Bird Flu Alert - keep poultry under cover, DEFRA.

Disturbingly:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-identified-at-lincolnshire-farm
This was at a turkey farm. I hear most of the birds had died already (cant help being amazed how fast that must have developed for most to be dead before intervention.)
I would still argue that stressed birds with low immunity is a risk in itself but as much exclusion from wild birds as possible is very high on the agenda!
 
I just feel so sorry for the farmer. Another few days and these birds would have been on the Christmas dinner tables. As it is, he won't get any compensation for all his work and outlay.
Actually, I believe standards of husbandry for turkeys have to be better than the minimum for chickens as they do get stressed more easily and can panic and die if overcrowded etc.
Anyway, let's hope nobody else gets it. I read that somebody had the idea of connecting their small run to the underneath of their kids' trampoline and netting all round the sides, to make extra covered run space. Sounds a good idea.
 
That's bad news, as that may result in a huge loss for the farmer over the year and finish the business. All the feed costs, electricity and any standing charges.

We have ours under cover here, but haven't been instructed to do so as it seems the outbreak was contained and eradicated very quickly. Problem we now have is condensation under the sheeting. It's got so bad the feeders are getting wet and I'm having to sponge the underside every few days. Strangely we've never had this problem in previous years? Another thing we have noticed is the lack of migrating birds and have only seen a handful of geese all year. Perhaps the climatic conditions that favour condensation also cause the migration routes to change?
 
Presumably, all this warm wet air we have been getting in the UK has blown over you Chris, on its way from further south.

I have heard that the flu came in with the birds migrating from the East - something about it last reaching the UK in 2013 - on that years migration? I wasn’t keeping chickens then so only vaguely remember that one. Also, I hope they did go further north for some reason (there seems to be a trail of devastation from the Black Sea direction) and its not that your migratory birds all fall victim before arriving! (though some seem to have arrived and infected the ducks) :(
 
If it has come from the East I'm surprised the papers aren't full of headlines about a Putin plot to ruin Christmas by infecting our Turkeys.
 
Finally had the time yesterday to build an extension to my 2nd coop - where the younger birds, who hate being confined, live. It has doubled their space, but is very flimsy and looks a bit wierd, made up of all sorts - an old trellis, plastic glass, an upended rabbit run, lots of tarp, and everything held in place with twigs! Not fox proof, so we still have to keep a lookout, but the chix seem a lot happier.
 
That sounds like a sterling and epic effort Roisin! Roll on 6th Jan!
Any chance of some pictures between wrapping stuff and boiling the sprouts?
 
I'm afraid this post doens allow me to upload a photo, or I would add some. Bad news that there has been another case of Bird Flu in Wales. I wonder will the restrictions be lifted by 7th January?
 
Ack! No - extended to the end of February (see Duncan’s post this afternoon in the general chickens section.)
 
Things have turned nasty here this morning. News announced the beginning of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese in three Southwest Departments of which the Gers, where we live, is the main one. Can't see the industry surviving this as it's the second year in a row all the stock has been killed.

Still nothing about keeping chickens under cover, although ours are anyway. Problem we may have is moving them this Summer though?

To add, based on the reports at lunchtime, the reason for the mass cull of ALL the geese and ducks is that the prevention measures put in place in 2016 were ineffective and the previously infected farms remain so. The birds in them remain healthy it seems but are now all carriers. All the disinfecting of buildings and visitors and the three months gap between them and restocking didn't work. They are calling it the death of the industry! Several farmers were interviewed and all said there would not be a 'next year'.
 
It seems there is now an extension to the bird 'flu alert until 28 February. I just wonder what folks are doing about this? https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-winter-2016-to-2017
 
chrismahon said:
Things have turned nasty here this morning. News announced the beginning of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese in three Southwest Departments of which the Gers, where we live, is the main one. Can't see the industry surviving this as it's the second year in a row all the stock has been killed.

Still nothing about keeping chickens under cover, although ours are anyway. Problem we may have is moving them this Summer though?

