[Eve]

It's apparently being brought in by birds migrating south for winter.
We might just be lucky 

[Marches Farmer]

The Redwings have been flying through this area for the past four weeks - numbers have tailed off significantly in the last ten days.

[in the hills]

Redwings seem to have just appeared here in MId Wales.

Perhaps they are yours Marches Farmer.

[Marches Farmer]

If they are they'll be the very plump ones - they descended on our hawthorn trees and stripped them bare in hours!

[chrismahon]

Holland went into domestic flock lockdown yesterday. No visitors and birds must remain in covered enclosures.

[Eve]

Just read terrible news: 190,000 meat ducks are being culled in The Netherlands, 180,000 on one farm and 10,000 on a neighbouring farm. 

It's in the province Flevoland which is in the middle of The Netherlands and surrounded by water, the whole province is like one huge farm.

[Marches Farmer]

I can't even imagine that many ducks in one place, let alone having to cull them all in one go. 

[sarahdean_66]

Defra website says were under lock down for 30days now all birds to stay in side or at least away from wild birds now.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-protect-poultry-against-avian-flu

[Hevxxx99]

Does that include all the unregistered "flocks" of 3/4 birds etc?

How are the owners of these pet birds likely to know about it? 

[BrimwoodFarm]

I would think this mostly applies to Defra registered flocks - i.e. those over 50 birds. Though it's probably wise for us smaller flock owners to up our hygiene and be on the look out for possible infections. I can't possibly keep my main flock locked away in their henhouse for a month, but I will move all their feeders/drinkers inside to minimize contact with wild birds.

Hope this problem passes soon.

[desertmum]

We only have 11 but would hate to lose any of our girls.  We are trying to work out how to keep them indoors - a project for tomorrow morning.

[doganjo]

I'm going to assume it applies to everyone - it just takes one case for it to spread. 

I have just taken on 8 ex batts, they have been in a separate shed since I got them on Sunday, so they won't know anything different - a little more room to move than in their cages perhaps.   I had intended moving them beside the other six tomorrow but they'll stay put till the order is lifted.

My four Shetland ducks and the six hens have inside runs in a brick garage so they'll stay put and I have a plastic paddling pool they can have for dunking.

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00511175.pdf

[sarahdean_66]

Everyone no matter how few hens is required to take all possible steps to keep them seperate from wild birds and ideally shut in. It is in the news.

[doganjo]

Does that include all the unregistered "flocks" of 3/4 birds etc?

How are the owners of these pet birds likely to know about it? 

We as responsible owners have to tell as many as possible.  I've posted it on my facebook page and one friend has just said it doesn't affect hers as they aren't near other poultry - I've just informed her that it does as it's carried by wild birds and that it's a government order.

[Eve]

We only have 11 but would hate to lose any of our girls.  We are trying to work out how to keep them indoors - a project for tomorrow morning.

Can you keep them under cover? Much of our runs is covered, so few bird droppings can fall through, which is a start.
My hens would love to be literally indoors, one of them was our original pet hen whose favourite place for a nap is on the back of the sofa!


I've been telling everyone chicken friend I know about the lockdown, I would hate to be partly responsible for an outbreak by not taking sensible precautions.