Poultry, waterfowl and bird keepers

A slice of meadow hay-stick some grain on top of it, Spring greens tied up, apples, sprout tops, cauliflower leaves. Perches outside, a swing (can just be a branch and some bailer twine) and a dust bath if they don't already have one. I just put part of a fallen tree in my stable for mine.
 
I've hung a couple of mini haynets up in my covered run and put cabbage/lettuce in for the chooks. One is hung up fairly high and the chooks have to get up on an upturned planter to reach it. Also put a slice of straw in the run and scattered some corn over it. They seem happy enough and I've had more eggs this week than last week. It is a bit of a pain, but I would much rather keep my birds safe, and that of any neighbouring ones too.
 
I've also propped a pallet agains the wall, wrong way around to give them something else to climb/roost on. I spent several years keeping chickens in pens-it is possible to do it well and keep them healthy even if free range is the ideal.
The filled hay nets are a good idea :) and I've seen on FB that people are soaking grass nuts for their ducks and geese.
 
I would not give them hay, if they are off grass they are more likely to eat it and it can cause a blocked crop. A slice of straw with goodies in works well and is much safer.
Make sure they have grit if they usually free range and get their own.
 
The plot thickens. Was chatting to a neighbour who breeds chickens and ducks, and as such is registered. DEFRA told her that so long as you have feed and water under cover/indoors, and apply disinfectant to the surrounding areas there is no need to keep them in. Particularly for ducks this might be a better management system? I must admit I was pondering the virus being carried on feet and vehicle wheels, into buildings so a complete lock down without disinfecting is less effective.
I just with DEFRA would get their story straight!
 
I was talking to two large scale poultry producers on Tuesdae, one has broilers and one free range layers and there's are all under complete biosecure lockdown.
I suspect your neighbour is picking out the bits she thinks easiest to comply with! I am not knocking her, I can't keep every sparrow away from my birds.
 
I agree, lots of people are interpreting it differently to what they are able to comply with.

I completely sympathise, but I would rather someone just accept that they are doing what they can.

Annoyingly I know plenty who are doing ****** all, majority of them only have a few chickens or ducks. Their defence is that DEFRA have not told them to do anything!
 
JillA said:
The plot thickens.
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there is no plot. basic biosecurity means foot baths and keeping birds in under cover-that can mean inside, it can mean keeping them under netting. my waterfowl are under nets and tarps over water, my chooks are inside with a floodlight on a timer (less than £20). all are eating and seem fine. horse owners should be familiar with basic biosecurity measures for when they bring in new horses-same principles apply here although the stakes much higher should we end up with it.

right now there is no outbreak in the UK, this is precautionary and practise in case there is-but it will probably happen again, so people should get prepared and get used to it or find a different sort of pet. people should do what they can-which doesn't equate to nothing at all or choosing the easy bits! I've tried feeding my hens in their coop and the geese in theirs-it doesn't work as its too dark this time of year, I can't run electric that far so they have to come in round the back. can I keep every sparrow out? probably not but I can limit it and I can get them away from the corvids-especially the flocks of starlings.

its to get stormy next week, blinking nightmare for me-I know by experience that wind/shade netting and tarps and living in the Southern Uplands don't mix. the tarps have to come down and the birds will have to come in.
 
I took my dog for a walk off our hills today, and into woods and fields surrounding the village where my son goes to primary school so I could collect him (they finish at lunch time on Fridays). I saw two separate properties that had all their poultry wandering around as usual. It really pisses me off when the minority feel these precautionary measures don't apply to them!
 
annoying isnt it-there's one place on the way to work that isnt either, mind you their horses graze on ***** year round so their standards obviously arent that high.


my geese have settled somewhat and are eating well again-was a bit worried that they didnt seem to be eating much.
 
I've just been to a local farm with a shop on site and their hens were in when I arrived but as I left at dusk they were out in a small paddock completely as normal. I'm beginning to wonder if the different advice from Defra varies from region to region - the one on our local radio and one who spoke to a friend who breeds hens and ducks said it is okay so long as you keep their feed and drinking water under cover and disinfect around and about. That's totally different from some folks saying keep all poultry entirely indoors
 
JillA said:
I've just been to a local farm with a shop on site and their hens were in when I arrived but as I left at dusk they were out in a small paddock completely as normal. I'm beginning to wonder if the different advice from Defra varies from region to region - the one on our local radio and one who spoke to a friend who breeds hens and ducks said it is okay so long as you keep their feed and drinking water under cover and disinfect around and about. That's totally different from some folks saying keep all poultry entirely indoors
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it doesn't vary region to region but people's interpretation of it does. one chap on FB completely missed the point as he was letting his geese out at night under floodlights!
 
Demented Elf said:
Yikes, saw that gatherings of birds for shows etc have been suspended too.
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yes, because some numpty from Grimsby took his birds to the National last weekend-he was in the exclusion zone but allegadly checked with the organizers who said it was ok (he apparently left an hour before the official notification of the exclusions zone). He won some prizes and got reported. the mind boggles.

sales, auctions and shows all suspended-if you are selling privately then keep good records (or just don't).
 
twiggy2 said:
Around my way all the commercial birds are in but I don't see any others being kept in- I wonder if something like this is going to spark cries for flock numbers and registration?
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The thing is, we are registered because I have over 50 birds. I have had no email or contact from the authorities with regards to the bird flu, so whats the point?
 
Such a shame to hear of the Welsh case. I have just made a quiche and my egg yolks are such a feeble colour now, nothing makes up for grass. Also had to cull one of my lovely little millefleur wyandotte pullets, she had an awful prolapse. Not in a happy chicken keeping mindset right now.
 
WorkingGSD said:
I saw two separate properties that had all their poultry wandering around as usual. It really pisses me off when the minority feel these precautionary measures don't apply to them!
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Pees me off too, when I'm doing my best keeping my 6 girls in, and the commercial free range egg farm down the road have theirs out wandering around as normal. It's right next to a main road and I'm very surprised no one has told them!
 
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