold by breathing in their own back garden Worse, they might give you flu! Sorry to be so flippant in this thread, but really, some peoples ignorance and hysteria really should be mocked. I hope your neighbours see sense, Michelle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 and if they dont, we'll come round and sort them out for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and that's my thoughts on this matter. I blame the scaremongering sensationalising media. If the true facts could be told in a sensible manner everyone would realise that the risk is soooooooooooooooo minisculing minimally minimal that it's not even worth mentioning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley H Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 You poor thing...how awful! Please don't give in to the meanies!!! They are speaking from ignorance...human nature, I'm afraid...but take this opportunity to educate them! Get the facts...maybe print them a little leaflet and invite them around for an omlet! Seriously...you may really regret it in the future if you give in...like everyone says. Think about it hard before you decide what you want to do! Good luck in your decision x x x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I thought you only needed to keep your chickens in if you were in the exclusion zone? My girls are freeranging in our garden as normal and will continue to do so, unless Defra say otherwise. I agree with you Paola, we think a person carried in the infection into the turkeys. (hubby is convinced someone did it on purpose ) He works with poultry all day in those large houses and said there is absolutely NO WAY a wild bird could get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 My Eglu and 2 girlies are on order - should be delivered on Thursday. I'll be out on Friday hoping to find a Maran or Maran hybrid to lay chocolate coloured eggs to complete the threesome. My girlies will be well looked after and will live a good healthy life - not like the rubbish conditions that I imagine Bernard Matthews keeps his various flocks in. My neighbours wont be telling me what I can do in my backyard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CannyCat Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I thought you only needed to keep your chickens in if you were in the exclusion zone? My girls are freeranging in our garden as normal and will continue to do so, unless Defra say otherwise. I agree with you Paola, we think a person carried in the infection into the turkeys. (hubby is convinced someone did it on purpose ) He works with poultry all day in those large houses and said there is absolutely NO WAY a wild bird could get in. I think there has been some illegal poultry smuggling on BM's part, perhaps from an infected eastern european country The way we see it, (myself and OH that is), our omlet chickens have a MUCH better immune system because of all the good-livin' they get up to, and are in a small terraced garden where we rarely get birds at all, never mind migratory ones. However I am worried my neighbours will react badly as well, as both sides have small children and are probably, understandably, worried on their behalf. This thought breaks my heart, because the cluckies are part of the family, bald-botty and all, and I can't imagine not having them in my life now. I really hope this all does blow over soon; I think we (urban chicken keepers) have more to worry about from public opinion than from Bird Flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 It's not necessary to keep your chickens under cover at the moment unless you live near Bernard Matthews, but if you did so, I think that it might indicate to difficult neighbours that you are taking every possible precaution: it's better than getting rid of your chickens, which certainly isn't necessary. Defra information here. The only way your chickens are likely to catch bird flu is from is from wild birds, so it might make your neighbours feel happier if they know your chickens are not in contact with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
