[grinling]

28th Feb is 12 weeks, after that commercial farmers will be wanting compensation as free range status no longer exists.
All birds have to be kept as a minimum 9 per square meter and you also need to protect them from vermin.
There has been a case on a household rather than commercial or wild birds.
Now would be a good time to worm them, but remember grit and oyster shell.
All I need now is a nest box where the contents are not kicked out!!

[John]

We'll be lucky if this is over by April - they said on the news that the French are culling a million ducks!

http://news.sky.com/story/france-orders-cull-of-ducks-after-severe-bird-flu-outbreak-10718038

[Madrat]

I cant believe how slap dash this quarantine has been.

[New shoot]

I cant believe how slap dash this quarantine has been.

I think the DEFRA advice has been pretty good tbh, although I also think a lot of people have ignored it or decided it doesn't apply to them   

Whether the same is true on the continent is unclear.  On reading up on the duck cull in France (its the main foie gras producing area, so there are a lot of ducks and geese there), the farms that have fully indoor farming systems are exempt from the cull.  It sounds like there were a lot of outdoor ducks and perhaps it was impossible to get them all inside 

[John]

When we spoke to a friend in the Limousin over Christmas she hadn't heard about it and she keeps about 20 birds. In fairness, she doesn't use the net and watches very little telly. If you see someone with their birds out, you could ask them if they've heard about the disease outbreak, hopefully without them bristling.

What does worry me is the dippy's who are sure it doesn't mean them. Maybe I'm paranoid but I reckon the big agri-business poultry suppliers would love to get home and small scale keeping banned. We saw the same with the potato mob blaming home growers for blight. Yeah.. you've got 200 acres and I've got 20 square yards so it's my fault??

[New shoot]

I agree that there probably are parties out there who would get the small poultry operations banned if they could.  Extending that to backyard keepers would be stretch but not impossible.  I can see mandatory registration or some sort of licensing on the way 

Trouble is, if there is a major outbreak here and farmers end up culling hundreds of thousands of birds, Mr or Mrs Dippy down the road who knowingly flouted the restrictions, will get the blame .... and by extension, all backyard keepers, even if they have been careful and done everything they could.  No doubt the dippys will still be sure it was nothing to do with them 

[Madrat]

This is my point, its only if you go to the DEFRA site that you get the required info, your average keeper of a few girls have no idea unless it is mentioned on the news etc, did the BBC give any coverage about the extension yesterday on the evening news, did they (expletive deleted).  This has the potential to wipe out entire flocks of birds world wide, I don't think its been publicised enough.  I found out about one animal park in the area that only shut there birds in for 2 days, they have been out roaming ever since.

[New shoot]

This is my point, its only if you go to the DEFRA site that you get the required info, your average keeper of a few girls have no idea unless it is mentioned on the news etc, did the BBC give any coverage about the extension yesterday on the evening news, did they (expletive deleted).  This has the potential to wipe out entire flocks of birds world wide, I don't think its been publicised enough.  I found out about one animal park in the area that only shut there birds in for 2 days, they have been out roaming ever since.

I was at work last night, so didn't see the evening news, but I know stories get bumped, or dropped to other bulletins if they have other stories to report, so I don't rely on that as my main source of information.  As has been mentioned on another thread, its very easy to sign up for DEFRA alerts.  I've been reading all available info on the news sites and the DEFRA one since this all started, plus keeping up on here.  I think a lot of poultry keepers have been doing the same.  There's also the DEFRA helpline. 

Regarding the animal park in your area, I would be inclined to ring them and politely ask what steps they are taking as you had heard their birds were still out.  Depending on the answer I got, I would then perhaps give DEFRA a call, if I thought they were being cavalier about the situation. 

If you see someone with their birds out, you could ask them if they've heard about the disease outbreak, hopefully without them bristling.

I think this was John's gentle prod to us poultry keepers to think about being a bit more pro-active.  I think its sound advice.  We have a lot to lose and our farmers even more.

[Sassy]

Some folks are being too cavalier about things if they bother at all. A local RHS garden did not have their chooks confined and wild birds were going into the coop. I did take this up with them and they said they were now closing them up for the winter and sending them elsewhere. This does not alter the fact that they had been ignoring DEFRA up to that point. Folks by me have covered in their birds and done a good job but are mot practising any basic prevention such as footbaths.

We all know that unlike the folk on here who have been very responsible judging by the posts to some it is always someone elses problem. DEFRA should be taking steps to check around and prosecute ensuring good press to get the message home. It will end up being a repeat of foot and mouth - too little too late - if we are unlucky. 

[New shoot]

Good for you on raising the matter with them Sassy, but you are right.  That excuse doesn't hold water at all.  Its not what you would expect from an organisation like them 

[John]

This is my point, its only if you go to the DEFRA site that you get the required info, your average keeper of a few girls have no idea unless it is mentioned on the news etc, did the BBC give any coverage about the extension yesterday on the evening news, did they (expletive deleted).  This has the potential to wipe out entire flocks of birds world wide, I don't think its been publicised enough.  I found out about one animal park in the area that only shut there birds in for 2 days, they have been out roaming ever since.

There was a fairly long item on the BBC Wales news. Sky news did a piece on the French culling but I'm afraid I don't watch the BBC main news often. Not heard anything on BBC radio 4 news, which is usually on in the background. Farming Today hasn't said much but they may assume the Farmers are informed anyway.
We've done newsletter specials on it but they only reach those who have signed up for them.
When you consider the potential economic damage - poultry is big business - you'd have expected a bit more. Then again, culling a few hens is not as TV dramatic as pyres of cattle in the fields as we had with foot and mouth.
At worst, if most domestic poultry keeps do what they can it helps a lot. Better if everyone did, of course.

[grinling]

How many chicken owners will call the vet out if a chicken dies. The chicken vets in Lincolnshire are probably run off their feet with commercial birds, but how many will call if it is only 1 or 2 birds.

[Flowerpower136]

Another case confirmed.
Some practical advice has been issued too. Not sure if this link will work but worth a try.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/581952/ai-birdflu-factsheet-170106.pdf

[Madrat]

Link works 

[New shoot]

The latest case is near Settle in North Yorkhire.

http://www.cumbriacrack.com/2017/01/06/avian-flu-confirmed-near-settle-north-yorkshire/

Some good news amongst the bad.  The bird that was found at the wetland centre in Llanelli seems to have been an isolated case.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-38482801