Avian flu

[desertmum]

Not sure if you will have all seen this, but we all have to keep our girls inside for 30 days due to the risk of avian flu -

www.fwi.co.uk/poultry/free-range-poultry-ordered-indoors-bird-flu-risk-rises.htm?cmpid=SOC|Facebook|FarmersWeekly|sf45189173|sf45189173

I have 12 which is manageable, my friend has 500 free range hens which is a lot more difficult. While I know it is easy to think that our few in the back garden are exempt, they aren't, and we need to do what we can so those people whose livelihoods depend on their chickens don't have to do a cull.

The strong advice is to prevent wild birds from entering the run - you can do this by attaching bird / crop netting to the existing run. I've got fleece up as a temporary measure as couldn't get netting today.

Cross post with you - yes, it's worth doing

I spoke to defra, and they said netting meets the requirements. No need for tarp. Although, the girls may prefer shelter from the rain!

Well done Giraffe :) that's good to know.

,oh fuck it - mine are already totally wired in and I spent a sodding couple of hours nailing bright blue tarp on top !

The tarp on top is good, to stop wild bird poo from getting into the run from above, and setting around the sides will help stop small birds from accessing your chickens' food and water, so don't think you've wasted your time!!

Pixel couldn't you use some netting to restrict the size of the run then cover it adequately?

My girls are in an Eglu with attached run. We use a clear glass tarp , which is big enough to completely cover the eglu and the extended run, but lets all available daylight in. And this keeps the run completely dry in all weather.
On the floor, we always use Easibed horse bedding, from Countrywide. The chickens can still peck around for bits, and dust bath and it keeps the floor bone dry. Just needs a rake through every day, and a complete change, with chicken disinfectant powder on the dirt floor first, every 4 weeks.
Recommend the Clear Glass tarps....they are ideal for protecting the chickens.

Hairy, I've fixed some fleece over the part where the chicken wire is only a single layer, the bottom half is a double layer anyway so the holes are already very small where it overlaps. The other sides are a brick wall, a wooden 'wall' and the shed so I'm pretty sure there's not much that can get in there now! The roof is clear corrugated so they should still get plenty of light.

We put clear corrogated on a few months ago to keep it drier. It worked well. It is screwed down. Those making runs will be rubbing there hands.

Oh arse, I need to do the sides as well?! I've bought tarps to put over the top of the run (chicken wire) but nothing to go round the sides. Ended up with 10 6x4ft tarps from Poundland which I need to lash together. Can't get any power to our windowless shed so they'd be pretty much in the dark 24/7 if they went in there so not ideal.

Got mine in a greenhouse. It feels all dank and damp in there though and I think they hate it. They are so used to free ranging :( I might have to come up with another solution. How many days left!!!?

I have 6 geese and 14 chicken. They sleep in a barn and I can keep them in there, but some of the hens get high up where there are ventilation holes. Sometimes the chickens come out of them when I am late letting them out in the morning. It is a massive barn. We have no way of covering the holes. My big problem is my 36 guinea fowl. They are totally free range and though some sleep in the barn, others sleep in the rafters of an open barn and 5 sleep in a pine tree no matter what the weather is. I doubt I can catch them. Trying my best!!!

porsmork Spreading EasiChick or wood shavings down can help.

Boredom busters - the suspended corn blocks, corn on the cob or cabbage leaves in a bird feed holder suspended keeps them busy (until they work out how to get it down). Mine are also shredding their paper and cardboard.

midlifehope 23 days left, I think. Do they have any perches to use in the greenhouse, and somewhere to use as a dustbath? If not, providing more perches and a dryer dustbath could help. Maybe try scattering their food about more as well, so they have to put more effort into looking for it?

At least in the greenhouse, they have natural light which is good.

I'm sure they are feeling a bit miserable, but it would be so much worse if you had to cull them, so keep persevering!

Confirmed avian flu near me. Footpaths closed off and culling commenced.

Missed this thread the other day. We are covered and protected as much as we can.
I was amazed to hear that a local zoo hasn't got its aviaries protected

oh Possum - that's rotten news :( I hope they don't cull further than the farm.

3k exclusion zone at present but I suspect it will spread like wildfire. Nearly 5000 turkeys died in one day today at the farm before they could be culled.

wow. It really is pathogenic. But take heart that in europe it has been able to be limited through these measures. Fingers crossed.

I wonder when they first became ill possum and whether we will hear the facts.

From what I hear first signs of illness were seen early this morning. Farm called defra.

quick heads up - some stormy weather rather possible over the Christmas period. Check your new chicken house arrangements and consider what might turn into sails and take the whole structure away.
Bit of a worry.

Good point badkitten, thanks. Some people will have used tarps.

and I've read elsewhere of polytunnels being used!