No More Chickens

[niall Y]

After over 15 year, we have decided to call time on keeping chickens. It has been enjoyable experience, but over recent years, it had become increasingly more difficult, with the rise in cost of the food and the restrictions put in place by DEFRA because of bird flue.

Luckily, last year was okay, but the year before, we had to keep them under cover for nearly 6 months. This did affect their condition, and there were a lot more outbreaks of red mite that had to be dealt with. The Jeyes Fluid that we used to rely on for a good, deep-clean, no longer seemed to be as effective in its new form.

Reluctantly, we decided, that it has now become too much effort. So, when the last of our small flock died a couple of days ago, we found ourselves, no longer having to let them out every morning, come rain or shine. And, we no longer have to lock them up for the night, and contend with 'chickens bedtime' which would happen later and later, as summer progressed.

Under new legislation DEFRA have extended their remit and all poultry now has to be registered by the end of this year irrespective of the size of the flock. So that is another hoop we won't have to jump through.

 

[Cobbs]

Shame - we keep chooks and wouldn't be without them, what with the sales of eggs off the gate, they even pay for themselves, but you're right, it's just getting to be a PITA with the new legislation. Luckily, we're a bit more used to it than some, as we have to deal with the paperwork for cows, sheep and pigs too. The legislation for bird flu restrictions makes little sense, as you're not going to stop the wild birds flying over and crapping in the chooks' pen, however much you try.

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes it’s a shame, so will the chickens have cattle type ear tags lol, more interference and bureaucracy.

 

[niall Y]

I think they might be issued with their own 'little blue passports'

 

[JAW911]

A farmer once told me ‘MAFF was there to assist you; DEFRA is there to control you”.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Surely it will be almost impossible to police the registration of all of them, they would have to rely heavily on tittle-tattle from nosey neighbours.

 

[Doug71]

I think the number of chicken owners is definitely in decline. Quite a few people used to take my bags of wood shavings for their chickens but there is only one person now and they are down to their last chicken and say they won't be getting anymore.

 

[niall Y]

Surely it will be almost impossible to police the registration of all of them, they would have to rely heavily on tittle-tattle from nosey neighbours.

It did puzzle me as to why DEFRA have moved the goalpost. Whereas before it was flocks of 50 or more, their remit will now cover anyone with an 'Eglu' and a couple of chickens in their back garden.

However, not being registered did not stop one being fined if ones poultry was not kept under cover during the avian flue epidemics. I believe David Cameron's wife was criticized over this issue, though I'm not sure if she was fined

I wondered if the registration might be a prelude to a vaccination programme. In which case it might make a lot more sense.

 

[HappyHacker]

I currently have six, all ex battery hens. In the bird flu outbreaks I have twice been in a high risk control zone when nearby chicken farms had an outbreak despite strict biosecurity controls they have in place. They had to cull thousands of birds.The first time I only had three hens which were kept in a 8X6ft shed for the duration and the second time I had eight hens and made a cage from Heras mesh fence panels covered with scaffold netting to stop small birds getting in. I had three vet inspections with the vet taking full biohazard security precautions. Inspecting the birds took a few minutes going through the biohazard precautions took the best part of an hour.

A neighbour also within the control zone was moving house. out of the control zone. DEFRA would not give him a license to move three birds and gave him the option of: killing the birds, moving the birds and getting fined/imprisioned or moving them in the control zone. So I looked after them for a few months but he had to have them inspected by a vet at his cost before moving them. Obviously I had to keep them separated from my birds so more Heras fencing. As they had kept his daughter sane during lockdown the first option was not considered.

While the fresh free range eggs are excellent I will not be getting any new birds when the current ones die off. It is cheaper and easier to buy from one of the many road side stalls locally.

During the first outbreak we had numerous visits from Council officials asking about the birds. I asked a neighbouring farmer, who keeps a few chickens and ducks how he had got on with the visits and vet checks. He had not seen anyone. I asked the next visiting Council official about this and was told farmers were not visited as they should be contacted by DEFRA!

Living near a geese migration site and regularly have skeins of a few hundred and occasionally thousands of geese flying over head I feel the chances of the area remaining flu free are low.

As an aside when the single far payment was in operation a smallholder friend had a vist from a DEFRA inspector who was happy with the paperwork until he asked my friend to produce a water course map for his holding. My friend replied he did not have one as he did not have any water courses on his holding. The DEFRA man said he must have a map. Asked how he should produce a map showing no water courses he got no reply. He was fined for not having a map.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

However, not being registered did not stop one being fined if ones poultry was not kept under cover during the avian flue epidemics. I believe David Cameron's wife was criticized over this issue, though I'm not sure if she was fined

She could have kept them in the shepherd's hut.

 

[niall Y]

I think she reserves that for playing " Shepherds and Shepherdesses".