Poultry, waterfowl and bird keepers

Rather a problem when mine are in a large enclosure with no roof. Tarpaulin won't be big enough, and tiny birds can fly through the small mesh wire on sides too.
What are we meant To do?
Defeat have no idea of who will enforce it, much less how many people actually have poultry etc.
Smacks of the foot and mouth debacle to me.....
 
Look at it this way, it's precautionary- If we were to end up with a large outbreak here then these restrictions could last months- I know people who have had to do this in France and it's not fun. The more people to decide it's inconvenient, the more likely we are to have a problem-we're coming into the key migratory season hence the lock down now .
I live on a windy hill with free range geese, ducks and chickens. Roofed pens are not an option large scale. Some will be split up into smaller tarped pens , some will come into the hay shed and the stables.
 
Oh marvellous. ..I am in the same boat; even if I cover the roof with something solid we'll still get tiny birds coming through the sides. So can I not let them out to free range then? I suspect the big poultry farmers are the ones at risk, importing birds, but given the government's reputation on animal health matters I wonder where this will end up...
 
There is much scratching on heads here, while we decide how to organise our birds.

We have quite a few, all free ranging, no runs at all.

I think we will put the chickens in the barn, will need to cull any that start fighting, but don't have any choice.

The geese will need to stay out, they are my favourite so would be really upset if something happened to them but I don't have a big enough area to shut them away safely.

The ducks will need to go in our wire marque, which is fine, but the tiny wild birds can get through the wire.

You can only do what is physically possible, its certainly going to be a busy few days sorting it all out.
 
yeah, the geese are tricky. The muscovies will be happy with some trugs of water but the geese love to swim. its a real pain but honestly, people on FB are acting like entitled idiots over it.

bird netting is cheap and you can also get cheap plastic tarps.
 
A neighbour and I have gone halves and ordered a roll of 6m by 100m knitted small hole netting. The knitted netting lasts much longer than the plastic, and once restrictions are lifted I will use it to make a fruit cage for next year!

From gardening experience, going for wider/longer lengths is much less hassle as joining the netting without creating potential bird access holes is a pain. If you eventually hope to use it in your garden, slightly larger-holed netting won't stop cabbage white butterflies, whereas this small-holed netting will.

The 6m width will eventually make a nice fruit cage of 2m tall and 2m wide.

It's definitely a pain, but I'd rather do my bit (& any excuse for a fruit cage, yay).
Our netting is from www.truetraders.co.uk - they have lots of different sizes and types of netting. Ours will cost us just over £45 each.
 
Must admit that we only have a small number of pet birds, so much easier to organise some sort of enclosed area. I do feel for those of you with much larger flocks.
 
I have managed to rehouse 2 of my flocks into my polytunnels which fortunately are not being used this time of year. I've managed to tarp and net another run but still have the duck enclosure to go. Also got a recuperating cockerel in the hay barn for now!
 
Well we have finished clearing and bedding down part of our barn, we are lucky that we have a barn to be able to get them in tbh. Can't stop the wee birds getting into the barn though.

I had to let them all out as usual to be able to get the barn ready, little do they know that today is their last day of freedom for a bit - such a shame as the weather is so gorgeous at the moment.
 
Demented Elf said:
- such a shame as the weather is so gorgeous at the moment.
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ha-mine are quite pleased, its blowing a hooly up at mine right now! mine are going in my stables-they are interior stables and I'll net the fronts. I can't completely stop birds getting in but can't think they'll really bother going in that far, certainly not anything other than sparrows. The ducks I split into groups and small runs that I can net and cover. The geese right now are still out-they were saying on the news this morning to monitor geese and not necessarily shut them in as more of a welfare issue. I can keep their food away.
 
So my chickens are netted already because they're experts at getting out and the squirrel at getting in but do I also need to put a tarp over to stop bird poo getting in too?
 
This sounds like a nightmare for everyone, but hopefully short term inconvenience is as bad as it will get.

I would think the risk from lbjs getting in through smaller mesh would be lower given that less of those migrate over large distances? Less risk than a giant splat poo from a Canada goose anyway?
 
