Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chicken keepers

Meet others keeping chickens on our Mumsnet Chicken forum.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Is it ok to let them out in the garden during the day?

66 replies

Cluckingmad0 · 27/03/2022 22:19

I recently got chickens and they are getting quite bored in their coop. Is it ok to let them out for some exercise and enrichment? It’s only a couple of hens and they is no way they can leave my garden as very secure fence in place. Thanks

OP posts:

User76745333 · 28/03/2022 06:37

If your birds get bird flu they will die, either from the flu itself or from being culled because you would have exposed them to a horrible disease which has the potential to mutate and cause everyone even bigger problems.

This affects everyone. Chicken keepers or not. It affects farms, zoos and household pets, it affects our supply chain and everyone’s ability to buy free range meat and eggs (which currently isn’t possible). This affects prices and farmers’ livelihoods.

Follow the rules please for everyone’s sake so that we can all go back to letting our birds free range.

Toomanyradishes · 28/03/2022 09:57

Poultry flocks aren’t really the same as pet hens imo

Birds are birds, viruses dont care if they are 'pets' are not. Can you really have lived through a pandemic and still be this clueless?

JulesRimetStillGleaming · 28/03/2022 10:36

amp.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/25/the-end-of-free-range-eggs-year-round-bird-flu-outbreaks-may-keep-hens-inside

This is the worst year I've known. Last time we could let birds out at the beginning of April. No word yet and I'm worried that this will be the norm now.

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow · 28/03/2022 10:43

@teaspig

We had a case near us and received notification to register our birds- I'm presuming all houses were contacted as I'm not sure how they'd know we had them.

Please keep yours under cover and inside

we had a few chickens a good few years back and after the original ?? bird flu outbreak the place where we bought the chicken food said they now HAD to have an address and postcode for all people purchasing chicken food.

So maybe from them?

horseymum · 28/03/2022 10:48

You need to do research before getting pets. We all have to keep our hens locked up, even though they are bored unfortunately. Councils have been sending out enforcement officers, you only need to look on some chicken keeping forums. They go door to door checking for chickens. It's a huge threat to our food supply so it does apply to everyone. Including the rescue, which may not be as reputable as you think if they are flouting the rules and not advising you correctly.

eurochick · 28/03/2022 11:17

You need to be responsible about this. I'm surprised you got to the point of getting hens without hearing about the "flockdown " that has been in place over winter. It is not great for the hens but it is needed.

Gowithme · 28/03/2022 11:33

The recue you got them from sounds completely irresponsible - you really should report them. It's probably run by some random that wants to 'save animals' but actually has no clue.

Original poster

Cluckingmad0 · 28/03/2022 13:29

It's a huge threat to our food supply
When you say food supply do you mean meat? I read somewhere that is is actually intensive farming causing the problem.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cluckingmad0 · 28/03/2022 13:30

@Gowithme

The recue you got them from sounds completely irresponsible - you really should report them. It's probably run by some random that wants to 'save animals' but actually has no clue.

I don’t want the rescue to get into trouble. If they close down the hens won’t stand a chance.

OP posts:

axolotlfloof · 28/03/2022 13:35

Did you get them from the Hen Welfare Trust? If so they provide lots of info on their website and social media about the National Flockdown.
We picked up some recently. They should be allowed out really soon.

SirVixofVixHall · 28/03/2022 13:36

All chicken keepers need to know the rules regarding bird flu. This has been a terrible Winter for bird flu, with huge numbers of birds dying and thousands needing to be culled.
I only have three birds but they are in until the order is lifted.
Yes your hens could pick up bird flu, they would then have to be killed, the worry is that they might also transmit it to you, this could trigger a mutated from of bird flu in humans, hello another pandemic.
Bird flu is not something to be slack about. The rescue you got them from is breaking the law and needs to be reported if they have birds free ranging - are you sure they were not in an external enclosure ? As this is allowed .

SpeedofaSloth · 28/03/2022 13:41

I know this really isn't the point, but - you can get swings for chickens?

SalvationArmyCounters · 28/03/2022 13:53

OP, have you decided on a way to keep your hens undercover (while hopefully enriching their lives)? If you’re not up to making your own covered run with wooden stakes/chicken wire as I suggested earlier, you could instead buy a cheap polytunnel. I did this in the first ‘housing order’, it cost less than £60 and was easy to put up and move around a grassed area.

You can also make fruit/veg kebabs for them, put a bale of hay in their enclosure - there are lots of ideas online.

titchy · 28/03/2022 15:08

I don’t want the rescue to get into trouble. If they close down the hens won’t stand a chance.

And if they are responsible for transmitting bird flu your entire local areas bird population won't stand a chance.

Look you've massively fucker up here. At least use your fuck up to do something to protect your local wildlife.

Mossstitch · 28/03/2022 22:23

@Cluckingmad0 I made a very cheap extra run for mine years ago from simple bamboo garden sticks and plastic covered chicken wire and netting from home bargains, more to save my veg plot at the time as no flockdown then. I have also used really cheap shower curtains as a rain/sun cover. Honestly, I'm sure you could do it for £20👍

thumbtom · 30/03/2022 00:39

You can make swings - i did mine with bits of rope and an old go-cart tyre. I put a plank across it which I sometimes put foods on. They love a dangling cauliflower/sweetcorn/broccoli etc, which they can peck at. I have put perches around the coop with good foods dangled in challenging places and it keeps them busy. I've been using Herras fencing with some of that green pigeon net over it to make coops. Was all free in money terms but there's a fair bit of effort in it. bird flu is shit. Chickens are brilliant.

Flip

1 2 3