[doganjo]

I must admit that the requirement to keep hens under cover presented us with a real puzzle. We now only have two and they are used to free ranging through the orchard during the day so confining them to their fairly small henhouse with limited space to move around doesn't appeal.

Not having any other under cover areas/buildings available and, as usual no spare cash, it needed a bit of creative thinking and in the end we decided to utilise our currently unused 2m x 3m polytunnel putting it up tight against the hen house so that there was access into the house, and using a mesh panel barrier at the other end with the flap rolled down to it. The whole lot is held together with a variety of tent pegs, string, an odd bit of chain, and a few reusable cable ties from the 'cuminandy' box. Surprisingly the girls took to it straight away after we added the drinker, feeder, and a dust bath. Provided we don't get any high winds (we do up here!) it might last a few weeks or just long enough to do the job - we'll see.

For what it's worth this is what it looks like:

All that for two hens?  Perhaps you have neighbours who are struggling that you vcould help out by offerring to keep theirs in that huge tent - separated from your own of course!

[northfifeduckling]

This a map of where bird flu has been reported someone emailed me today:


https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=51.909584769922866%2C4.0088939150391525&hl=en&z=7&mid=1aNOepBDPUd0zdRnQE1UbSW8djsk

Do you know if this gets updated? I didn't notice any changes, refreshed each day.

[Penninehillbilly]

Anybody signed up for text alerts?
I've just signed up.
Looking at the map do people think there is really a threat? Unless there is a easterly wind?
Living up in the Pennines we very rarely see 'strangers' up here.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT ?
We've moved the bird feeder up to the front of the house, away from regular footfall, DID have the fat ball feeders hung from trees down near the hen huts.

[northfifeduckling]

it can tip at any time, only takes on sick goose migrating over your property and we get geese daily flying over at the moment.


penniehillbilly, where do you sign up for txts?  link please.

[Penninehillbilly]

Sorry, haven't worked, Ed out how to copy links via my tablet, but if you follow Dan's link via
gov.uk > biosecurity, there is a link for
Alerts Service
You can choose what form your alerts come in.

[Hevxxx99]

It seems, from that interactive map, that the biggest threat to GB will be from gulls.

[northfifeduckling]

It seems, from that interactive map, that the biggest threat to GB will be from gulls.

How do you interpret that map this way? I can't seem to see any changes when refreshing it (is it interactive or do I just have a still life link from a few days ago?) and waterfowl is also ducks, geese and any other, ehm, waterfowl that is migrating. Plenty of wild ducks found in Holland. Which way is flu travelling this time? A few weeks they said it was migrating birds heading South....

[Hevxxx99]

I just clicked on each icon and it came up with the details.

I may be completely wrong, but I don't think that many ducks make the journey over the sea. Geese, of course do and maybe they're included in waterfowl/wildfowl but not names specifically. Gulls, however, travel far and wide and not so seasonally.

[Penninehillbilly]

I found it interesting tapping in the icons, red for domestics, blue for wild, then if you tap the detail at the bottom a lot more info comes up, including date found. Couple of lakes with lots of ducks found.
Gulls could follow fishing boats back, or ferries ? Not sure where geese come down from, but saw some heading NE a couple of weeks ago, seemed odd.

[Daisys Mum]

Does anyone know what is going to happen at the end of 30 days, is this just going to miraculously disappear or as one sceptic said to me "oh it'll be ok then the Christmas birds will all have been dispatched" I just don't get the 30 days, if it s going to continue then I will be getting rid of my birds as I have nowhere suitable to keep them, at the moment they are having to stay in their houses until 3pm when I let them out for an hour so that I clean out and top up feeders and waterers.

[in the hills]

Don't think that anyone has said anything definite yet.

Chief veterinary officer said, "As a precaution, and to allow time for poultry and captive bird keepers to put in place appropriate biosecurity measures we have declared a 30 day Prevention Zone to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds."

Does anyone else think that 'the allow time' bit might mean this is extended or measures tightened?

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[northfifeduckling]

Don't think that anyone has said anything definite yet.

Chief veterinary officer said, "As a precaution, and to allow time for poultry and captive bird keepers to put in place appropriate biosecurity measures we have declared a 30 day Prevention Zone to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds."

Does anyone else think that 'the allow time' bit might mean this is extended or measures tightened?

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Might be extended until they consider it safe to lift the precautions, that's how I understood it....I have very unhappy chickens and will have some ridiculously frantic ducks tomorrow.

[Fleecewife]

Rumours are flying     I've heard that the biggest threat is from wild swans migrating across to places like Slimbridge.  Masses and masses of migrating geese are passing ( yes they head backwards too but I think it's when they quite liked where they stayed last night and head back there at dusk - mmm)

[northfifeduckling]

as it is a disease one has to report once we assume that's what it is.... will all one's birds be culled anyway or do they just cull the all the birds from industrial production units once they have a case? Asking as mine are pets....do they cull the wild ones if they diagnose the cases? I can't believe how many millions of birds have been culled so far across the world. And the first case of human infection in China. Things are not going away just yet.

[Eve]

Does anyone else think that 'the allow time' bit might mean this is extended or measures tightened?

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

No, I think you've got it exactly right. We've all been warned well ahead and should bird flu arrive on our shores in the next few weeks nobody can claim they've had no time to prepare. It's Defra being sensible and thinking ahead, they're probably also keeping in mind that there are many new smallscale keepers who haven't been through this before.
And if the threat passes then they'll lift the ban, but at least they didn't underprepare.

as one sceptic said to me "oh it'll be ok then the Christmas birds will all have been dispatched"

Someone to ignore, Christmas birds don't take that long to process 

at the moment they are having to stay in their houses until 3pm when I let them out for an hour so that I clean out and top up feeders and waterers.

Hmmm... The whole country is under lockdown and you let yours out...




My chickens aren't happy either but we'll just have to get through it. Off to do their feeders and drinkers now with a torch - I really must get one of those head torches