Poorly chicken

[Peter]

It’s wet overcast and cold plus we are on level 3 virus restrictions but it could be worse as we can still go out to exercise but after today my poor ladies are restricted to there coop and run which is covered in a type of plastic to stop any wiled birds from getting in. Last year in the hart of the winter I did get a robin taking food pellets from the chickens dish and it did enter the coop through the wire, so they can get through small holes. Some people near me have asked on the internet if anyone can rehome their chickens. Don’t know how long it is going to last as I have no experience of it in the past. Peter

[Cat tails]

Count on keeping your hens shut in for the best part of the winter. Last time it lasted well into February.

[mullethunter]

Last time it lasted until March ☹️ I tried to get my girls to make the most of their last day out today, but like where you are Peter, the weather was awful today, so they really didn’t.

[Beantree]

This order to keep domestic 'pet' hens confined to their run is disgraceful. It is a clearly goes against 'best welfare' practice and will result in unnecessary stress for both the birds and the owners. Keeping feed and water under cover and attempting to restrict wild bird access should be sufficient. Anyone with any experience will know that to abruptly stop free ranging when the chickens are used to it will potentially lead to severe stress and bring many problems with it.

Whilst we haven't been given this order in this part France, despite 3 outbreaks of Avian Flu in the adjoining 'County' resulting in the early slaughter of 10's of 1000's of birds, I would have no hesitation in treating it as 'for guidance only', which is European practice anyway. If you could hear the racket our flocks make when they are confined to their runs you would understand why. They are fine though if they can't see us, so leaving them in the runs while we are out is no problem at all.

If I were in your situation Peter I would restrict their free ranging to an hour at the end of the day, but at least let them out every day. In my experience chickens have no concept of duration, so letting them out for an hour is as good as 10 hours, so long as they are let out for a period they won't get over stressed. Unfortunately I know that the UK is well known for following rules to the letter and I'm not the one facing the problem, but I just had to express my opinion.

[soapdragon]

Quite right Beantree! A bit like Covid........being sensible and minimising the risk whilst trying to maintain some form of normality. 

[Ursula123]

I am with Beantree, I asked our Mayor last week and all I was told was to be sensible but as far as he was concerned my girls could free range, usually up in his vineyard 😄. By the way @Peter I like Beantree live in France.

[atsw]

I gave our Walk in Run a through clean at the weekend, put down a liberal amount of red disinfectant powder and a bale of Aubiose to keep winter wetness at bay. Today I added and extra Eglu coop, so there are now 3  coops for 9 birds. Two coops are “stacked” to save floor space, so that should give them roaming room and spaces to shelter/lay without any overcrowding. I must say, I’m very pleased at how well the new (actually v old!) yellow Mk1 Eglu came up after a going over with Astonish cleaner and a jet wash. 

[Patricia W]

Please don’t worry Peter.  This is my third experience of lockdown for AI.  Within a week the chickens have adapted.  They have the gift of living in the present.  Wish we did.  I am in a high risk zone with waterfowl and migratory birds so mine have been in the run for 3 weeks already.      They have totally adapted.   As I have seen the destruction that AI has wreaked on the swan population only a few bird flying miles away, please, please don’t break the lockdown by letting them free range at all.  You are undoing the work the rest of us are doing to prevent the spread of H5N8 a highly contagious variant of AI.    Plus, you are not letting them adapt to life  in the run.   

And Hi! Andrew, I’ve been telling people about your high and low rise eglus so good to see them again! 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Patricia W

[atsw]

1 hour ago, Patricia W said:

 And Hi! Andrew, I’ve been telling people about your high and low rise eglus so good to see them again! 

Hi Patricia - yes, the “flats” continue to work well. My Blue Eglu is at the other end of the WIR, also on a small table to give floor space underneath. As you commented, the girls (and boys) like being able to FR in the garden, but in truth they are also happy in their run. With such short daylight hours at the moment it’s not a huge imposition being in the run all day, and they don’t seem to mind.

[Peter]

Hi all thankyou for your replies. From today onwards when I go to give them their mash in the mornings I will let them wander round the grassed area near the coop for 15min then when I put there breakfast mash in the run so they are happy to go back in, I have also been giving them a bunch of cabbage leaves just within reach so they are getting exercise. One of my neighbours is not very nice and has fallen out with every one round him. He has put up cameras and reports every thing that goes on round him on social media now. So I have to be very carful as I am being constantly watched. My other neighbours are lovely as they are always asking about them and giving them bread. Peter.

[Ursula123]

Surely @Peter your neighbour is not allowed to point his cameras into your garden and record. I would be inclined to speak to your neighbourhood watch coordinator, failing that an informal chat with the police. I know here in France you can not even take a picture of a person without their consent. 

[Peter]

I have checked online with the regulations for use of CCTV cameras and he is allowed to view and record any area that can be see from a public highway. If I attempt to talk to him he will not answer. i will look more into it. Thanks Peter.

[mullethunter]

Mine have their two 5m tunnels, but have spent most of their days in their run anyway for the last two days.

[Luvachicken]

@atsw that yellow house looks amazing, as good as new I'd say.

I almost went for a yellow cube over 10 years ago now, but went for lilac instead. I think I would pick a yellow one if I got the chance to have another one.

[atsw]

2 hours ago, Luvachicken said:

@atsw that yellow house looks amazing, as good as new I'd say.

Yes, it came up remarkably well.  It's a Mk1 Eglu, so manufacture pre-dates the Spring of 2005. Looking at it, you certainly wouldn't believe it's over 15 years old, but it is!  When I bought it, it was looking pretty grubby and was more "pond green" than yellow, but a few hours of rubbing down with Astonish Cleaner (meant as Oven & Cookware Cleaner!) and then another hour with my high-pressure jet washer, it came up incredibly well.  The wooden bars are past their best, but I've ordered new plastic ones, together with a new lynch-pin, as that was missing.