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little chickadee

Who is keeping their chickens under cover?

are you keeping your hens under cover?  

55 members have voted

  1. 1. are you keeping your hens under cover?

    • yes
      21
    • no
      34


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I took the decision to cover my run partly to keep their bedding dry, but also then it's done and if anyone has any concerns I can reassure them that my birds are not at risk.

 

Same here - although can I ask, presumably you should cover the WHOLE of the run (my covers only cover about 2/3 of it). And it is just the top that's important, the sides can be left uncovered??

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The whole of my roof is covered, but it's mainly to keep out the wild birds that have the potential to carry the disease. A small mesh on the sides is fine. I think the roof needs to be more solid as it's the droppings that spread the disease and they could still fall through the top. :? Although I'm sure someone more knowledgeable might be able to confirm this. :?

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The sides of the run should have mesh that the smallest bird cannot get through e.g Wren. The whole of the roof should be covered to stop wild bird droppings getting in.

 

We have fruit cage netting over the top of our chicken wire. This cost a couple of pounds from B&Q.

 

Up until the gales last week my run had a covered roof. Three panels were wrecked completely and need replacing. Hopefully this will be done within the next couple of weeks, this is to keep the run dry more than a fear of Avian Flu.

 

My run was roofed and the netting put on when the dead Swan was washed up on a beach last year.

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Just read this on the DEFRA website, which means I will have to keep mine under cover because I'm in Suffok

 

"A wider Restricted Zone has been established in addition to the controls put in place earlier today; the new Restricted Zone covers much of Norfolk and the whole of Suffolk

The new Restricted Zone requires the isolation of poultry from wild birds. Movements within this zone can take place, but movements are not permitted out of the new zone at present. We expect to make available general licences for low risk movements out of the zone shortly"

Edited by Guest
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Small flocks of less than ten birds present no threat whatsover to the world, unless DEFRA says otherwise!

 

The problem generally lies with large 'flocks' where an infection can be spread rapidly throughout the flock.

 

As far as I can tell the EN51 virus is carried by migaratory birds, such as the Canada goose, I don't think they generally frequent the average garden, although there is a small and I mean small chance of an infected bird 'passing' overhead and scoring a direct hit.

 

If however you have a few sickly chooks it is sensible to report it to DEFRA and obviously take precautions.

 

Edit; if you live near any outbreak, your neighbours will appreciate you reducing the threat from near zero to less than zero, regardless of what DEFRA say.

 

And don't under any circumstances eat Bacon butties, they cause cancer apparently.

 

Try not to worry!

 

Kev.

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I keep my hens under cover anyway so that they stay dry. There is always birds' mess on top of the cover, so I like to think I am preventing them from suffering from less serious bird illnesses and worms. It also stop leaves from ending up in the run.

 

The chances of a bird with avian flu flying over is very slight at the moment, but it would probably keeps neurotic neighbours happier if the run is covered, and is no hardship (and possibly a benefit) to the hens and their owners.

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Defra's guidelines for the outer zone states that the birds can be housed OR isolated, if housing would be detrimental to the health of the birds. It says isolation is where birds are kept contained (not mixing with anyone else's birds) and no food or water left out to tempt wild birds.

I tried to do a link but can't get it to work :roll:

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Hi - I just looked this up and hopefully this link will work

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/declaration-pz-sz-rz-071113.pdf

 

It opens up a pdf document.

 

Isolating the birds (as described in the last posting) is only

"if so directed by a veterinary inspector on the basis that housing is impractical or would adversely affect the birds’ welfare to a significant degree"

 

I realise that this will probably just be for larger groups of birds, but

I'm in the "zone" and will be keeping mine under cover until told not too, for my own piece of mind (we are fairly near a wildfowl reserve and our village is teeming with ducks) and so that if neighbours ask I can say that they are protected. I've ordered an extension for my run anyway as I was plannning to get another couple of hens .....from Diss this week (I don't somehow think that will be happening now!!!!!) and have ordered an Ikea shower curtain from ebay!

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Mine are under cover in that they now have a shower curtain tied the length of the run, is that enough? I did it purely on weather grounds after yet another sudden torrential downpour that left my girls scurrying under the cube. But I'm still letting them free range until I'm told not to - hopefully that day will never come. Best wishes and lots of luck to all of you living in the zone, I hope you all escape unaffected and that this goes away quickly

 

Mrs Bertie

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Mine are under cover,but always have been anyway :?

 

 

ditto

 

I would be covering them anyway just as a precaution as I'm in Norfolk but more to keep MIL/neighbours off my back.

 

I'm north Norfolk and just outside the exclusion zone I reckon. My girls' run isn't covered, and it isn't really feasible to do so. And the side netting has holes that a little bird could get through anyway.

 

Its a stupid rediculous fuss. We don't learn from the past, we continue to slaughter cattle when foot and mouth appears, it won't be long before we are slaughtering badgers to keen the farmers happy, despite evidence about bovine TB etc.. We have a Government that seems determined to act in a totally clueless way - from Iraq to our own countryside.

 

I have the immigrant geese flying over my house morning and evening all October, and birds and rats and other stuff all over the garden. How ludicrous is it to have to wire up my girls. Ooooh it makes me so mad.

 

I'm going to convert the greenhouse if necessary, but I just get so wound up over all this nonsence that I don't vote any more because it just isn't worth it.

 

How about having a cull of the brain dead politicians that are suppose to run this country - would be much more beneficial than the slaughter of our domestic animals and wildlife.

 

Rant over, I'm going to have a lie down.

 

Grrrrrrrr

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