Bird Avian Flu Outbreak Information

  • 233 Replies
  • 54983 Views
*

Aunt Sally

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Sunny Kent
  • 30459
  • Everyone's Aunty
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #15 on: December 07, 2016, 19:54 »
I've had a notice put up on our allotment notice board. 

I remember the last time this happened. Lots of us poultry keepers with small runs were covering them with cheap Ikea shower curtains (other brands are available).

*

MidlandBrewer

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Staffordshire
  • 190
  • Homebrew Hero
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #16 on: December 07, 2016, 21:28 »
Thanks for the heads up everyone, I've just spent the last 45 minutes securing the run with every scrap of tarp n cable ties I could find. I just had enough! Will try and secure it better tomorrow when it's light  ;)

*

Manxminx

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Location: Hadrains Wall Country up in the Northumbrian Hills
  • 8
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2016, 21:59 »
My two girls are free range so I've ordered some 19mm mesh netting from pestfix to make a run using the fence as an upright. The "Biosecurity and preventing disease in captive birds within a Prevention Zone" gives lots of relevant advice and states in many places that one should do what is 'practical'. Although a covering for the run would be ideal, and is advised, where I live it's open countryside high up so very windy, and a tarp is not practical. I have no garage or shed or other place to put them and it's impossible to have them in the house with me, so the mesh run will have to suffice. I've removed the wild bird feeder from the garden.

It is well worth reading the document at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu#prevention-zone

Good luck everyone!

Ali.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2016, 22:04 by Manxminx »
I dream of a better world where Chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.

*

snow white

  • Guest
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #18 on: December 08, 2016, 15:50 »
debris netting and canes in a corner of the open run next to the shed.  Is working well at the moment.  Just hope we don't get any high winds.  I have just covered my closed in run in polythene.

*

sunshineband

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Reading, Berkshire
  • 32056
  • Tallest Sunflower prizewinner 2014
    • A Little Bit of Sunshine
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #19 on: December 08, 2016, 16:27 »
I'm off to my daughter's tomorrow armed with netting to cover the open runs and a small tarp to cover the area where the food and water is outside the nest boxes, plus a lot of clothes pegs to secure the netting.

Hope it does the job.
Wisdom is knowing what to ignore - be comfortable in your own skin.
My Blog
My Diary
My Diary Comments

*

danfinn1

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Birmingham UK
  • 144
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #20 on: December 08, 2016, 19:04 »
Well first day today with them being kept locked up ;) Well what I did was switched runs. I have the covered Eglu walk in, split to stop pecking and a Malaga with the old un in it, so I moved my old one to the eglu and the two new ones to the Malaga. It worked well :) I carried each bird to the runs and their feet never touched the outside :D.

They only started shouting if they saw me in the garden :lol: only 29 days to go 8)
rip Sandy, rip Beryl, Henrietta

Know what would be nice in your garden, a few hens lol

*

John

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Clogwyn Melyn, Gwynedd
  • 17113
    • Low Cost Living
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #21 on: December 09, 2016, 01:26 »
Cara sent out a special newsletter on this. It's pretty obvious DEFRA are taking the threat seriously - the cost to the industry is staggering. It's a particularly nasty strain, if poultry get it they are dead. In fact they'd probably start culls like they did with foot & mouth. Claiming they're pets won't cut it - remember the Hindu temple whose sacred bull got culled for TB?
So some of the replies Cara has had are concerning to say the least - comments on the lines of I can't keep the poor things indoors, it doesn't apply to me in my garden and top of the list 'we don't have wild birds, just the blackbirds who visit' :wacko:
Fact is that a few people not cooperating can cause a massive problem for us all. I bet certain interests would love to take small scale keepers out of the market or force compulsory registration onto all.
Hopefully this will be just another panic but we need to take it very seriously.
Check out our books - ideal presents

John and Val Harrison's Books
 

*

birdgirl426

  • Newbie
  • *
  • 6
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #22 on: December 09, 2016, 10:01 »
More a question than a reply:  Why a  30 day restriction please?

*

New shoot

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Reading
  • 18325
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #23 on: December 09, 2016, 10:50 »
More a question than a reply:  Why a  30 day restriction please?

Its a quarantine measure.  If we can keep the domestic poultry flocks clear of the disease over 30 days, any outbreak in wild birds should have burned itself out by then.  The restrictions may well be extended if the threat is still there, so don't bank on it ending after 30 days.


Fact is that a few people not cooperating can cause a massive problem for us all. I bet certain interests would love to take small scale keepers out of the market or force compulsory registration onto all.
Hopefully this will be just another panic but we need to take it very seriously.

Well said.  It would be devastating enough for home keepers to lose their birds, but think about those whose livelihood is dependant on their flocks.  Any stupidity which allows the disease to spread into the UK poultry flocks is likely to have consequences for us all  :(

*

Sgun

  • New Member
  • *
  • 16
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #24 on: December 09, 2016, 11:08 »
We have a WIR covered by heavy duty see through tarps. We are in a very windy spot but have found that using wooden battens across the roof and sides keeps it in place. It is a messy eyesore but I don't care, the welfare of my hens comes first.