Thats all my ducks and chickens in the barn, now, they are very bemused. The ducks are huddling in the corner!

Geese will stay out for the time being, will put their food out of the way.

I can't remember ever having migrating birds land here, lets hope it stays that way.
 
Yuk - what an awful day for them to be confined in a small area.
Still, just heard that the entire island of Texel in Holland (just a short hop over the North Sea for birds) has been declared an infected area. 500 dead birds have been found within the last week.
 
We can combine two lots of birds in one roofed pen, the roof is wire netting so we'll have to put a tarp over it.
The geese will have to stay where they are, but i'll put their food and water inside their hut. They usually have a large trug that i fill daily and they get in and splash around. Would they be ok with a smaller water container?
 
D66 said:
We can combine two lots of birds in one roofed pen, the roof is wire netting so we'll have to put a tarp over it.
The geese will have to stay where they are, but i'll put their food and water inside their hut. They usually have a large trug that i fill daily and they get in and splash around. Would they be ok with a smaller water container?
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my understanding is that should be fine-you're using mains water as they recommend but you should also try and keep wild birds off it using netting. Basically my geese will have a netted pen (alpaca hurdles and bird netting) which will contain their house and a plastic trough. I am going to tie plastic bags etc to it to scare off birds as tarping is really hard where I am. Their pellets etc are in their house.
 
We now have birds housed in all sorts of ingenious ways! The polytunnels are proving the best. The best I have seen (not my idea sadly) is a trampoline being used with wire around the edges!

The sheep are furious that the geese have taken up residence in the field shelter.

It's not ideal but if I can help keep my own birds and everyone else's safe then it will be well worth it.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
my understanding is that should be fine-you're using mains water as they recommend but you should also try and keep wild birds off it using netting. Basically my geese will have a netted pen (alpaca hurdles and bird netting) which will contain their house and a plastic trough. I am going to tie plastic bags etc to it to scare off birds as tarping is really hard where I am. Their pellets etc are in their house.
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We are going to eat them at christmas. :) Not long to go.
 
Thankfully we only have a handful of hens. They are usually completely free range so will be rather peeved at being confined, but needs must. They are in their hen house today while I sort out a place for them in our shed.
 
My hens are loving it, being on a side of a wet and windy hill isn't their preferred habitat (and I've stopped breeding much because of that) although they free range. They are in a stable with lights so they can start laying again ;)


its a lot of extra work just when its hardest but there you go.
 
I was just wondering did anyone know if it applies to Northern Ireland yet???

I've a couple of neighbours with free range hens/ducks/geese, I could warn them if its over here too...

Fiona
 
The chickens seem happy enough today, ducks are still huddling in the corner!

Do you think I should try and do something with the geese? We have a wire marque which I can cover with tarpaulin, but it is not very big, I have six geese, two are ganders, I am worried about them hurting each other.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
My hens are loving it, being on a side of a wet and windy hill isn't their preferred habitat (and I've stopped breeding much because of that) although they free range. They are in a stable with lights so they can start laying again ;)


its a lot of extra work just when its hardest but there you go.
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This is the usual habitat for mine (though this photo is of my old gang of hens), so being indoors is supremely inferior - especially on a day like today when it is mild and sunny. The current hens have been brilliant layers for us and lay all year round whatever the weather.

 
WorkingGSD said:
This is the usual habitat for mine (though this photo is of my old gang of hens), so being indoors is supremely inferior - especially on a day like today when it is mild and sunny. The current hens have been brilliant layers for us and lay all year round whatever the weather.

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What a view! Where is that?
 
What are you all doing for entertainment for your chooks? I don't have any myself any more, but my best mate does (has one of my old girls actually) and she's asked me for ideas of things to put in their (covered) run to enrich it for them.
So far I've come up with: hang up herbs/weeds, a swede, fruit/veg.
Just thought of a good one, corn on the cobs - going to message her now!
And I also said get or make a treat dispenser and fill with mealworms.
Anyone else got any other ideas for chicken entertainment?!
 
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