2018 Newbie Chat!

[Anna Ranieri]

Yes but you would have to grow it where they can’t reach it otherwise they’ll snack on it and possibly kill it when it’s small.
Most people I know wait until the sunflower starts drying out and dying naturally in the fall.
Then they cut the head off and give it to the chickens.
They’ll eat the leaves and stuff too I believe.

That's a good idea - I have one growing in a pot in my front garden, I'll give them the head off that in the fall and keep a few seeds back to plant again. - You always come up with some great ideas - thank you

 

[Anna Ranieri]

So certain individuals gave chickens food that had salmonella and the chickens got salmonella so the do-gooders pass a law to save everyone.

I just give them cooked meats or eggs and such. No salmonella risk.
I don’t kiss my birds either.

That’s why we moved out of California. Too many dumb laws being passed when people could simply be educated instead.

I kind of get the mealworms thing though. If it’s imported they have to be careful about pathogens, especially since the UK is an island nation.

There aren’t any local companies that make dried mealworms there?

I agree about earthworms. They’re much better.
Fresh food is always better.
My girls find earthworms often. Usually in the spring.
I used to move rocks and pots for them so they could get the worms and bugs underneath.

They are saying the salmonella can be transmitted through the eggs as well as the meat of the bird, but I always thought salmonella dies if cooked thoroughly?

 

[CannedMonster]

Hmm, well I use a sheet to cover the front at the moment as it has wire mesh doors, left uncovered the lights from our bungalow disturb them. I don't pin it down, if windy it just gets blown off. The chickens have one solid door, the other mesh, so they can sleep in the part with the solid door to have shelter from the wind but the ducks doors all are wire mesh. If they'l be ok I'll leave it uncovered but just don't want them to get harmed from the cold and winds we get here.


hopefully you will be able to see these picture - this is a catalogue picture of the hutch we have only on ours we have taken out the stairs, blocked the stair opening and we have added roost bars upstairs where the chickens sleep. The four ducks sleep downstairs.
Of the two covers, I'm not sure of the material but one of them is thermal.View attachment 1510025 View attachment 1510026 View attachment 1510027
Would appreciate your thoughts on this?

That’s really not meant for birds.
It’s more for rabbits or guinea pigs.
It’s too open; it may work for now but in winter I think they’ll be miserable.

It’s important for them to be able to get out of the wind.
The ventilation is best when it’s near the roof above the roosts; not next to or below the roosts.

The ducks would be fine in it. They are more cold hardy than chickens.

 

[CannedMonster]

They are saying the salmonella can be transmitted through the eggs as well as the meat of the bird, but I always thought salmonella dies if cooked thoroughly?

Exactly!
We’ve had that problem here too.
I really think it’s people doing things that are ignorant.
People don’t educate themselves.
They assume things.
The birds are in filthy conditions or they kiss them all the time.
If people want to do that then they’re free to experience the consequences.
We know that reptiles and chickens carry salmonella on their bodies.
So I’m not going to kiss them lol.

I wash my hands after handling mine because they step in their own poop.
It’s just common sense.

Is the law for backyard birds or commercial operations?

 

[Anna Ranieri]

We added two extra roosts to the coop so it’ll be easier for the lower ranking birds to get away from the dominant ones.
The bantams had to use the ladder roost to get up to the rafters where they like to go.
They would have to run the gauntlet with Agatha and Emily and sometimes Silkie pecking them the whole time.
I think this will help a lot.
View attachment 1509035

View attachment 1509041

View attachment 1509042

d r

That’s really not meant for birds.
It’s more for rabbits or guinea pigs.
It’s too open; it may work for now but in winter I think they’ll be miserable.

It’s important for them to be able to get out of the wind.
The ventilation is best when it’s near the roof above the roosts; not next to or below the roosts.

The ducks would be fine in it. They are more cold hardy than chickens.

That’s really not meant for birds.
It’s more for rabbits or guinea pigs.
It’s too open; it may work for now but in winter I think they’ll be miserable.

It’s important for them to be able to get out of the wind.
The ventilation is best when it’s near the roof above the roosts; not next to or below the roosts.

The ducks would be fine in it. They are more cold hardy than chickens.

Exactly!
We’ve had that problem here too.
I really think it’s people doing things that are ignorant.
People don’t educate themselves.
They assume things.
The birds are in filthy conditions or they kiss them all the time.
If people want to do that then they’re free to experience the consequences.
We know that reptiles and chickens carry salmonella on their bodies.
So I’m not going to kiss them lol.

I wash my hands after handling mine because they step in their own poop.
It’s just common sense.

Is the law for backyard birds or commercial operations

Its for all - as is the mealworm ban as well

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Oh my gosh! @ChooksNQuilts I have no idea why or how all those quotes posted together :S

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Exactly!
We’ve had that problem here too.
I really think it’s people doing things that are ignorant.
People don’t educate themselves.
They assume things.
The birds are in filthy conditions or they kiss them all the time.
If people want to do that then they’re free to experience the consequences.
We know that reptiles and chickens carry salmonella on their bodies.
So I’m not going to kiss them lol.

I wash my hands after handling mine because they step in their own poop.
It’s just common sense.

Is the law for backyard birds or commercial operations?

Sorry about my last attempt to answer with all the quotes attached to it - I have no idea why or how it happened - The law is for everyone across the UK regardless

 

[CannedMonster]

d r



Its for all - as is the mealworm ban as well

How do they plan to enforce it?
Are the police going to show up and cart you off?
I’m sorry but it’s funny.
If people toss their birds some strawberry hulls, bread crusts, leftover cooked meats, etc. it’s not going to hurt them or people.
I would give mine scraps anyway.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

That’s really not meant for birds.
It’s more for rabbits or guinea pigs.
It’s too open; it may work for now but in winter I think they’ll be miserable.

It’s important for them to be able to get out of the wind.
The ventilation is best when it’s near the roof above the roosts; not next to or below the roosts.

The ducks would be fine in it. They are more cold hardy than chickens.

Yeah I realise its for rabbit/guinea pigs, but its the best we could do for them under the circumstances and with the availability of coops around here, there really isn't much around here and online prices are way out of our price range. There are a lot of people around here who use rabbit hutches for chickens or ducks, and there are a lot of these type hutches being sold as multi use hutches for rabbit, guinea pigs, ferrets, and chickens. Anyway, we have covered the run with tarpaulin, so it stays dry, plus acts as a shade in the sun - we have our run in the corner so it is some what shielded by our garage wall the back fence and our bungalow, we will cover the sides and back of the run with tarpaulin to shield from wind and rain but will watch we leave plenty of ventilation, there are videos on YouTube for winter in the UK and I've gotten some ideas from those how to protect our flock during winter and as a family we have decided that if worst comes to worst we'll bring them in with us.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

How do they plan to enforce it?
Are the police going to show up and cart you off?
I’m sorry but it’s funny.
If people toss their birds some strawberry hulls, bread crusts, leftover cooked meats, etc. it’s not going to hurt them or people.
I would give mine scraps anyway.

Lol, I know crazy laws - my understanding of it is that other than relying on tell tales to dob people in (and there are a lot of those about, I can tell you!) If a person gets sick having eaten something and it gets traced back to you, if commercial/farmer/breeder whatever it could lead to prison, would lead to heavy fines and loss of licence - for backyarders we would be banned from keeping livestock and probably fined too. Crazy - if a person catches a burglar in their house and hits them, the burglar can sue the home owner for damages - you can run someone over with your car or burgle property, or attack someone in the street with barely any consequences but what ever you do, don't feed your birds scraps!!!!!