UK Member Please Say HI

[layla93]

@layla93


I'm local to the north east as you can see under my avatar... I'm the other side of Durham to you. My sister lives just outside Sunderland.
Yes, I imagine it has been a bit of a culture and climate shock moving from Australia. My best friend has just moved in the opposite direction, to Brisbane and is struggling with the heat, but loves the way of life.
Well done for getting one tarp sorted.

Hope you have a safe and enjoyable trip....assume you are going back out there to spend Christmas with family.

Best wishes

Barbara

Yes we are back out to visit my husbands family in cairns. I used to live in Brisbane, lovely part of the world, but yes, the heat is quite hard to manage. I hope they have been okay with all the storms etc.

Thanks very much, hope you and yours have a lovely Christmas.

 

[PaulaMc]

Hi all

Managed to cobble a run together and used rolls of plastic garden netting to make them secure-using plant rings to secure at certain points so I can get in and clean remove/replace feed and water etc. Have put the run from the other coop at the front so they can use both back and front doors. They are using the washing up bowl/dust bath so am happy about that

Not too happy that I have smashed the top of my finger with the hammer!

It's black and throbbing. What a goon I am.

Here's a couple of pics. Not taken a full length shot as finished in the dark and garden still looks like a building site ha ha. Finger too sore to tidy up much today and have also been to Knowsley Safari Park this morning-which was superb- so not much time left. Will upload when I 've tidied.

Hope your netting comes soon .

Paula x

 

[GGBEAR]

OMG

I've just been reading about this bird flu

I cant lock

mine in they will go nutty plus the coop not big enough to keep them pend in for 30 days
As for sleep

sometimes I stay up late

 

[rebrascora]

@GGBEAR

Quote:

Well at least you only have 22 more days to worry about now, not the full 30! I have 10 bantam pekins youngsters that are used to free ranging, locked up in a tiny coop and although they are coping remarkably well so far, they are desperate to be out and I can't bear to look at them. I clean out and replenish food and water at night whilst they are roosting. I have other pens, some almost as overcrowded. None of them are happy and not only has all the pleasure gone out of keeping poultry but I'm having a nervous breakdown over it. The guilt of keeping them in is killing me! That said, I would not wish to lose my flock to avian flu or be the first in the country to have an outbreak of it.

It's times like this that I wish I hadn't let the chicken maths get sooooo out of hand!

 

[PaulaMc]

OMG

I've just been reading about this bird flu

I cant lock

mine in they will go nutty plus the coop not big enough to keep them pend in for 30 days
As for sleep

sometimes I stay up late

I know GG it's a nightmare!

Penned mine up for a bit but the biggies were severely bullying the miniature silkies so have had a rethink with some advice from a local expert. My garden is now like a shanty town with little covered tunnels everywhere. Luckily I have lots of tarpaulin and windbreakers etc.

I make sure food and water is under cover and replace it regularly during the day- disinfecting feeders and waterers every night and bringing them into the kitchen to avoid any vermin. Have 4 cats so that's not really a problem.

My girls like being fed by hand so give them bits like this to avoid contact with ground as I used to throw stuff around the garden for them to scratch.

I did move the wild bird feeders but wild birds were going on the ground more so I put them back but as far away from chickens as I could and they seem to be using them rather than trying to get in coop.

It's not perfect but DEFRA have said to take all reasonable precautions. If we have an outbreak here I'll move them into the kitchen if needs be ha ha.

I rake any poop up at least once a day in order to minimize the risk.

 

[PaulaMc]

Well at least you only have 22 more days to worry about now, not the full 30! I have 10 bantam pekins youngsters that are used to free ranging, locked up in a tiny coop and although they are coping remarkably well so far, they are desperate to be out and I can't bear to look at them. I clean out and replenish food and water at night whilst they are roosting. I have other pens, some almost as overcrowded. None of them are happy and not only has all the pleasure gone out of keeping poultry but I'm having a nervous breakdown over it. The guilt of keeping them in is killing me! That said, I would not wish to lose my flock to avian flu or be the first in the country to have an outbreak of it.

It's times like this that I wish I hadn't let the chicken maths get sooooo out of hand!

Oh I am so glad that it's not only me having a 'nervous breakdown' over this. I am actually off work with depression at the moment so this is really not helping.

22 days seems such a long time doesn't it? I know exactly how you feel and feel so sorry for them. Three of mine are ex batts and hate the thought of them losing their freedom again-hence my shanty town garden. We can only do what we can and hope for the best.

 

[GGBEAR]

My neighbours would start to complain if try were locked

in they make a right racket if there not let out when its light

 

[PaulaMc]

My neighbours would start to complain if try were locked

in they make a right racket if there not let out when its light

Ha ha I know what you mean.

My girls generally lay and celebrate before sunrise.

 

[RascalAndJemima]

Confirmed case in Lincolnshire? Does this mean we need to be even more careful? I'm scared of leaving mine outside even though their pen is covered x

 

[GGBEAR]

http://news.sky.com/story/bird-flu-confirmed-in-turkeys-at-lincolnshire-farm-10698605



Oh god what am I going to do i have no where to put them advice help please