H5n1

Clodagh said:
Wow to a sparrow hawk taking a duck! ?
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it was very upsetting, we had a few mallards in the back garden on the leat. What the sparrowhawk hasn't had then the magpies have with young swallows and the foxes have with the geese and the mink with my bantams.
I have given up on anything that could be considered poultry. The swallows have all learnt they have to live inside the buildings with me where I can protect them..
 
paddy555 said:
it was very upsetting, we had a few mallards in the back garden on the leat. What the sparrowhawk hasn't had then the magpies have with young swallows and the foxes have with the geese and the mink with my bantams.
I have given up on anything that could be considered poultry. The swallows have all learnt they have to live inside the buildings with me where I can protect them..
Click to expand...
It can be so depressing.
 
Not that anyone around me seems to be taking any notice of the avian lockdown anyway, but it is not to be lifted on the 21st, which is when the free range definition is lost to industry. A lot of the outbreaks seem to be coming from captive birds, wild birds and backyard keepers of poultry. If everyone did their bit, this would be over sooner but people just don’t realise what these control zones mean for the egg industry. And if you can’t keep your birds happy in lockdown, think about whether you should have them at all-at least think about investing in some decent housing.
 
The small scale poultry farmer at the end of our lane has been wiped out this week ?. All birds destroyed. That’s a livelihood shattered. The scale of the operation in terms of vehicles and manpower for a small operator was astonishing. We are in a 3km protection zone, the (locally known as) ‘chicken police’ have been going door to door tracking poultry keepers. Still I see birds out ?. So thoughtless, selfish and irresponsible.
 
Does anyone have any idea as to when this might be lifted?
Our hens are currently very happily housed in part of the grain store on the farm. It’s perfect and pretty spacious but obviously will be needed come harvest time. I figured they would be back out by now.
 
Possibly end of March but i’d not count on it. AI doesn’t survive warm sunny weather well so as days get longer the risk will go down. Saying that, there’s an awful lot of it about in parts of the country and as we’ve lost the free range status they may keep it longer. The egg producers I know are resigned to this being annual and adjusting housing accordingly.
 
My little flock have also been in their run rather than free ranging and have done very well with plenty of eggs over the winter but I would love to get them into the orchard. I have been adding lettuce, fruit and other vegetables to their layers meal but it isn’t the same as them being allowed the freedom to forage, scratch and peck in the grass.
 
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