[Flowerpower136]

This has really scared me. Too close for comfort.

[Paul Plots]

Another outbreak - not good news at all.

We do not seem to have heard anymore about outbreaks on the continent. I wonder if it is lessened over there and how long an outbreak lasts on average.

I guess it's hard to predict even based on previous years.

[Goosegirl]

Just rung DEFRA to ask when we can let our six hens out. Hopefully it will be this Friday. What I can't get my head around is that we have three geese that we don't shut up at night so they are classed as wild. Geese that are shut up at night are not classed as wild and should have been confined like the hens. Can anyone unravel this so I can understand the reasoning?

[Flowerpower136]

Maybe it's to do with their general welfare? Not sure.
Encouraging to hear the order might still be lifted on Friday. Quite surprised. Wonder if that might not apply to Wales though.  Time will tell.
With an outbreak so near to me I'm tempted to keep mine under cover anyway.

[Flowerpower136]

Posted on farminguk.com that the housing order is to be extended to end Feb. Nothing on DEFRA site yet though.

[Paul Plots]

Posted on farminguk.com that the housing order is to be extended to end Feb. Nothing on DEFRA site yet though.

DEFRA seem to be leaving people guessing I guess.... not that helpful.

[Flowerpower136]

Think farminguk is a reliable source, but it's not official till DEFRA say so. In any case, I've issued my own order! Mine are staying in. Too close to latest outbreak to even dream of letting them out.

[ACatCalledElvis]

sadly its been extended and its official.................my hens and geese are going to go stir crazy

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-flu-prevention-zone-extended

[Sgun]

We were lucky and found out early on this morning, Andrea Leadsom was not as good as keeping it a secret as Defra has been! We spent the day clearing the polytunnel so they could have some fresh ground to move onto and will add perch and housing tomorrow. Most people round our way haven't housed them at all as they are on allotments and don't have space. I wonder if many of them would even spot the symptoms as they are a raggedy bunch at the best of times. (both hens and allotment keepers)

[Flowerpower136]

I haven't done anything about covering the mesh sides of our run. It's fully covered across the top with a solid plastic roof so nothing can poop on them from above. The sides are inch by half inch weldmesh.
Poop would have to be blown in sideways and not catch on the mesh to get into the run. So I thought that was adequate. But I'm seeing pics of totally wrapped up runs.
Do I need to do more?

[grinling]

Extended until 28th Feb

[John]

I haven't done anything about covering the mesh sides of our run. It's fully covered across the top with a solid plastic roof so nothing can poop on them from above. The sides are inch by half inch weldmesh.
Poop would have to be blown in sideways and not catch on the mesh to get into the run. So I thought that was adequate. But I'm seeing pics of totally wrapped up runs.
Do I need to do more?

I'm afraid to be safe you need to do more. Don't forget you could pick up some infected poop on your shoes and traipse it into the bird's enclosure. To be really safe it's going to be full bio-security.
Last I heard about Europe was 150,000 birds have been culled. Daft thing is a friend of ours in France had heard nothing - but she's not on the net.
I reckon this will go on until April.

[Flowerpower136]

Oh I am doing the biosecurity as well. Vanodine 18 footbath, disposable gloves, aprons etc and only me going in. I'm one stage away from full hazchem suit! Lol!
Just that I've been seeing photos of runs that are completely fully 'wrapped', i.e. Not just a roof. So I was starting to wonder about the unprotected mesh sides on ours.
Just read the order again though, and think we do comply. Totally separated from wild birds and can't be pooped on from above.
Im possibly getting a bit paranoid worrying about poop flying in from the sides, but don't want to be missing a trick.

[New shoot]

I have a similar set-up to you in my big walk-in run Flowerpower.  The roof is plastic and overhangs slightly, the sides are fine mesh.  It is also in a corner, so a wall and fence border 2 sides and planting the 3rd.   I haven't covered the open side yet as it would quite a trick shot for a bird to get speed up to fire poop into the run, then scoot up over the top of it without crashing.  The eglu run is low and there is a cover over the whole roof that extends down the sides a little way. 

I couldn't call it 100% bio secure, but I don't have inside space I can move them to.  They are outside, wild birds use the garden and although they can't have direct contact with my flock, there is a chance something could happen.  In both cases, I think the lack of ventilation and daylight if I completely wrapped up the runs would pose more of a threat to the health of my birds, but that's just my personal opinion. 

What about wrapping just the top sections of your mesh sides, if your run is more exposed.  That would be some added protection from any poop coming from birds flying over.

[ghost61]

My set up is the same as Flowerpower's. We covered our walk in eglu run with chicken wire on the sides that are not covered with solid covers (mainly against wind).  The sparrows that used to get in through the mesh run have deserted the area  - they have learned very quickly that their food source has run dry and they feed elsewhere in the garden.  I feel desperately sorry for my young hen who is on her own following the death of her sister and has yet been integrated with the two older birds.  They are in runs next to each other, but she is clearly lonely.  Had hoped to get them all out together in the garden this weekend to fight it out and then bed together!  Another two months, poor girl!  We are now thinking that we will wait till we have got another 3 POLs in March (hopefully) and then mix them in all at once.  Four against two may be better, but then we normally quarantine new birds for a month anyway!  Gosh, it's a pain, but at least the girls are ok, so far....