[Hevxxx99]

Geese don't have to be housed, but feed and water in a covered area where wild birds can be deterred,  so if fed inside at nights should be OK.

Do you have a citation for this?  Trying to work out where to put the various flocks here ATM.

Thanks

Pages 3 and 9...

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/575619/captive-birds-biosecurity-inside-prevention-zone.pdf

[Hevxxx99]

I don't know what to do.

We have 11 birds but the house is only for roosting. It's a great house but no way big enough to keep them in all day. 

The run it too big to cover so apart from making up the spare room for them I'm at a loss. :-(

Can you wrap the run in debris netting? It's great stuff and goes a long way!

[Penninehillbilly]

Thanks Hevxxx, couldn't copy the link on my tablet, was trying to remember the headings from Sarah deans post.
When in the PDF use the search facility for 'GEESE'. Saves a lot of reading.

[big soft moose]

I don't know what to do.

We have 11 birds but the house is only for roosting. It's a great house but no way big enough to keep them in all day. 

The run it too big to cover so apart from making up the spare room for them I'm at a loss. :-(

Can you partition the run  and  cover part of it ? 

[Marches Farmer]

Perhaps you could be creative with pallets, strawberry netting, fireguards, puppy cage panels, old bits of tin and a selection of any of the other things that may be hanging around your place ....?

[Fleecewife]

I've just put my new APHA Keep Out sign on the gate - don't want feed delivery lorries or LPG tankers that might have been on poultry farms before delivering to us.

Are these available from somewhere?  ideally we need three 'strictly no entry - avian flu exclusion zone' signs for the gates.  Fortunately because of the layout of our holding, people coming to the house are totally separate from the farm entrances.

[desertmum]

Good news in Suffolk - Posh Chicken doesn't have avian flu - but is still on anti-b's for mycoplasma.  The rest of the girls are in one of the field shelters with close holed mesh above the doors.  They look very cosey and are happy scratching away in the straw.  Just keeping an eye on them to ensure they don't scrap as it's a smaller space than they are used to.

Fingers crossed all our chickens stay healthy.

[pharnorth]

So the 4 chickens are easy as they have a run, just keep the door shut and try not to watch them looking miserably through the mesh. The Indian Runners I was going to create a run out of bird netting and hurdles as they need some head room. Trouble is someone hasn't seen the news as they let them out today so no way of catching them and making them secure until this evening........

[Liz Kershaw]

So the chickens (11 of them) are in emergency option one (the fruit cage) with rather flimsy net. They look furious (normally have two acres of orchard). Husband has stomped off to work mourning potential loss of all  his fruit trees. Option two is the field shelter with top of door blocked. It will be safer, but dark, and has known rat activity. What are your thoughts (what's best for the chickens rather than us)?

[Eve]

The field shelter with top of door that can be blocked - can't you 'block' it with some mesh stapled into the frame to let light and fresh air in?


Unless the fruit trees are really petite they'll be alright, protect their roots if necessary.

[Marches Farmer]

I've just put my new APHA Keep Out sign on the gate - don't want feed delivery lorries or LPG tankers that might have been on poultry farms before delivering to us.

Are these available from somewhere?  ideally we need three 'strictly no entry - avian flu exclusion zone' signs for the gates.  Fortunately because of the layout of our holding, people coming to the house are totally separate from the farm entrances.

APHA sent me four, along with boot dip signs.  They were mentioned in Farmers Guardian earlier this year and I think I applied through the APHA website.

[farmers wife]

I cant get my head around this - as usual the advice is so flakey while some people are on complete shut down in shear panic others are just popping a net over.  I cant see unless everyone is at the same level the point of this.  The only winners in this is the huge poultry shed with complete bio security.


Like most I have my hens in surrounded by Heras fencing.  birds can get in at all levels.  Small birds can poo around and on a farm impossible to prevent bird ingress.  My feeds are in a safe shipping container however wild birds fly in the minute I open the containers.  People come and go constantly and lorries and vans in daily.


We can only do our best but nothing is 100%

[Dans]

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

Apparently whilst the order is on toy can still sell the eggs as free range even of the birds are cooped up. That covers for 12 weeks but all hoping this only lasts the four.

My geese are in and unhappy about it. I can't keep wild birds out of thier food and water inside.

I've ordered panels to make a chicken  run to attach to the house that should be here by the weekend. I've moved food and water inside and cleared up any standing water and windfall fruit which is the best I can do for now.

To  amend matters worse we've just reintroduced a ex broody and her daughter to the flock and things are I  turmoil with the pecking order changing. Not sure how well it will go pulling them all into a smaller area but needs must.

Dans

Dabs

[Fleecewife]

So the chickens (11 of them) are in emergency option one (the fruit cage) with rather flimsy net. They look furious (normally have two acres of orchard). Husband has stomped off to work mourning potential loss of all  his fruit trees. Option two is the field shelter with top of door blocked. It will be safer, but dark, and has known rat activity. What are your thoughts (what's best for the chickens rather than us)?

Our hens have always had free access to our fruit cage, which has black and red currants, gooseberries, apple and pear trees and raspberries.  Not only have they done no damage to the shrubs, canes and trees, but they scratch around and clear pests from under the bushes. Once the fruit is ripe though, it's a different matter, and we have to race them and the wild birds to pick them (no way to keep wild birds out of the fruit cage - it's more for protection against the wind).  I think your hens will be happy as anything, scratching away on the forest floor 

[pharnorth]

The Defra advice by necessity has to cover everyone from major commercial units to those of us with half a dozen, so @farmers wife it is always going to be a bit tricky to apply in the same way across the board and when you say everyone to the same level I don't think that is really the point since we don't all start from the same place.   It is about everyone reducing the risk as much as they reasonably can, which to be fair is what the Defra edict says. With a few chickens and ducks it is inconvenient but not difficult to grab a few hurdles and bird netting and make a run. For a commercial,unit I suspect they have to be ready anyway for this eventuality it is the people with a hundred or so that maybe struggling most?