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Egluntyne

Confirmed Bird Flu - Lincs, Wales now Leicestershire & Yorks

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I don't profess to be any kind of expert, but what I've read seems to indicate that it's seasonal, much like our human flu. If this is right, then we should be clear of it in the warmer months, and when the annual migration has stopped spreading it. It seems to spread from the Far East and across this way to the west. It would be intuiting to see if they get many cases in the US.

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Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary have produced this interactive Google map, they say they will update the map frequently. It shows all the confirmed cases for the UK to date.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1fbmv8zaSlwBAdv6r3fXOKexZii8&ll=52.924076062439305%2C-2.09062849999998&z=7

 

I can't see this - tells me I don't have access and contact my admin. Just me?

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Those are only the cases that have been reported.

I'm assuming that commercial set ups have to report cases as would any registered flocks. and I'd hope reserves and bird collection/aviaries like Slimbridge and the swanary would as well.

I didn't really expect any cases in the back yard flock not because they won't happen but because they wouldn't get reported but that's just the auld cynic in Me

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Poor birds (ducks and geese) in France. A mass cull of all previously free rangingducks and geese in an area in southwest Frnce was announced a week ago. The area was further enlarged yesterday.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-france-idUKKBN14U1BU

 

Farms which run a full production cycle, where the birds e completely confined from hatch to death, are exempt.

 

What a sorry state of affairs.

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Good Morning everyone

 

What a 24hrs I have just had!

 

This started yesterday morning when I went in to clean out my girls and heard a squeak. I had been monitoring mouse presence in the eglu trays and so I thought - 'ahha the mouse is about. Imagine my surprise when I saw Doris followed by the other hens running around their WIR with a mouse in her beak. The mouse was dead - hence the squeak!@ Dylis pinched the mouse and then went into a corner that I couldn't see and I assume she swallowed the mouse whole because there was nothing there as she left to go for a drink of water! Yes the mouse was definitely dead and showing signs of wounds when I saw it in Doris' beak!

 

I couldn't believe it - but I saw it!!!

 

I then spent the rest of the morning fitting 38'x13' of tarpaulin over the run - which is already covered with polycarb - to enable the girls to have a bit more covered space to free range. It was an amazing event which eventually came to a very successful end and the girls came out and spent the rest of the day pottering in the extra covered grass area.

 

I was concerned that it was a bit gloomy and I spent the day and night worrying that they might become depressed in the gloomy light. Also for the first time since we moved house the girls went into the eglu to sleep. Usually they perch on the roof of a field station that they have in the corner of the WIR but not last night. I went to bed myself convinced that they must be afraid of the gloom and went into the eglu for comfort!

 

I did eventually sleep and woke up this morning wondering what i should do - I only wanted them to have more space until this flu is over and done with. I also have spent ages on biosecurity - different clothes for cleaning, then different wellies for walking the dogs, vikron in a bowl to wash wellies etc etc because I am worried that I might end up in a 'zone' and I want to be able to say to those who come to cull my birds, 'my birds are clean' leave them alone - I intend to stand my ground!

 

I went out to the hens to give them their breakfast and low and behold the decision was made for me. The wind had changed direction and the amazingly attached tarpaulin had come unpegged etc and blown across the garden. My girls were pottering about waiting to be fed as if nothing had happened because they were in the eglu when it did and were not bothered at all. They must have known. I wish they had warned me I might of had some worry free sleep.

 

I laughed as I dragged this enormous expanse of tarpaulin, so lovingly stitched together with washing line to make it big enough, out of the hen area of the garden and folded it up for who knows what! All that time I have spent working out what to do for them. All that money spent on tarpaulins big enough. My poor aching arms from pulling the weight of tarpaulin over the WIR. Now my girls will have to make do with their WIR for a little bit longer but at least they will not be depressed and I might get some sleep!

 

I do hope that there are no more deaths.

 

Flowerpot

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Just read an article stating that hundreds of cats in animal shelters in New York are diagnosed with a strain of avian flu! :shock:

 

The cats are all quarantined together, so far only two have died from the virus.

 

A different strain of flu from 'ours' with very different characteristics.

I don't think I could face keeping the cat in too! :lol:

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Oh golly. Let's hope that with everyone here being vigilant and adhering to the precautions, we won't get to that stage.

 

For any doubters of defra's prevention zone; this could happen here if we don't abide by the precautions.

 

I am not a doubter but I am a realist and realistically I doubt this will make any difference unless the whole of the UK do it. My girls are in and I have extended the run, but as I said last week, 10 mins away there are chickens, geese and ducks still free ranging, with only a shed for cover at night. As it seems to be mixed flocks that are succumbing the chances are somewhere like that will be hit, if anywhere round here is and then my girls will be culled anyway. If I hadnt complied at least their last few weeks would have been nicer.

 

But as a responsible poultry owner I will do as I am instructed

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I hope that your birds aren't affected by that flock nearby Millie-Annie; it's irresponsible owners like the one near you, who can cause it to spread. Sadly, DEFRA is so over-stretched that they don't have the resources to ensure that people are complying. If AI on this scale becomes an annual occurrence, then I can see that they may get extra funding, and then stringent measures will be in place when it hits each year, and they will look to enforce it.

 

Have you thought of reporting them, Millie-Annie?

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Does anyone know any details of waterfowl migration times? I wonder when they are all here.... that would be when the risk ends, although defra may decide that when there have been no further reported cases.

 

There were skeins of geese flying into the flood meadows opposite OH's place at dawn this morning, so my guess is that they are still on the move.

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