Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Happygreen

first hen's egg today, I love my girls!

CAFCGirl

Yesterday was the first day of being 4 for 4!

ali-t

Our production has increased with the mild weather and we seem to have a couple in moult every few weeks since the summer. Our bluebell has her stunning dark feathers in for winter and the blackrock has gorgeous shades of green and blue when the light hits her.

vjm63

The restrictions on birds has been extended until the end of February now for England, Wales and Scotland. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-flu-prevention-zone-extended

I hope everyone is going to cope okay with this - I suppose they had to after the confirmed cases in the flock near Carmarthen this week.

suki1964

We still aren't on restrictions here in NI, although a duck was found to have bird flu in Eire

Dizzy_Imp

Arrgghhh! My poor birds! Luckily, we got a huge new chicken hotel a week before the original restriction came into force, so they have enough room, but it's dingy with the low winter light levels ATM.

I've been counting down to their "release" date, so now feel deflated and sad. At least the house is toasty warm, which is good as we've had temperatures dropping to -8° here!

StarShapedPeg

I know! Dreadful news for us too. I've been tallying the days down as well, trying to make it better for them in terms of light, but nothing beats being outside for them. I feel like I'm imprisioned them for no reason.

beautiful_ravens

Hi
RE the avian flu alert -
Im very stuck with what to do about my chickens, I only have 3 [1 ex-batt, 1 colombian black tail and one dutch bantam] I dont know where to put them or what to do, and I can't even get near the bantam, she roosts on her own in a tree and is far too clever to catch, Ive been trying for weeks to trick her!
The two big hens just have a small house and are free range, but easy to catch.

I can make a temporary cordoned off area in the garden for the big chickens using that green plastic fencing stuff, but the wild birds will get through it etc and i dont know how I would cover it over anyway.
Any suggestions?

vjm63

Hi Beautiful_ravens,

If the wild birds can get in anyway, not sure the plastic green fencing is much good. Can you set up some sort of enclosure from small mesh chicken wire and fence posts to hold it up at all, and cover with tarpaulin? We originally made our girls' run with this sort of arrangement (fortunately!) and so long as the mesh is too small for a wren (if you get them) that should be okay. Also the food and water should be covered to prevent wild birds pooping in it. An alternative some people are doing is put them in the greenhouse - luckily little growing there at the moment!

Really not easy at the moment for any chicken keepers - I hope the outbreak and restrictions do not go on beyond end of February.

I nearly got a couple of dutch bantams recently - sort of glad I did not if I'd be up in the trees looking for them!

Love the name by the way

beautiful_ravens

@ vjm63
Hi, thanks, yes I think it will have to be some sort of enclosure as you described - Ive been out there this morning trying to think or do something but my toes and fingers got instantly cold, the ground is solid and my gloves kept sticking to everything that had frost on it!!

I have a few plastic tarps and some clear plastic sheeting I could use somehow, but not enough small mesh wire.

Ill just have to rig something up tomorrow when it warms up.

The bantam used to be friendly when she had her sisters, they would come in the house and be petted and carried about, but they gradually went missing in spring when they got broody [they are overly dedicated to sitting], and then this last one became very wary once she was on her own.
All the bantams Ive ever had have been much more wild than the bigger birds, I unwillingly had 20 at one point - because I couldn't find half of them, they roosted in trees, and then they had loads of chicks, it was getting quite bad until a fox/badger came along and then....well...then there were none.