[Hevxxx99]

My hens are not a problem, but I have ducks and geese who are semi-feral/ornamental and live on a pond with no housing. No idea what I can do about them.

What will they do about all the birds on the ponds in places like Hyde Park? Cull?

[doganjo]

They are the wild birds that are most at risk. They will be monitored I imagine

[BrimwoodFarm]

Yeah, this is a project for me tomorrow too. I have two runs that I can cover over to prevent any wild bird contamination. My main flock is allowed out into a yard during the day, but they're normally in their shed until I get back from work at 1/2ish...since it gets dark so early now, it won't do them much harm to stay inside the whole time I guess.

Not ideal....but more ideal than catching avian flu!

[big soft moose]

Well that's my chicken acquisition put on hold for 30 days  -  strikes me as another govt "be seen to be doing something" move  from the geniuses that brought us the F&M outbreak,  Given that bird flu is predominantly carried by migrating waterfowl if you aren't near an area where these birds congregate your chickens aren't likely to get infected.

If you are there could still be virus particles hanging around after 30 days in  accumulations of  bird faeces etc.

Looking on the bright side they haven't overreacted and ordered a mas slaughter - yet

[Hevxxx99]

My waterfowl share their pond with mallards and the occassional wild goose as well as grazing in a field that has pheasants, grouse, various birds of prey and corvids as well as the usual song birds.  What is the point of shutting them in?  They aren't going anywhere at all, unlike the other birds there, so if they got AF they'd be the least risk to the spread.

I suspect my only option will be to cull.

[Dans]

Gah. I'm trying to work out how I mange this.

I've got 4 geese that I  old put into our shade tunnel (polytunnel with netting over it). But what do I feed them at this time of year? They've been just on grass with a bit of corn.

My chickens, I can put the water inside thier house (converted shed, the food is already in) and cover the entrance to prevent wild birds getting in but they would still be free ranging. I have no pen at all and I think they would kill each other kept in the shed for 30 days.

Is keeping the food and water clear of wild birds sufficient?

Dans

[desertmum]

Reading the article from defra it says we should have foot disinfectant at the entrance to the shed - is Vircon ok for this?

Waiting,impatiently, for the vet to open.  One of my chooks has been in isolation for a week as she has been on antibiotics for a cold - sneezing, swollen eyes etc. 

Have been awake all night working out in my head how we can make part of the polytunnel wild bird proof so the girls can go in there.

It will be a busy morning.

[Dans]

I'm thinking of putting the chickens in the polytunnel. We have some netting that can go across the doors but need to construct some perches and not sure how to cover the floor from the mess.

Virkon should be ok as a disinfectant.

Dans

[Backinwellies]

Glad I'm in Wales    (though I wonder how long before we get order too. )   No idea what I would do with my few hens and ducks .... completely free range during day and no bird proof shed large enough to shut them in.

One comment on Facebook .... wonder if supermarkets will still be selling Free range eggs??

[Backinwellies]

Another comment prompted by Facebook ..... cant see our local pheasant shoot shutting up shop!

[GribinIsaf]

The Defra edict refers to. "the whole of England".  Do people in Wales feel they should be complying too?

[landroverroy]

Reading the article from defra it says we should have foot disinfectant at the entrance to the shed - is Vircon ok for this?

Does the article explain how you get the wild birds to walk through it??

[desertmum]

Posh Brown,our chicken who has been sick and in isolation for a week, is off to the vets this afternoon for swabs to be taken - please keep your fingers crossed that it is mycoplasma and not a strain of avian flu.  Our lovely vet says he thinks that is what is it but he is duty bound to do the tests.  Fingers crossed for my girls please.   

[Fleecewife]

I'm thinking of putting the chickens in the polytunnel. We have some netting that can go across the doors but need to construct some perches and not sure how to cover the floor from the mess.

Virkon should be ok as a disinfectant.

Dans

If you mean droppings - dig them in, perfect fertiliser 

[in the hills]

I read on another forum that it includes Wales and NI.

50 pheasants in my smallish lawned area nearest to the house this morning. So Backinwellies our local shoot isn't keeping them in yet!

Ridiculous numbers of pheasants here. Any chance of biosecurity measures working here are a joke!