I am responsible for my animals and felt what I was doing was adequate. That was the jist, it seemed to come to off setting between welfare and risk. I have sheds I could put them in which they liked the idea of, but I believe hens should get sunshine and access to soil, and they said that was fine. They seemed satisfied and no further visits. I did of course agree to notify animal health if there was any sign of ill health and thankfully there’s not been any. I’ve spoken to commercial free range farmers about it, some let their birds out one day a week as a compromise. I used to believe all rules were black and white and clear for everybody, but Much as with parties/work meetings with cheese and wine or trips to scenic towns/eye tests, there are grey areas. I am looking after my animals in accordance with my moral code and my judgement on private property, more than a mile from neighbouring flocks. 100,000 migratory birds are flying over everyday and have likely done every winter for millennia. The risk to neighbouring farms comes from these birds, not what my handful of poultry do. I don’t have legal advise just my own judgement and conversations and overwhelming responsibility to my birds and family. Do passerines even carry the disease? How will the British flock maintain health or develop immunity to new diseases if they are severely restricted and stressed for six months every year? What about the effect of this on egg quality and human health? My hens need access to green matter and compost in order to be sustainable, healthy and produce good eggs. I will not feed them purely on grain or processed food as I believe this is suboptimal and compromises their and my welfare, this my belief. Feeding them greens from the garden presumably carries the same risk of transmission as allowing them to graze. Anyone wondering about epigenetic effect on future generations of chickens? We feel guilt locking up our birds, knowing we compromise their welfare and this therefore compromises our welfare. People are reducing flocks at a time of growing food insecurity, I worry more about this and the threat to rare breeds. Are the lockdown rules even scientifically proved to be preventing/limiting outbreak or spread or is it purely theoretical? I have yet to read a review regarding the disease in the way it relates to these aspects and animal health didn’t seem too clear either. They did quite a bit of nodding and agreed there were more questions than answers, the system of lockdowns is unsustainable, would be negatively affecting businesses, people, animals and consumer health and was costing a lot of public money. They agreed that the rules technically applied to everyone but they are really designed for large scale poultry keepers and for back yard flocks welfare would come first. One vet said she didn’t think there would be poultry on the shelves from mid December onwards and had told her friends and family (and me) to buy their Christmas turkeys now. I believed her at first, but there was still British poultry on all shelves.
I refuse to be subjected to constant fear mongering from all sides! They said geese were good at carrying the disease where as ducks were very susceptible- they’d likely be dead within 24 hours of contracting it, and yet I’m still seeing ducks in all the usual places, sometimes alongside the migratory geese. I’m therefore not convinced by much the experts come out with so do what I think is right. My poor neighbours hens were confined and contracted it and I’m sure they were in great health so take it to just be very much a matter of bad luck. The risk to human health and transmission is thought minimal so I don’t think I am causing risk to others in this way. I am a common woman and stand under common law. I am not causing harm to anyone else through my actions with my private property.
Topic: Chicken runs (Read 6151 times)
