Bird Flu UPDATES

[For want of a better word]

We now have had our small flock of chickens now cooped up since November, and have completely covered the duck run with pollytunnel plastic.
Little information seems to have come out from government sources... other than the threat ( reported on local radio and TV) of a £1000 fine if anyone is caught with "free running birds".

Any chance of using this little corner of the beekeeping forum for updates from across the UK?

Keeping bees and chickens seems to go hand in hand!

Yeghes da

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ells-owners-keep-poultry-indoors-until-spring

 

[theeggman]

The restriction order has been extended till the end of Feb AT Least.
Aren't we pleased we no longer have 10,000 free range layers. If we let them out a bit late they would climb the walls and create large heaps with the bottom ones dead very quickly. Now they are talking of removing the free range premium from the price, double whammy.

 

[Millet]

Mine have been locked in the garage for weeks now which has put them of laying.


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-flu-confirmed-at-a-farm-in-preston-lancashire

 

[Erichalfbee]

Outbreak in pheasants in Preston
Hands up how many people have maybe considered that the advice from DEFRA to back garden flock owners might be just so that they (DEFRA) appear to be doing something?

 

[theeggman]

Outbreak in pheasants in Preston
Hands up how many people have maybe considered that the advice from DEFRA to back garden flock owners might be just so that they (DEFRA) appear to be doing something?

Your thoughts are probably correct BUT as well as decimating commercial flocks there is also the risk of cross breeding between avian and human flu. During the previous scare we suddenly had to get a free flu jab as poultry workers. If a hybrid bug has the the ability to spread like AI then look out humans.

 

[Goran]

We still have a lot of snow, hens don't want to go out even door is open ( they have pretty cozy " housing").. They dislike winter joys..
Also here we have restrictions for avian flu relative recently..

 

[dpearce4]

Not going to say online what I think about the gov regs and defra and what I have done about it.

Most commercial flocks of Free range chickens around Littlehampton and Arundel are still free ranging. 50,000+ birds in each flock can be seen as u drive along the A259 and A27. If they arnt following rules why should garden keepers? other than the usual threat of courts against the little man.

 

[Millet]

Not going to say online what I think about the gov regs and defra and what I have done about it.

Most commercial flocks of Free range chickens around Littlehampton and Arundel are still free ranging. 50,000+ birds in each flock can be seen as u drive along the A259 and A27. If they arnt following rules why should garden keepers? other than the usual threat of courts against the little man.

100 %

 

[Erichalfbee]

Your thoughts are probably correct BUT as well as decimating commercial flocks there is also the risk of cross breeding between avian and human flu. During the previous scare we suddenly had to get a free flu jab as poultry workers. If a hybrid bug has the the ability to spread like AI then look out humans.

Yes it happens where birds and humans coexist closely....
I presume the jab you had was when it had already crossed over to humans.

I feel really sorry for the big free range outfits

 

[theeggman]

No, our jab was a precaution to stop us becoming a flu factory if we had human flu and then were exposed to AI. Back then DEFRA were making it up as they went along, no plans in place for on farm slaughter and incineration, no change really.
Any big units not keeping the birds in will be in serious poo if they go down with it, not even the value of the birds slaughtered or any other compensation, and they deserve anything that comes their way. They are risking the livelihoods of local poultry keepers.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Back then DEFRA were making it up as they went along, .

Do you think it's different now?

 

[theeggman]

Do you think it's different now?

No

 

[rdmw]

Our chooks are sad, we have a backyard flock of 20 mixed breeds who have been cooped up for two months.
At least it is winter


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Our chooks are sad, we have a backyard flock of 20 mixed breeds who have been cooped up for two months.
At least it is winter


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Thinking about your situation. If your flock isn't infected the only way it's going to get infected is from wild visitors. If the wild birds are already infected they aren't going to become infected from your birds. The only risk is your birds might succumb. Hence the risk is to your birds not the general bird population around you.
Doesn't seem to be a lot of logic to the situation.
Where does it leave those producers who market eggs on the basis they are free range with large stock of preprinted packaging?

 

[Millet]

From what i can gather they are worried that the bird flue will mutate X with our human flue viruses that is why the panic is about me thinks..

 

[SDM]

From what i can gather they are worried that the bird flue will mutate X with our human flue viruses that is why the panic is about me thinks..

Plus many wild birds will visit domestic birds feeders, having an infectious flock at a feeder to pass on the virus would be unfortunate for wild birds.

 

[MartinL]

From what i can gather they are worried that the bird flue will mutate X with our human flue viruses that is why the panic is about me thinks..

It's not that it "mutates" just that humans are infected by birds & then pass it on Human - Human. Exactly what happened 98 years ago!

Too many people nowadays have a heavy cold and reckon they have influenza, "real Flu" kills!

 

[MartinL]

. . . . . . . . . Hence the risk is to your birds not the general bird population around you.
Doesn't seem to be a lot of logic to the situation.
Where does it leave those producers who market eggs on the basis they are free range with large stock of preprinted packaging?

The Logic is,
Your best contact is going to be with the dead bird;

• 
  you prepare for lunch,

• 
  that isn't cooked properly in Saturday night's Chicken Curry

• That is sliced up in next weeks packed lunch

They are still able to sell as "Free Range". In any case Free range just means that the door is open for them to go outside if they can. Don't think its a picture post-card of fluffy chicks in green fields, they can be packed one on top of each other , beaks ground off and nowhere to perch just as long as long as the door is open!

Now the door has been closed by DEFRA, Mr Mathews can make hay while the sun shines on his empty airfields.

Another, (greater risk is) the Townie Pidgeon Fanciers who are still flying their birds in total ignorance of the ban!

 

[Stiffy]

DEFRA have issued a leaflet giving advice, seems sensible to me.
S

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...a/file/581952/ai-birdflu-factsheet-170106.pdf

 

[For want of a better word]

DEFRA have issued a leaflet giving advice, seems sensible to me.
S

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...a/file/581952/ai-birdflu-factsheet-170106.pdf

Thanks

Will print that up and put in Farm Shop............

Only our silkies are producing eggs at the moment
Buffs and ducks are totally off lay since being cooped up
Still 1000s of poultry "free ranging" it seems around the A38 at Newton Abbot yesterday when I went over to England and up to Exeter.

Yeghes da