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WitchHazel

Bird Flu precautions - extended to 28 FEB

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Poor chickens, my lot were clamouring to be let out today and I was hoping they'd be out in a couple of days free ranging again. I did expect it though with the news last night that avian flu had been found in a backyard flock in Wales.

 

Fingers crossed it won't be extended after this period again for any reason.

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but this is what confuses me. My girls have been in for 30 days now, so unless avian flu has am incubation period of longer than that, which it doesn't, how is keeping them in stopping it spreading? If I let them out the risk is to them from the wild birds surely? That was how I understood it to begin with, that they would stay in to make sure they weren't carrying it so now I am confused as to why I am keeping them in

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Wild bird can still carry the virus as it is still spreading amongst them, so at any time, your birds can get infected with the virus. Since there are still more registered outbreaks, the virus is still spreading. Either from farm to farm or backyard, but more likely by wild birds.

So keeping your birds under cover limits their contact and thus their chances.

 

Don't think DEFRA is overly concerned about the well being of your birds or any of ours. But when your birds would get the virus, all birds in a 3 km radius will mostlikely be culled and you could be living next to a poultry farm. A careless backyard chicken keeper could be the downfall of a diligent farmer who is taking loads of precautions.

 

Thus you need to keep your chooks covered and away from wild birds.

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I keep mine mostly in too, but in the Netherlands we don't have the restriction yet to keep all domestic poultry under cover. We need to limit contact with wild birds and can't have any visitors in contact with the chickens. And I did check if their are any commercial poultry keepers close to me. Which aren't.

 

A neighbour a few streets away still lets her chickens free range her field. I personally wouldn't, but she doesn't even have run.

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A neighbour a few streets away still lets her chickens free range her field. I personally wouldn't, but she doesn't even have run.

 

I am hearing a lot of this!!!! :roll: what on earth do these folks do if they have to be out from dawn to dusk, especially in the winter months?!

 

Good video with advice on this page

 

We are all working here to help each other, and to contain the toll amongst our wild bird population - regardless of our feelings on the subject, this ban is there for a reason, and it is our collective responsibility to take all necessary precautions to prevent the decimation of captive and wild birds in our country... just look at how bad it is in the far east!

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My hens are so fed up now with being shut in :( With the extended restrictions we've put tarpaulin over the vegetable patch (that had a fence around it to keep the OUT) for them to have a bigger run. Just waiting for the Virkon to arrive as it has been open to the wild birds before I'm happy to put them in it

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That's a good idea - Ive been wondering if there's any way I can make a bigger area for mine but I don't thin I can. I, sure they're fine really, they're 6 bantams in 8 square metres but I can't help anthropomorphising and thinking they wish they were out - even though at the moment they'd only be out for a few hours at the weekends anyway.

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