Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

baggins11 said: Thanks for that link edwink. I have to admit I was very confused trying to work out if the hens needed covering before seeing this. Also I read another source saying the boot dip was mandatory and also food/water had to be under cover. It said otherwise you face fines.

I will do these things anyway as we are not a million miles from an outbreak but I am glad I have a little time to think about how to cover my girls. We didn't have hens last time around and they are used to a very large enclosure.

 Hi baggins welcome to our friendly hen and duck thread, nice to have a new poster on here 😊

I must admit I was a little confused this time too but the BHWT has explained it very well, which is great for us hen keepers. 

In the last Bird Flu outbreak our coop only had a chicken wired roof so when hen keepers were instructed to keep their hens undercover we covered our coop with tarpaulin. We have iron bars going across our coop roof in the shape of a cross so it collected the rain in 4 sections. It was a nightmare because every time it rained we had to go out and go inside the coop with a broom and push the rain out of each of the 4 sections.  Worth bearing this in mind if you use tarpaulin to cover the roof. 

For the boot dip last time we made one ourselves and used household disinfectant in it but quite a strong solution. We then left our wellington boots upside down outside the coop door and came back indoors wearing a different pair. So basically the pair we left outside was used for going into the coop only if that makes sense.  We hammered tall sticks into the ground and left our wellington boots upside down on the sticks so they didn't collect rain on the insides of them. 

I hope that is of some help to other hen keeps on here.

Edwink x

baggins11

Thanks for those fantastic tips and the warm welcome edwink!

I have an old small polytunnel (greenhouse sized) with a ripped cover that I am going to try and cobble together this weekend.   

They currently have a large electric fenced run in our field so they will get a shock being confined to a smaller area.

We have 6 hens that we hatched ourselves. One of the hens has started laying this week so its been an exciting week for us. We have had hens before but not for quite a few years and I have to say it has been lovely watching them hatch and grow.

We do get lots of game birds and other wild birds around so I will have to crack on this weekend with our new setup.

edwink

Hi everyone

How is everyone? Hope you are all keeping well 😘 It's been very quiet on here lately. We have definitely noticed how early it gets dark at the moment.  We have rigged up the girls coop light again this year so they can stay out in safety for an extra half an hour.  Hoppy is still doing ok and has her daily swim for an hour or two, bless her.  She doesn't waddle far now as she is definitely showing her age but she loves a splash about in the pond and is still eating well especially her lunchtime chopped cucumber treat. I seem to be spending most of my time sweeping and collecting leaves at the moment with the help (not) of my hens. Several times now I have scooped up a pile of leaves with a hen scratching around in them, how I ever manage to get anything done around here is beyond me 🤣

Cheery, how are your girls getting on?. I hope Rusty is still ok since seeing the vet. You are right when you say your rescue girls are getting on a bit now bless them. I can't believe I've had my menaces for just over a year now, where does the time go? so my girls are 2 and a half years old already 💕

Baggins, how is the poly tunnel set up for your girls coming along?. Sounds like you had a big job on your hands with that but I am sure it was worth it if you managed to get it done. We are not as near as you to any of the outbreaks although I am still concerned about the situation.  Talking of which has anyone heard anything more about it? I do keep my eye out for news on the outbreaks and have not seen or heard anything further myself lately which can only be a good thing I guess.

Where is our Pyxis? Haven't seen her on here for a while now.  I do hope you are ok Pyxis.

Stay safe everyone

Edwink x

edwink

Oh dear yet another outbreak of Bird Flu this time in turkeys in North Yorkshire 😢

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-55121445

Edwink x

Pyxis

Hi Edwink!

Since the powers that be closed the Arms, I’ve been on another forum set up especially for refugees from The Arms, although I have popped in here every couple of weeks to catch up, but have not often posted, tbh.

I have been in isolation since March 2nd, and am not doing too well now, tbh, but don’t like inflicting misery on anyone, so tend to stay away.  

At least the news of the vaccine gives a bit of hope.

I do like reading about your girls!

Just wondering, does anyone ever rescue Turkeys? (Apart from the Potus, that is!).
i suppose, being meat birds, rather than egg birds, that isn’t likely. 

Do people eat turkey eggs?

Cheery_Daff

Looks like the chickens are going into lockdown too, sob

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-national-prevention-zone-declared

edwink

Thanks for the Bird Flu link Cheery x

This one is from the BBC today 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55201167

Edwink x

edwink

Hope everyone is ok and ready for chicken lockdown again!! 

We lost one of our girls during the night last night, bless her we found her still on the perches when we opened up this morning. There was no sign of stress with her or any struggle and it looked as though she just went peacefully in her sleep.  Down to 20 rescue girls now.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Aw edwink, I'm so sorry I know how you dote on those ladies. I'm glad she went peacefully, but it's still awfully sad. Hope you're ok xxx

Preparations are going ok here, although a few minor setbacks. Our existing run is fine, so we'll just be using that, but building them an extension which won't be ready by Monday, but should be within a week or two. Mr Cheery has been laying foundations today, but we couldn't get hold of the nails and fixings we need so will have to order online tomorrow. I've rung a tree surgeon about woodchip but he's not replied. Our run is on the ground - fine if they're not in it often but it will rapidly get rather muddy if they're in there all the time. There's a bit of hay on the floor now just because we have plenty of it, but it's not ideal and also gets soggy quickly.

So I'm splashing out on hardwood wood chips, which can apparently last up to a year (and longer if they're not on there all the time), and can also be watered with disinfectant now and then, and won't get so muddy. But where to get them from?? Bulk bag places want to do pallet delivery, but they won't get the lorry down our lane drive. Tree surgeon is ideal - I'll try ringing again tomorrow I think. Otherwise I'll have to buy single bags from the farm supply shop and collect them, which isn't going to be cheap (although may be offset by no delivery charge, we'll see). 

Pleased to report Rusty is ok, and her feathers are starting to grow back, thank goodness. The older ones are definitely slowing down compared to the younger ones - we might not have noticed but for the contrast. Bless them, they'll be over 3 years old now.

Will give them all an extra treat tomorrow in honour of your departed hen edwink xxx

edwink

Hope everyone is ok.

I now have a little hen living indoors with us as I noticed she was quiet during the week and resting a lot whilst the others were foraging. Decided yesterday to bring her indoors with us so she is nice and warm and not standing around in the cold outside. I've thoroughly looked her over and can not see any sign of injury or ill health so thinking it is more down to just old age and slowing down which isn't good in this chilly weather.  She has eaten some sweetcorn, chopped grapes, and a couple of bits of blueberry which isn't a lot but is something.  I hate to see them give up when they get old but have always found they perk up quite a bit once indoors with us and are cosy and warm. She is safer indoors with us anyway as sadly hens can be a bit nasty to each other if one is singled out, not always but it can and does happen.  She has had a walk around the kitchen several times today albeit rather slow, bless her. She is fine with us indoors 😊

Poultry lockdown starts today, sadly.  I'll keep everyone up to date as and when I see anything in the news.

Take care everyone.

Edwink x