Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Mother of Chaos]

I just looked, 3"-5" more overnight. Looks like we might hit a foot.

5:30pm
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How’re you doing, @fuzzi? Is the additional snow happening?

 

[Skyeknight]

It not obliged to coop them up. In a run, behind a fence is good enough.

You are right that technically they don't need to be cooped up. But everyone needs to shield their chickens from wild birds and their dung falling from the sky. Meaning your run would need to have a roof. And I have trees in my run, so that is not possible. I do however have a combined coop space about the size of a regular backyard from a Dutch city, so it's only enrichment that I need to implement more.

 

[fuzzi]

How’re you doing, @fuzzi? Is the additional snow happening?

11" as of 9:00pm, still snowing.

 

[BDutch]

You are right that technically they don't need to be cooped up. But everyone needs to shield their chickens from wild birds and their dung falling from the sky. Meaning your run would need to have a roof. And I have trees in my run, so that is not possible. I do however have a combined coop space about the size of a regular backyard from a Dutch city, so it's only enrichment that I need to implement more.

The government is not very clear in what you are obliged to do. They mainly say what you should do (advice*). This article explains why its not a good idea to keep your chickens cooped up:
https://kippenclub.com/portfolio/vogelgriep-bij-kippen-in-de-tuin/
Warning : In the article is a short video of a chicken that is dying from the bird flu. And sorry english speakers, it’s in Dutch. Maybe auto translate can help?

This chickenclub says, it’s important to keep your chickens healthy and protect them from other birds who could infect your chickens with the bird flu. Therefore you need to protect your chickens from immediate contact with geese, ducks and other waterbirds. Other birds are not a risk in contamination.

Are there ever waterbirds coming into the run? If so you have to put a net over it. If not you are imho not obliged to cover the run. Waterbirds that fly over don’t drop any poop. They mostly poop while foraging. To go into the coop with poop under your shoes from a nearby plot where waterbirds forage is not a good idea.

*PS- this is what the government says translated from dutch :
Obligation to protect
Keepers of hobby birds must also shield the animals when the shielding obligation applies. This can be done in different ways. For example, by keeping them in an aviary. This also applies to birds in zoos and petting zoos.

 

[RoyalChick]

I have another bale of straw in the shed. If it’s done snowing tomorrow morning (in the 6°), I’ll spread straw out along paths for their delicate tootsies.

At least one of mine has tootsies that are not so delicate!

 

[fuzzi]

Snow drifted into the run, horrors!

A little straw worked wonders:

 

[Shadrach]

31/01
A partially dry afternoon and we got out for an hour.

01/02.
Rain all day. Nobody interested in coming out.

Glais has taken to inspecting my coop cleaning before going to roost.

 

[Skyeknight]

Are there ever waterbirds coming into the run? If so you have to put a net over it. If not you are imho not obliged to cover the run. Waterbirds that fly over don’t drop any poop. They mostly poop while foraging. To go into the coop with poop under your shoes from a nearby plot where waterbirds forage is not a good idea.

Waterfowl aren't going into the run, but they do graze on the sheep pastures bordering the run. And they do sometimes poop when flying, I occasionally see the drops around the barn. As I live near a lot of dairy farms and therefore grazing pastures for waterfowl the risk here is a lot higher than near you.

Besides with all the snow and rain and therefore muddy runs going on it's not the worst at the moment. I probably won't wait the entire period, just until the weather becomes better. At least if no farm near me gets avian influenza.

 

[BDutch]

Waterfowl aren't going into the run, but they do graze on the sheep pastures bordering the run. And they do sometimes poop when flying, I occasionally see the drops around the barn. As I live near a lot of dairy farms and therefore grazing pastures for waterfowl the risk here is a lot higher than near you.

Besides with all the snow and rain and therefore muddy runs going on it's not the worst at the moment. I probably won't wait the entire period, just until the weather becomes better. At least if no farm near me gets avian influenza.

You are right. This is not reassuring at all.

Do you have a pair of shoes outside and another at the doorstep to change before you enter the coop, to prevent you carry waterfowl poop into the run?

 

[Skyeknight]

You are right. This is not reassuring at all.

Do you have a pair of shoes outside and another at the doorstep to change before you enter the coop, to prevent you carry waterfowl poop into the run?

I do not. I have 3 coops and one is is standing in mud. So it's a bit difficult to change each time. I do however make sure I do chicken stuff first and avoid stepping into the coop if I can. I do the other farm work last and then wash them after I am done.