Housing for bird flu

[kattabelly]

The gaps are 2.5 cm by 7.5 cm
Are these gaps small enough not to be a problem?

That isn't enough to keep very small birds out, but those birds are lower risk anyway. Gulls and wild waterfowl are the main species you want to keep away from your birds.

Personally I won't bother trying to keep the local wrens out of the run even if housing requirements are brought in here. If you did want to be more thorough about keeping any wild birds out though, just really thin plastic net (like the stuff sold as butterfly net or to keep leaves out of ponds) is enough if you're attaching it to sturdier metal mesh.

 

[nuthatched]

I’m not entirely sure what you mean but I will take it how I think you mean.
I am always worried that someone might steal them but we live in quite a rural area, and you can’t really see them from the road so I hope no one would take them. Fingers crossed, tapping wood, all the rest (I always say that if I think I might be tempting the fates)


The gaps are 2.5 cm by 7.5 cm
Are these gaps small enough not to be a problem?

I was concerned for someone looking at your birds, consider they aren't covered enough and report you for some odd reason.

 

[Blue is my chicken]

I was concerned for someone looking at your birds, consider they aren't covered enough and report you for some odd reason.

Oh okay that makes more sense.

That isn't enough to keep very small birds out, but those birds are lower risk anyway. Gulls and wild waterfowl are the main species you want to keep away from your birds.

Personally I won't bother trying to keep the local wrens out of the run even if housing requirements are brought in here. If you did want to be more thorough about keeping any wild birds out though, just really thin plastic net (like the stuff sold as butterfly net or to keep leaves out of ponds) is enough if you're attaching it to sturdier metal mesh.

I am moving soon so probably won’t get the netting, yet anyway.
I just wanted to be sure that I was good enough, as I couldn’t find any regulations on housing them, normally we put them in a polytunnel but it broke last year and we have had to change things (moving around a lot so couldn’t have a permanent structure).



Thanks everyone for the help

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

That is definitely enough gap for a small bird to get through

 

[Shahnaz13]

Got it. If you could cover the sides with even chicken wire then small birds couldn’t get in I’d think.

I have seen green netting on big enclosures, that should cover everything.

 

[BDutch]

Here in Ireland there is a housing order for all poultry.

In the Netherlands we have housing orders for poultry every winter period for years on a row now. This specific bird flu H5N1 started here in 2021, but we had other bird flu strains before with large scale killings. The cause for this specific bird flu, is probably large-scale factory farming.

This year the first contaminated farm was discovered around October 15.
Many farmers and the government are keen on rules and regulations, but I hate them. Especially since they have developed a vaccine which seems to work fine for factory farming. They have an ongoing pilot (ends in 2027) testing the vaccine but are not willing to actually use it because its not allowed to export products of vaccinated poultry.

Keeping my chickens locked up will make them unhappy. My run is okay to keep them locked up in there for a few weeks , but I know from experience the housing orders last until May.

So my flock will be unhappy every year for about 7 months. And not being able to free range will make them less healthy for sure.
Now their run is a lush environment with bushes and lively soil in the run and I don’t have to scoop the poop because its breaks down very fast. If I cover the run with tarps , I have to make a lot of efforts to clean and water it. It costs extra too. And what’s the point with so many contaminated wild birds?

At the start (years ago with another type of bird flu) it was not obliged to cover the run and even then I decided to take the risk after a few months, to not obey the authorities with the bird flu rules and regulations. So far there were no problems. If I do get an inspection and the authorities kill my chickens, I probably stop with this hobby until the vaccination program is successful and they skip the rules and regulations for hobbyists. Of course I do hope for the best.

 

[Folly's place]

Your pen looks good, but it won't keep small birds (who bring in lice and mites) or smaller predators out. Rats and weasels (stoats?) will kill birds and can easily invade this wire. Also a big dog could break through that welded wire.
Very handsome ducks!
Mary

 

[Blue is my chicken]

Your pen looks good,

I’m glad

but it won't keep small birds (who bring in lice and mites) or smaller predators out.
Rats and weasels (stoats?) will kill birds and can easily invade this wire.

Yes it won’t keep the small things out. We have one rat that is getting in and stealing food but he/she is really fat and lazy so right now it is not a problem
We do have weasels and stoats but they a really rare in Ireland so haven’t been a problem

Also a big dog could break through that welded wire.

Yes they could but this big guy stops all trespassers (dogs and humans)
His name is Dennis he is a pet but a very good deterrent and protector
He is a pyrenees cross Newfoundland

Very handsome ducks!

Thank you



We are moving house Sunday so the ducks are going to have a whole new area to explore
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/moving-to-ireland.1650459/
I have been posting about it on this thread

 

[Perris]

dabbling duck species are the chief spreaders of Avian Influenza - they carry it without being killed by it or even showing any symptoms of it. Which species of duck have you got? It's worth knowing because it can make a real difference to their prospects if they catch it. And if you have chickens too, I advise you to keep them well segregated to avoid the risk of the ducks passing it on to the chickens.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I used to keep ducks myself years ago, so I totally get what you're in for. One thing to keep in mind: ducks are fantastic at turning a nice patch of grass into a muddy, poopy, smelly mess — and fast. Since you've got a sensitive flock, it's worth noting that all that moisture and manure creates the perfect environment for parasites, bacteria, and other not-so-lovely microorganisms to thrive.

To keep things healthy, you’ll definitely need to rotate the Omlet enclosure onto fresh ground regularly. However, that comes with a new concern: as you move to new areas of pasture, you're potentially introducing your birds to spots where wild birds may have left droppings carrying avian flu, if you are worried about that, or just looking to meet the legislation requirement.

Consider:​

Before relocating the enclosure, consider lightly spraying the new area with a bird-safe, plant-safe virucidal disinfectant. Products containing citric acid blends, or hydrogen peroxide-because it damaged the virus cell- can sometimes be used at low concentrations to reduce (not eradicatee) pathogen load without harming your grass.

It's not a perfect shield, but it adds an extra layer of biosecurity, especially in high-risk months when migratory birds are passing through.