Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[kattabelly]

I don't really have predators to worry about, so while I do have coops they're never closed up (other than one-offs like a few weeks recently, when I was closing the door of one coop overnight to prevent two newly weaned month-old chicks ending up outside in the dark if they fell or were pecked off a roost). Most chickens here prefer to roost in a coop at least most of the time. We don't have a lot of trees and the ones that are just about surviving don't really provide much protection from the weather. Some do choose to sleep outside when the weather is nice.

 

[Skyeknight]

Sometime in the future I would like to get a semi-feral group going and see how well they do here. However because they are domesticated animals that I own I am required by law to protect them from predators and coop them up when avian influenza happens. Then there is the feeding, which would attract rodents and allow exponential population growth if its unlimited. A deer feeder is not available here as hunting isn't popular. So how do I manage a semi-feral group being as hands off as possible without it being borderline negligence?

 

[Perris]

I am required by law to protect them from predators

are you sure about that?

My browser's AI says "
Dutch law does not require pet owners to protect their animals from predators, but it does impose strict obligations on owners to ensure the welfare and safety of their own pets. The Netherlands' Animals Act 2011 mandates that owners provide proper care, housing, and protection from pain, injury, and distress—ensuring their pets are not exposed to undue risk, including from predators. However, owners are not legally obligated to shield their pets from natural predators such as foxes or birds of prey....
In practice, while owners must ensure their pets are safe from avoidable dangers (e.g., traffic, poisoning), they are not required to defend them from natural predation. The focus of Dutch animal law is on preventing human-caused harm and promoting animal welfare, not on protecting pets from ecological risks. "

Of course it ends with the warning to 'verify the facts' but fails to provide adequate links to make that do-able in the time I'm prepared to spend on it.

 

[BDutch]

The focus of Dutch animal law is on preventing human-caused harm and promoting animal welfare, not on protecting pets from ecological risks. "

This is true.
But this is also true.

… I am required by law … to coop them up when avian influenza happens.

I am not obeying the Dutch law whenever I let my chickens free range from October/November, immediately after the first HPAI in poultry farming. This usually lasts until Mai (3 weeks after the last infection/ clearing).

 

[Perris]

So how do I manage a semi-feral group being as hands off as possible without it being borderline negligence?

maybe look into the local laws on game birds? Here, for example, pheasants are raised for shooting and, with regard to H5N1, while penned come under the same rules as apply for poultry. But once they are released, they come under the rules for wild birds.

 

[BDutch]

The table in the link shows the horror of HPAI/bird flu in chicken/poultry farming in an abstract way.

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/vogelgriep/besmettingen-vogelgriep-bij-bedrijven

to open the table click on :
Tabel met aantallen geruimde vogels sinds 2024

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

However because they are domesticated animals

Is there a distinction between livestock and pets? I don’t consider a chicken domesticated in the same way a dog is but it is possible here in the states to have a livestock guardian dog that lives outdoors with a flock or herd of some kind. That dog is not neglected but some people who aren’t used to the concept have happened upon them and disagreed to the point of stealing the dog. I imagine there is a similar distinction to be made between chickens that are incapable of caring for themselves without a coop, electric fence, etc and chickens that are more adapted to foraging. Leaving other livestock animals in a stall or coop without range time would be considered neglect. Does the law make these kinds of distinctions? If not I wouldn’t be inclined to worry about it.