Author Topic: Bird flu (Read 9639 times)

Perris · « **Reply #45 on:** December 14, 2020, 05:15:10 pm »

the actual reason why mealworms are banned in the UK and not in e.g. the USA is quoted in full on this webpage
https://keeping-chickens.me.uk/getting-started/rules-and-regulations/animal-by-product-regulations/
I think it was recognized soon after the ban came in that mealworms were an unintended consequence of legislation designed to stop mad cow disease (aka Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies), and a petition was launched to get it overturned, but the govt of the day (the coalition) called an election, and it was closed early. Since then there have been others things distracting people. Maybe Brexit will enable us to clear up these absurdly byzantine regulations.

Rupert the bear · « **Reply #46 on:** December 15, 2020, 05:00:08 pm »

Its only been one day

both chickens and ducks are giving me vocal grief and the death stare.
I am going to have to sneak in while its dark to fill feeders and water and give myself a chance to get out of run first,
Suggestions please on how to keep them amused , I am going to give them a small straw bale tomorrow and see if that will keep them occupied for a while .

Womble · « **Reply #47 on:** December 15, 2020, 06:18:35 pm »

Try hanging up a cabbage or pieces of melon rind (etc) for them to peck at. When we first had hens who had to live in a run rather than free range, they loved that kind of thing.

lord flynn · « **Reply #48 on:** December 16, 2020, 06:00:28 pm »

Quote from: Rupert the bear on December 15, 2020, 05:00:08 pm

Its only been one day both chickens and ducks are giving me vocal grief and the death stare.
I am going to have to sneak in while its dark to fill feeders and water and give myself a chance to get out of run first,
Suggestions please on how to keep them amused , I am going to give them a small straw bale tomorrow and see if that will keep them occupied for a while .

Mine love a hay brick (or alfalfa) hung up, keeps them occupied for about a week (10 x bantams and bantam crosses)-Halleys do them for horses. Hang up cabbages etc. My ducks like peas and you can buy large sacks of flaked peas (Mashams). Handfuls of mixed corn/seed chucked in every so often or put in the ducks water so they can dabble. Loose, long straw for them to rummage about in or flakes of hay. I've never had any issues giving hay but then also always provided them with mixed grit as well.

doganjo · « **Reply #49 on:** December 17, 2020, 08:32:23 pm »

I had planted some lettuces in tubs a few weeks ago - I'm not that keen on salad in winter so decided to put the tubs in the chicken run - oh boy, they went daft - they loved them. But it didn't keep them occupied for long