Chicken lock down

[MotionofTime]

A bit of a niche one!

I live semi rurally, a few of us along the lane have chickens.

A chicken lockdown has been made mandatory due to infection, this means keeping them apart from any wild birds.

A neighbour has maybe 10 chooks, they're still all free ranging (I admit feel bad for my 5 hens not being able to!)

I'm wondering if maybe I should tell her about the lockdown as maybe she doesn't know but I don't want to potentially offend her.

I think you can be fined if you don't comply but I'm not sure!

Wwyd?

Yes, please let her know. The fine is huge if I remember correctly and everyone who keeps poultry must be registered, even for a single hen.

If you have been notified to keep them inside then you should. It's to limit the spread of Bird flue and protect commercial operations.
I would say something more in a conversation about hearing about the restricts. Ask tgem what tgey think about them more than making accusations. You can be fined and your flock destroyed so she is better complying. Ours go in the shed and are fine. They will be out and about again with no long lasting effects.

In Ireland it's a notification to the Dept for less than 50 birds, not a formal registration process. You go on an alert database and they text you to keep them inside.

It's a serious risk - and wild birds congregating around chicken feed (as I presume she feeds her flock) could be catastrophic.

Yes, I have had alerts from APHA to say to now adhere to mandatory housing measures - my chickens are registered, according to DEFRA guidelines.

I'm thinking my neighbour either

• doesn't have hers registered, so doesn't know or
• does know but is ignoring the advice

It's tricky as I don't want to come across as a busy body!

Her chickens could all be destroyed if she doesn't keep them in- she's heartless and deserves a talking to if she's really ignoring the rules. I'm all for rule bending but not when it comes to my livestock

Just googling, but whatever her reasons, I'd be more concerned about the wild bird population in the area - and the other chicken flocks in your lane.

There is no automatic culling policy for avian influenza outbreaks in the UK. Birds will only be culled if:

 Avian influenza is confirmed in the flock following laboratory testing of samples.

 A veterinary risk assessment indicates that there is a strong likelihood that a premises keeping birds has significant links to an infected premises where disease has already been confirmed. These links could be via movements of birds, poultry products, people, equipment, or vehicles between the two premises. Most premises in the 3 km Protection Zone will just receive a veterinary inspection to provide reassurance that the birds are fit and healthy. However, sampling of waterfowl may be needed, as these birds often do not show signs of infection but could still be carrying the virus.

So if any of hers get anywhere near yours or your neighbours' properties, apart from it destroying the local wild populations, all of your fowl is at risk.

I know nothing about chicken keeping, but it seems to me that she needs to protect them
I would definitely mention it if I were you.

Not just hers, all the chickens in a set radius if hers get bird flu.

All English birds (not sure about the devolved countries) need to be registered.

Thanks everyone.

I will mention it in sort of passing conversation with her!