Monday, August 14, 2006

Avian Flu

Someone kindly asked by leaving a comment whether Avian Flu was going to be a problem. Here in the UK I follow the advice of the NFU and follow the guidelines should I find 3 or more dead birds. My chickens are in a coop that is partially covered and they are locked at night to ensure that the fox cannot eat them for dinner. I cannot protect them much from wild bird droppings because there are pheasants in this area and wild geese fly overhead. The key for me is to keep my small kids away from poultry, have impeccable hygiene as far as the water canister and food supply goes. If your animals are healthy and you look after their welfare then that is all you can do I believe. If avian flu hits the area, then we will have to do what we are advised to do, but in the meantime, I care for them as best as I can following the guidelines provided. For the USA info can be found here on what is happening worldwide.

The strangest thing in this country is that they have a sheep, cattle and pig register and also want owners of flocks of more than 50 chickens to be registered. All animals in this country should be able to be traced by tags and numbers. On the other hand, they are able to lay astray, illegal immigrants and escaped prisoners...which to me seems a little ironic.

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