Where there are gaps towards the lower half of the run we have put up enviromesh - the stuff that keeps butterflies off your cabbages. It lets the light through but has such small holes that it prevents any contamination. Enviromesh is quite expensive (I have it for work and don't need it over the crops this time of year) but I did find in IKEA some lightweight small hole net curtains, they are massive and only £5. I have used them for polytunnel shading but they would also be good protection stretched over a run and wouldn't blow about as much as a tarp. They are called LILL, big enough to double up for extra protection whilst still letting in light. Not as good as a tarp though as not waterproof but probably ok for sides of runs where water doesn't drip through.

We have a Virkon-S footbath too as I walk through a wild bird feeding area to get to the run.

Unbelievable the number of people who think this is an inconvenience. I remember well the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001, living about 4 miles from its first ID site. DEFRA knows more than it lets on sometimes.... On the Tyne this week the numbers of migratory Black Backed Gulls was about 900% higher than in normal years and we have far more blackbirds and robins than I have ever seen. People need to take this seriously. A well known seller near me has also downplayed this as alarmist, maybe she is worried about her Christmas sales going down but its very irresponsible.


*

Sassy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North Yorkshire
  • 2553
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #25 on: December 09, 2016, 12:41 »
The Department for Endangering Farming and Rural Affairs  :D are not always wrong! This threat should be taken seriously. It is worth noting there are hefty fines for non-compliance. Would these folk poo poohing this really want to lose their birds and be responsible for a cull all around them even be responsible for a business going bust and all that that may entail for the family involved? Lets have a bird flu free Christmas and 2017. :)
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted!!

*

Manxminx

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Location: Hadrains Wall Country up in the Northumbrian Hills
  • 8
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #26 on: December 09, 2016, 14:22 »
A well known seller near me has also downplayed this as alarmist, maybe she is worried about her Christmas sales going down but its very irresponsible.

Yes, I know who you mean,  I'm disgusted at their attitude, they should be making every attempt to publicise the prevention order and helping their customers to comply. So far they haven't even updated their website to bring the situation to peoples attention. Nor does their twitter account mention anything about it, despite them having tweeted about their services since the notification. Makes me wonder if they are doing anything themselves to comply, or if they're carrying on as usual. Their dozens of WIRs aren't exactly wild bird proof.

Sadly people are listening to their friends on social media rather than going to the official website location and reading the guidance for themselves.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu

The ignorance of some people (re what John said above, eg "'we don't have wild birds, just the blackbirds who visit' ) is staggering and IMO calls into question their suitability for owning pets or livestock. If such ignorant statements are not challenged then they'll only increase. 

Personally I feel that DEFRA haven't exactly helped. If it hadn't been for the newsletter from John & Cara and one neighbour mentioning it to me, I wouldn't have known. DEFRA should be taking out full page ads in all newspapers as well as making official statements on all radio stations and TV channels at peek times. They should also (sadly) be making allowances for people who don't know what, for example 'wild birds' means and actually explain such terms.

Thinking about the future, such situations can only increase in frequency. I feel the government should act now and insist that all kept birds should be registered. That way notices can be sent out directly to everyone affected, and it will also help with accountability, legal responsibility, and random checks to ensure people are complying with the regulations.

Ali.

*

New shoot

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Reading
  • 18325
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #27 on: December 09, 2016, 14:51 »
While I certainly do not condone a dismissive response to the bird flu risk, this is not really the place to point fingers.   There are hefty fines that can be levied against those who refuse to comply, so any concerns are better directed to the authorities. 

I for one would not like to see mandatory registration for all.  There are lots of very level headed small scale poultry keepers out there who will apply a common sense attitude to this and find a way to comply.  Anyone owning 50 birds or over should already be registered, which would include most breeders, but you can't legislate against stupidity. 

*

Mum2mj

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Location: Surrey
  • 615
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #28 on: December 09, 2016, 17:05 »
Would debris netting be sufficient? We have a big metal walk in run and I'm worried if we tie tarp to it, it may damage the structure with the winds we get

*

John

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Clogwyn Melyn, Gwynedd
  • 17113
    • Low Cost Living
Re: Bird Flu Press Release Today
« Reply #29 on: December 09, 2016, 17:14 »
Would debris netting be sufficient? We have a big metal walk in run and I'm worried if we tie tarp to it, it may damage the structure with the winds we get
Question you need to answer is - if a bird sat on the netting and pooped, would any of it get to your birds?




xx
New Bird Flu Outbreak

Started by grinling on The Hen House

3 Replies
1702 Views
Last post May 08, 2017, 14:07
by Paul Plots
xx
bird flu outbreak in nth suffolk

Started by muntjac on The Hen House

68 Replies
26860 Views
Last post February 09, 2007, 14:04
by muntjac
xx
Bird Flu outbreak in SUFFOLK

Started by muntjac on The Hen House

54 Replies
14192 Views
Last post December 02, 2007, 21:17
by gobs
xx
Avian TB

Started by agapanthus on The Hen House

3 Replies
2936 Views
Last post October 16, 2007, 20:50
by richyrich7
 

Page created in 0.214 seconds with 52 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |