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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To warn bird keepers of the new regulations?

56 replies

Lougle · 03/12/2020 22:18

"Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, from 14 December onwards you will be legally required to keep your birds indoors, or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds. We have not taken this decision lightly, but it is the best way to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease." www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-national-prevention-zone-declared

You have 11 days to make your housing secure, so that wild birds (and their droppings) can't come into contact with your domestic birds.

I'm going to put tarpaulins on top of their pen, I think. They have a coop with a run inside the pen, but it seems far too small to keep them in 24/7.

OP posts:
picklemewalnuts · 05/12/2020 21:42

The tarpaulin is an issue if it's flat. Try and create an artificial peak- maybe an upturned bucket under it, and pull the corners down with weights.

peakotter · 05/12/2020 21:46

I had a chicken die very suddenly in the last outbreak. I informed whoever it is you are supposed to inform, and they told me to stay at home and came quickly in full hazmat gear!

We were fine, no flu in my other four birds. She just keeled over, as they do. I was a bit surprised how seriously they took it though.

onyourway · 05/12/2020 21:49

Who did you inform, if a chicken dies suddenly? We lost one last week, buried now, and another is looking peaky.

We put them in a gazebo last time, will put that up again.

EvilPea · 05/12/2020 21:49

I’m going to scrub my wild bird feeders tomorrow, I suddenly seem to have seen a dramatic loss in the number of visitors. But I have moved some things around so I hope it’s just that.

Is hot soapy water sufficient?

umpteennamechanges · 05/12/2020 21:55

Well...human transmission of avian flu would finish 2020 off nicely Grin

(For anyone not sure, this is a joke, it is not currently transmissible from human to human and will hopefully stay that way or we're all fucked).

MeringueCloud · 05/12/2020 21:59

@onyourway

Who did you inform, if a chicken dies suddenly? We lost one last week, buried now, and another is looking peaky.

We put them in a gazebo last time, will put that up again.

There's a phone number on the page that a PP linked to earlier.
MeringueCloud · 05/12/2020 22:01

@EvilPea

I’m going to scrub my wild bird feeders tomorrow, I suddenly seem to have seen a dramatic loss in the number of visitors. But I have moved some things around so I hope it’s just that.

Is hot soapy water sufficient?

No, you need special stuff from an animal feed shop or similar.
JacobReesMogadishu · 05/12/2020 22:07

I’m going to buy netting and net the top of their enclosure.

Last time a friend of mine rang up the local council and said she could not possible expected to keep her 20 ducks and 15 geese inside, that she had nowhere suitable and they said don’t worry about it! 🤷‍♀️

SMaCM · 05/12/2020 22:11

We rebuilt our chicken run last time bird flu was around, so all we need to do is shut them in (which they won't be happy about).

Poorlykitten · 05/12/2020 22:12

@EvilPea bleach kills just about everything.

EvilPea · 05/12/2020 22:13

I know hot soapy water is sufficient most of the time but wasn’t sure with the bird flu.
Ok I’ll get off to the shops tomorrow!
Thank you

stayathomegardener · 05/12/2020 22:14

Thanks for flagging this @Lougle
I only read about it myself last night accidentally popped up on Google.

20 chickens on a registered small holding Ive been expecting a visit from an official for a while as we are less than 3km from the big Cheshire outbreak. Nothing 🤷‍♀️

We will put ours in a greenhouse I think for now.

EvilPea · 05/12/2020 22:15

[quote Poorlykitten]@EvilPea bleach kills just about everything.[/quote]
Ohh that’s a good shout if I struggle to get some.
I’ll rinse it to within an inch of its life of course!!

Poorlykitten · 05/12/2020 22:18

I don’t think you are allowed to bury poultry, they are supposed to be disposed of according to Defra by bagging and binning.

Original poster
Lougle · 05/12/2020 22:26

@Poorlykitten

I don’t think you are allowed to bury poultry, they are supposed to be disposed of according to Defra by bagging and binning.
Yeah, we double bagged and binned (into a bin with a bin liner) when ours died.
OP posts:
Catmaiden · 05/12/2020 22:26

Clear plastic shower curtains are your friend! Put them over the outdoor run, so tbe birds still get some light, and the food and water is protected from wild bird poo.
(Unless you have sheets of clear plastic readily available, to do the same thing)
My bantams will have to stay in the giant house and run, which they WILL not like, at all. They love free ranging. Oh well, better safe than sorry and I don't want to risk spreading it (or get a fine)

Cecillie · 05/12/2020 22:28

We have two massive free range Muscovy ducks
I can't catch them , they can fly and they are really big and scarey
Presume they sort of count like ducks on an ornamental pond, people can't be keeping those inside ?

Catmaiden · 05/12/2020 22:32

Sorry, not what DEFRA say!
Geese were exempt last time (eat grass) but not ducks. If they are yours, you are responsible for shutting them up.
Unless you can claim they are genuinely wild ducks?

JazzTheDog · 05/12/2020 22:33

I had Heras fencing delivered today to make a run for my runner ducks who normally free range dawn to dusk. Chickens and Shetland ducks are already in roofed enclosures but would normally be out free ranging. I've ordered 50m of scaffold netting to keep wild birds out.

Catmaiden · 05/12/2020 23:12

@JazzTheDog, just make sure you have water and food under cover from bird poo. Clear plastic sheet over the top of the netting will work
Is ypur scaffold netting going to keep out small birds, like wrens or robins? It needs to.
(I run chicken keeping courses, btw, so have a good level of knowledge on this)

JazzTheDog · 06/12/2020 03:08

[quote Catmaiden]@JazzTheDog, just make sure you have water and food under cover from bird poo. Clear plastic sheet over the top of the netting will work
Is ypur scaffold netting going to keep out small birds, like wrens or robins? It needs to.
(I run chicken keeping courses, btw, so have a good level of knowledge on this)[/quote]
Yeh, the scaffold netting was recommended by our local hen rescue. It's like micro mesh so the holes are tiny and it's a wee bit heavier than garden netting and less likely than a tarp to catch the wind (we live in NE Scotland on top of a hill).

Whatthechicken · 06/12/2020 09:14

@Catmaiden brilliant idea!!

onyourway · 06/12/2020 09:28

The peaky chicken died overnight, so we are on the phone to Defra. Do they test the other chickens or just cull them? We only have four, but they are rescue chickens and have been living their best life here. Sad

Poorlykitten · 06/12/2020 09:53

They will cull them all sadly, if the dead one tests positive.

onyourway · 06/12/2020 10:11

Just had about 30 mins on the phone to them, going through all the details and the vet concluded that it probably wasn't avian flu, so no further action. Phew, but thanks to this thread for providing details..