Anyone else close to giving up?

[crumpetswithjam]

We got our first hens in 2019, having a lovely big garden for them to roam around in, we thought we could offer them a good quality of life with us.

In 2022 I am left with three hens, who have barely left their run to feel the sun on their feathers, due to all the regulations around avian flu. I don't disagree with the regulations, we should be keeping our birds safe and preventing the spread. But this isn't the life we wanted for our girls, and we can't use any more space in the garden to build them a bigger enclosure.

I'm so close to giving up and seeing if I can find them a better home, but where? Everywhere is locked down tight.

I'm with you! We've had garden chickens for over 17 years but we just don't have the facilities to house them in a big enough enclosed space. By big enough, I mean much more than just density regs. Our remaining three of the most recent ones have had to be split now because of feather pecking. I'm not getting any more when these go, it is so sad to see them so sad 😞

Feel the same. We are down to 2- they are large bantams in a big enclosure but it’s under trees so not great for catching sunshine, and nowhere near the life they had before. They aren’t great layers so the main joy with them is watching them pootle round the garden. I actually came on chicken keepers to see if anyone has heard about when the restrictions will lift . I’m worried this is it now and they won’t be out again.

Mine are stuck in a stable. Neighbour ( who is very special and rules don’t apply to him. ). His chickens roaming free.

It would be interesting to know realisable stats on housing of backyard flocks.
My mum asked me the other day of the regulations has been lifted as she'd driven past free ranging hens - umm no.

I'm reasonably happy with my current set up (greenhouse doors shut to keep them housed) but it is always nicer to see them outside.

...reliable stats...

I've always had mine in a big enough covered enclosure that the bird flu restrictions don't impact them TOO much but I really miss seeing them scratching around the whole garden and running up to the front door to see me :-(

We rehomed our last two just after Christmas. They'd henpecked the third and when we found her dead we realised that keeping hens in a confined space (even though it was small really, it was 3m x 2m) just felt cruel and wrong to us, and against why we decided to keep them in the first place. And a friend who works for DEFRA had indicated this lockdown could be in place for most of 2023 and beyond. So I found a woman with a much larger enclosed pen for them, who also had two single bantams left, and they went to her.

I don't feel bad about it at all, it was 100% the right decision.

My 4yo has commandeered the Eglu as a rabbit house and we are happily obliging her this spring.