To think that if you keep chickens you should comply with the DEFRA ruling?

[Serin]

I know of a couple of families who, despite the current advice to reduce the risk of bird flu, are refusing to house their poultry indoors and are still letting them run around large outdoor areas where they are in contact with wild birds. One of the areas adjoins a large lake, so the poultry are mixing with wildfowl too.

I think the current law is that they must remain inside until 28th Feb when DEFRA will reconsider if the ban needs to remain in place. AFAIK there is a potential fine of up to £5k for breaking this law.

I know that the families in question are aware of the ruling and feel it is an over reaction on behalf of the Govt. One of them said she would rather kill all her hens than make them stay inside.

AIBU to find this attitude irritating?

YDNBU.

Surely ignoring the ban is just going to result in DEFRA extending it for even longer?

My neighbours are the same, to whom should I report them please?

We have chickens and ducks which are being kept in.

However. If the avian flu is in the wild bird population then it is going to be impossible to eradicate. If it's come here with migrating birds we won't ever get rid of it. We could cull every bird in the country, reintroduce fresh stock and next migration face it all again.

Think about badgers and tb. It's been impossible for the last however many years to get it under control no matter how many controversial measures are introduced.

Rather than birds being kept in a vaccine would be more useful.

And after 12 weeks of captivity a farm will lose its free range status. So pretty soon we won't be able to buy free range eggs from the UK. Or free range chicken.

I am not sure what will happen at the end of the month. The guidelines about disinfectant being applied to areas before you release your birds at the end of the month are also pretty bizarre. Fair enough to swill some hospital grade disinfectant around a yard but what about fields? And once you have done it how are you supposed to keep wild life off it?

And what about the next migration?

I don't think it's been well thought out at all.

You should report them at once. I don't know who to, but find out!!!

barefoofdoctor would it not to DEFRA itself?

03000 200 301
Defeat Rural Services helpline

Defra! Not defeat

Idiots not taking the advice seriously

@barefoofdoctor report to trading standards.

YANBU
We have all our chickens kept in, but we're the only ones in the immediate area who have.
Excuses we've heard are "we've got nowhere to put them" (on a farm with lots of buildings and sheds/stables ), "we've only got a few, it won't make any difference" .

To be fair DEFRA's advice hasn't been publicised very well and they haven't been clear enough about the risks or about policing it all.

You can report to animal health at trading standards, but TBH we did and they've done nothing. They're doing a sterling job of doing bugger all about it!

When you say they have to be kept in what do you mean? As in locked in a shed or coop? Or in a covered outside area?

Separated from wild birds and their droppings MrsP so can be a covered run (which is what mine are in attached to their coops) or indoors in a shed, hen house, barn etc. The carriers are migrating birds so the idea is to keep domestic poultry separate from the potential sources of infection.