UK Member Please Say HI

[Yorkshire Coop]

Morning all, take a read of this ~ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38231416

Bird flu

 

[Rudies Roost]

@Yorkshirecoop

I heard on the news this morning. Can you or anyone else help with what exactly "keep poultry indoors" means? I cannot possibly lock up 30 odd birds for a month. I can contain them within a pen off the coop but it has an open roof...do you think if I put a load of mesh/netting etc over the top that that would constitute "indoors"?

I'm at a loss as to what to do really.....

 

[TopCrock]

I'm worried about this too.

I don't think its quite so bad for my girls as they have a large run (wood frame, mesh covered, with corrugated plastic roof) with a coop inside.

Basically feeders and water sources are exclusively used by the girls, which looks to be the main issue, but can they catch it by air or by chicken droppings that have landed nearby??

There's always the shed to lock them up in but its full of junk at the moment and gets next to no light at all! They certainly wouldn't be very content in there.

Anyone have any more advice? Or know of any good sources.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu

 

[PaulaMc]

Morning all, take a read of this ~ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38231416

Bird flu

Oh no! Do you think ground sanitizer might help on the lawn? Food and water kept under cover away from wild birds but the girls have access to all of the garden-do not have a big enough run to confine them all.

Panicking

 

[Rudies Roost]

From what i have now read on various sites, as long as wild birds cannot access their food and water or be in direct contact with your poultry then all is well. Mine usually free range all ovee my large garden from midday. I'm lucky to have not long finished construction of a new big pen off the coop for my chucks and ducks, we simply used Heras fencing panels, not cheap but easy to use so anyone in a panic can make a quick and simple pen quite easily. It currently no roof though so I'll be ordering some poultry netting or similar this evening. My birds use a treadle feeder so I'm not concerned about that in the meantime but the water is exposed in traditional waterers. I have this morning removed any wild bird feeders too....they wont be impressed and we love feeding them but it's only for 30 days. Hope that might help?!

 

[PaulaMc]

From what i have now read on various sites, as long as wild birds cannot access their food and water or be in direct contact with your poultry then all is well. Mine usually free range all ovee my large garden from midday. I'm lucky to have not long finished construction of a new big pen off the coop for my chucks and ducks, we simply used Heras fencing panels, not cheap but easy to use so anyone in a panic can make a quick and simple pen quite easily. It currently no roof though so I'll be ordering some poultry netting or similar this evening. My birds use a treadle feeder so I'm not concerned about that in the meantime but the water is exposed in traditional waterers. I have this morning removed any wild bird feeders too....they wont be impressed and we love feeding them but it's only for 30 days. Hope that might help?!

Thanks a lot for this.

Have some wood and bamboo netting I could try and cobble a run together that is big enough. However, being a 53 year old woman with no joinery experience-not sure how successful I will be ha ha. I too will order some netting asap and remove wild bird feeders.

What does 'direct contact' mean exactly? If wild birds feed from the lawn as well as chickens-is this direct contact?

Thanks

 

[Rudies Roost]

Hmmm...I'm unclear too but in my opinion, as long as the poultry are contained somehow (in the coop, shed, pen etc..) so that any wild birds cannot get access to their food, water and the birds themselves then that should be ok, I also assume that you need to make sure any faeces cannot get through hence why I need a roof. There are apparently no cases in the UK yet so our ground shouldn't be contaminated I guess? I dont see any harm in ground sanitiser if you think necessary but I'm not going to just yet.

You can buy ready made pens if you feel unable to make one but they are usually quite pricey if you need a large one...how many birds do you have?

 

[PaulaMc]

Hmmm...I'm unclear too but in my opinion, as long as the poultry are contained somehow (in the coop, shed, pen etc..) so that any wild birds cannot get access to their food, water and the birds themselves then that should be ok, I also assume that you need to make sure any faeces cannot get through hence why I need a roof. There are apparently no cases in the UK yet so our ground shouldn't be contaminated I guess? I dont see any harm in ground sanitiser if you think necessary but I'm not going to just yet.

You can buy ready made pens if you feel unable to make one but they are usually quite pricey if you need a large one...how many birds do you have?

Hi

I only have 6. At a pinch for now I could put the silkies in one run and the big girls in a rabbit run. They won't like it but at least I can cover them up. Should I do it now do you think?

I have a friend on the case to help me with the run but might take a day or two.

As there are no cases in UK at moment do you think we don't need to panic too much at the moment love?

Thanks

 

[Rudies Roost]

Hi

I only have 6. At a pinch for now I could put the silkies in one run and the big girls in a rabbit run.  They won't like it but at least I can cover them up. Should I do it now do you think?

I have a friend on the case to help me with the run but might take a day or two. 

As there are no cases in UK at moment do you think we don't need to panic too much at the moment love?

Thanks

Gosh! I dont know what to think!! I'm in the same boat as you....I have to order the mesh for the roof so it'll be a few days before mine are "contained" too. I suppose one good thing is that at least as it's Winter, mine are generally not out in the morning's till around 8am and then in bed and locked up by 4pm (ish) so the exposure hours are less than if it was the Summer.

I have nearly 30 (including 5 ducks) so only having to pen up 6 should be ok, a rabbit run sounds good....could even get second hand ones if needs be. Oh the stress!!

Good luck!! Mine are already queueing up at the gate to be let up the garden....better give them some lettuce or something as it's going to be a while till they can have the grass

Sasha xx

 

[palaeosam]

Oh good grief, am glad I only have the two but not sure what I can do with them even so. They have an enclosure that wild birds can't get into but they could touch beaks through the mesh if they had a mind to. The magpies like fighting with each other across the rooftop above the coop but we have a roof, so poop contamination is not an issue thankfully. Should I bring them in anyway? Would have to setup some kind of cat area / bird area boundary - although my two are fully grown they're still the smallest breed and easily injured if my cat were in a playful mood. Is it possible to potty train them? They've been outdoors so far so pooping everywhere has not been a problem until now.