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Produce => Kept Animals => Topic started by: Old Central on December 07, 2016, 07:00:35

Title: Avian flu prevention
Post by: Old Central on December 07, 2016, 07:00:35
This advice is emerging and seems to affect all poultry keepers:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu#prevention-zone
OC
Title: Re: Avian flu prevention
Post by: BarriedaleNick on December 07, 2016, 08:47:49
Thanks for that
Title: Re: Avian flu prevention
Post by: daveyboi on December 07, 2016, 09:59:05
So no free ranging till January ...
I wonder how the shops will label their goods at such short notice
Title: Re: Avian flu prevention
Post by: Alison_Kristina on December 07, 2016, 12:31:50
Just heard about all this an hour ago. I have two free-range chickens in my back garden. They live in a Forsham Ark but I let them out every morning around 8.30 - 9am and they put themselves to bed around 4pm at the moment.

There have been rare occasions where I am away from home for a couple of days and at first I kept them in the Ark but even after a couple of days of being cooped up they were having behavioural issues and started pecking at each other.

Although they are quite placid, If I keep them cooped up for 30 days, well, they're not going to last that long, they are going to kill each other.

It is not fair nor right to keep them cooped up. I've just ordered some sparrow proof netting (19mm mesh size) from pestfix (an expense I can barely afford) and will construct a temporary run for them. I'll also remove the wild bird seed feeder from the garden in order to reduce the desire for them to come into the garden. I realise that wild birds will be able to poo through the netting, but there's little I can do about that - where I live (open countryside) we have high winds so a tarp roof to the temp run is not possible and I don't have the money or ability to construct a more permanent roofed structure.

I wonder how the shops will label their goods at such short notice

Due to it being a legal requirement beyond the control of the poultry owners it does not affect labeling requirements or egg classes. 'Free range' eggs can still be classed as free range if they met the free range requirements prior to the prevention zone order.

Ali.
Title: Re: Avian flu prevention
Post by: Alison_Kristina on December 07, 2016, 13:38:44
For anyone reading this, and regarding free-range status, the official document (Biosecurity and preventing disease in captive birds within a Prevention Zone) available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu#prevention-zone says:

Quote
Impact of required housing on organic and free-range status

The legal requirement to keep your birds separate from wild birds also applies to free-range and organic poultry producers.

The organic status of poultry flocks is not affected by any legal requirement to house or restrict access to open-air runs, provided that all other requirements of the Organic Standards continue to be met.

Products of free-range flocks that are required by government to be housed retain their free-range status provided the housed period does not exceed 12 weeks 3 . The current housing requirements run for 30 days. The usual free-range marketing requirements apply in all other instances .

If you have longer-term concerns about possible loss of status, for example organic or free-range, you should consult the responsible sector body or organic certification body.

Ali.
Title: Re: Avian flu prevention
Post by: bazzysbarn on December 07, 2016, 16:38:07
what disinfect is best to use?
Title: Re: Avian flu prevention
Post by: Alison_Kristina on December 07, 2016, 17:54:39
Disinfectants designed for avian use include Smite - http://smite-a-mite.com/Smite-Professional/product-info.html and V18 - http://www.haiths.com/vanodine-v18-disinfectant/ You should be using something like these anyway as part of your cleaning routine.

Ali.
Title: Re: Avian flu prevention
Post by: bazzysbarn on December 07, 2016, 23:35:17
i use poultry shield wondered if there was something stronger havent heard of smite
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