Cat Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 I saw on the news last night that Dominique de Villepin has announced a total ban on keeping poultry outside, covering every department in France.We were in the process of rebuilding a small stone tumbledown building on our land to keep chickens, but it is only suitable as a night roost. We haven't yet got any chickens, and I wouldn't feel happy confining the poor things in a building of that size 24 hours a day. So for the time being we're going to hold back.How will those of you that keep chickens deal with this? Will you continue regardless, do you have the facilities to confine your chickens to a building? Would you actually want to do this? What are your alternatives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 We've got a plan to deal with this that would use a covered run. Ididn't see the news item - does anyone have a relevent web link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monika Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 This ban has been in Switzerland since autumn 2005 but most people get over it by netting over the chicken/duck/geese "outside space", so they still can be outside which I think is so much better than locked indoors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 http://fr.news.yahoo.com/15022006/202/la-france-decide-son-tour-le-confinement-general-des-volailles.htmlThere are plenty more, jond, if you google on "news grippe aviaire" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 [quote user="SaligoBay"]http://fr.news.yahoo.com/15022006/202/la-france-decide-son-tour-le-confinement-general-des-volailles.htmlThere are plenty more, jond, if you google on "news grippe aviaire"[/quote]Thanks - that's pretty clear then!. I'd better go and get them under cover. It would be raining this afternoon..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 The residents of "Stalag Chicken" seem this morning to be remarkablychipper in the face of their incarceration. I've no idea where they gotthe "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" tee-shirts from, but thenthere's a lot goes on around here that I don't know about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tag Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 I think it said that geese, ducks and (maybe) turkeys would have to be inoculated too. Plus an exclusion zone of three km if the flu is found. (This does not exclude people of course). Precautions about how to approach the birds, dress etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeb Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Our friend has just been to the Mairie in his village (north 16) who said that he's had no official notification yet about local restrictions. May be as well to go to your own Mairies on Monday (school holidays permitting as ours is closed next week for les conges) to get up to date info.In our rural area most domestic poultry are free range, including ours, and have little hen houses for night time. Luckily my friend has offered bed and board to our 4 as he able to put them in a barn with his for the duration but he's culling his cockerels, turkey, guinea fowl, ducks and geese as they can't/won't live inside.This is crazy! A helicopter has just done a low circle over the hamlet! Hopefully they are still looking for pool fencing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted February 17, 2006 Author Share Posted February 17, 2006 It will be interesting to hear what the official take on this is. Although someone said that in Switzerland they had got around the "containing" of poultry by netting over the tops of the runs, a Swiss news report says "The poultry must remain indoors under a solid roof where no wild fowl or droppings can enter," http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L15685484.htmThis could well be due to the fact that avian flu is spread by contaminated bird droppings.Not looking good for our fine feathered friends [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 For the time being, the authorities here in France seem to saying thatnetting will be adequate. As much as anything, they seem concerned thatpoultry keepers may simply ignore the rule if it is to difficult tofollow!!Innoculation of ducks and geese (in addition to keeping them undercover) will be required for birds being reared in three departements(Vendée, Loire Atlantique and Landes) as an additional precaution asthese departements have large wildfowl populations. This afternoon, dead swans from near Lyon and dead ducks from somewherenear Paris (didn't catch where) are being tested for the virus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisb Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 [quote user="jond"]For the time being, the authorities here in France seem to saying that netting will be adequate. As much as anything, they seem concerned that poultry keepers may simply ignore the rule if it is to difficult to follow!![/quote]I was speaking to my vet yesterday and he said that although netting eg fruit tree netting would be OK to put round existing pens, there must be a solid roof to avoid wild birds perching and pooing through. He also said that if we had the room, he would advise us to move them indoors, because he thought that would be the next step. Again, we had helicopters circling this morning...........doubtful