To add, based on the reports at lunchtime, the reason for the mass cull of ALL the geese and ducks is that the prevention measures put in place in 2016 were ineffective and the previously infected farms remain so. The birds in them remain healthy it seems but are now all carriers. All the disinfecting of buildings and visitors and the three months gap between them and restocking didn't work. They are calling it the death of the industry! Several farmers were interviewed and all said there would not be a 'next year'.
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That's terrible, Chris. I hope yours will be OK. Are they culling ducks and geese because it's not practicable to keep them under cover long-term, because they need the space and the grazing and get stressed indoors?
In the UK, if the regulations go on after Feb 28, poultry farmers will lose their free range status as the birds will by then have been kept in for 3 months.
I see that one of the cases in the UK was a backyard flock in Wales. See https://www.farminguk.com/news/OFC17-Poultry-housing-order-to-be-extended-until-end-of-February-due-to-bird-flu-risk_45233.html
 
That is awful news Chris. I cant help but think that if all are carriers but are well then there is a good amount of immunity building up - how nature intends things to work. Risk to human population a different matter of course... but still King Canute comes to mind.

Terrible business! As a last resort, and I hope it doesn’t come to pass, but can you move eggs I wonder? Sorry that's a dark thought.

Looks like we are keeping our hens under cover as much as can possibly be managed for the next couple of months Chickenfan. Its a mild inconvenience for me as they are under cover anyway but still worry about walking the dog near the river. One thing that has been shown in the past few weeks is how it can pop up nearby when it seems just the day before to be miles away.
 
That's terrible news, Chris. Our 4 girls are under cover, but another two months is going to be taxing for them and us. I'll have to look into building another extension to their run. There's lots of ducks on a big pond (small lake?) only about 100 yards away from us, plus several geese and ducks at a neighbour's house... so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
 
They can't keep them under cover Marigold as they haven't the buildings, as you deduced. The chicks are reared under cover and are let out when the previous years birds are sent to slaughter. To my mind eventually all birds will be immune or dead, just like Mycoplasma. As they have declared there is no risk to humans and the meat is fit for human consumption (when cooked), perhaps they should let nature take its course and allow natural immunity to evolve?

Afraid we can't move eggs Rick- most of the cocks are too old and so are most of the hens. Our entire flock has 'pet' status. Perhaps we'll try to slip 10 coops and 30 chickens 'under the radar' if necessary?
 
'they're dog kennels for my.... rare ... feathered ... dogs.'
Henrietta - 'wouf! wouf!'
:)
 
chrismahon said:
To my mind eventually all birds will be immune or dead, just like Mycoplasma. As they have declared there is no risk to humans and the meat is fit for human consumption (when cooked), perhaps they should let nature take its course and allow natural immunity to evolve?

?
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I have read that there have been cases when this avian flu virus, or similar strains, can sometimes cross species to humans, and if and when it has done, although rare, human mortality has been around 65%. I suppose these ultimately hopeless attempts to control it are based mostly on the fear of a human pandemic if it mutates, rather than animal welfare.
 
Marigold said:
I have read that there have been cases when this avian flu virus, or similar strains, can sometimes cross species to humans, and if and when it has done, although rare, human mortality has been around 65%. I suppose these ultimately hopeless attempts to control it are based mostly on the fear of a human pandemic if it mutates, rather than animal welfare.
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Absolutely. It happened in China some years ago with H1N1 if I remember rightly though, at that time, the industry over there was both massive and rather loose on its standards of working practice.

... same happened with BSE when the industry flew in the face of common sense and reason in the name of a cheap burger... (there’s got to be a limit to how cheap meat can be and chickens are the staple food for the world - conflicting interests!) Still, better cautious and safe than sorry and our backyard flocks are as important in the precautions as any.

Don't worry about it too much Colin (within reason). The risk to yours (and ours generally) is it crossing to chickens in your flock or in your neighbours. That wont happen easily (it hasn't happened here or on the continent even, except where flocks are mixed in close company or mixing with wild birds [ducks may do that easily and did you notice that open pool at the turkey farm outside run?])

Another in Yorkshire :( - chickens and ducks right next to the river Ribble
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=52.11245014033583%2C7.3157786806641525&hl=en&z=7&mid=1aNOepBDPUd0zdRnQE1UbSW8djsk
 
Spent Saturday collecting pallets from my area to build a slightly sturdier run - its up now - not finished usable. Found it was a goodish way for someone with few diy skills like me (they are heavy though!) to build a rough pen, as easy enough to rope a few together to make a rectangle, to add on to permanent run. Then anything like hardboard or tarp to make a roof. Not foxproof at present - so chix at higher risk of death-by-fox than death by bird flu at present! OK for daytime though, unless we get a very bold fox!
 
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