they were looking for pool fencing, not a vast number of pools in my neck of the woods! Apparently the gendarmes in some regions have been out and about noting addresses of houses where there are chickens etc, and once the regs have been fully implemented, they will be carrying out spot checks.RegardsChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 It looks ( according to the BBC website -not seen French news yet) as though the virus has been confirmed as HR whatever, in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 The French Min of Ag has announced today (Friday 17th) that it's very likely that a duck found dead in the Ain department died of the H5N1 virus. Here's the link on the TF1 website: http://news.tf1.fr/news/sciences/0,,3284888,00.html?trk=100Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 And the ones not far from Lyon too, I think, according to the 19/20 news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 [quote user="Sc"]The French Min of Ag has announced today (Friday17th) that it's very likely that a duck found dead in the Aindepartment died of the H5N1 virus. Here's the link on the TF1website: http://news.tf1.fr/news/sciences/0,,3284888,00.html?trk=100Steve[/quote]So far (11pm) only H5 type confirmed, not yet certain H5N1...anyone want some money on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Pass!Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 18, 2006 Share Posted February 18, 2006 I was so sorry to hear that they have found bird flue in the Ain. Chickens from Bourg en Bresse are delicious and the region really does depend on it's poultry farming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 I saw this on the news this morning. I shall wait a week then I suspect the price of chicken in the supermarket will fall through the floor. I have two shelves already empty to fill and have found loads of chicken recipies. I remeber when the BSE thing was going on in the UK we filled one complete freezer with beef when they couldn't give it away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 At 08-00 this morning when the work experience boy was writing the headlines, BBC News 24 in a desperate attempt to fill another hour before the journalists got out of bed, announced "Boots the chemists were training their staff to detect the symptoms of Bird Flu[8-)][:^)] " So Mr quackers, you are feeling listless, have a sore throat, runny nose and a sneeze like Orville? Well I think you might have bird flu" " How do you know? " I have been trained by Boots to detect bird flu symptoms, could you just ait over there while a find something sharp" "Oh Merde"When the story was actually explained in good news 24 fashion that was not what Boots had done at all. The actual story was that Boots had trained their staff to advise humans about bird flu, like keep away from ducks with a cough and a sneeze.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Dordogne Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Just imagine all the ducks and chickens lined up at the pharmacy asking for advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebee Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Breaking news on Sky this lunchtime is stating that France and Austria have ordered all domestic poultry to be kept indoors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 [quote user="Quillan"]I saw this on the news this morning. I shall waita week then I suspect the price of chicken in the supermarket will fallthrough the floor. I have two shelves already empty to fill and havefound loads of chicken recipies. I remeber when the BSE thing was goingon in the UK we filled one complete freezer with beef when theycouldn't give it away.[/quote]Quite a lot of Italian chicken is already making its way to the UKfollowing a collapse of the domestic market in Italy. Wholesale prices(normally about £1 / kg) are expected to drop to around 40p. I can't help wondering if it might be better for the EU to discouragesuch movements at this time. Not so much to protect the UK poultryfarmer (who, unlike his continental collagues, is unlikely to get anyhelp from the UK government and will be left to the mercy of themarket) but because there is some evidence that this disease isspreading not so much along migration routes but along trade routes.This may be a case of extrapolating from too little data, but theagricultural industry is already starting to bend facts to fit theory(never a smart idea), and, let's face it, factory farming interestshave been somewhat economic with providing data in the past as thefiascos that were BSE, foot & mouth and swine fever bearwitness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 I saw a snippet on French news on friday which showed a chicken processing factory and all the workers were wearing protective clothes and masks, is this usual? If the employees of such places are taking extra precautions then it doesn't bode well with me that these chickens should be entering the food chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayB Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 [quote user="Monika"]This ban has been in Switzerland since autumn 2005but most people get over it by netting over the chicken/duck/geese"outside space", so they still can be outside which I think is so muchbetter than locked indoors.[/quote]Netting won't work. Flu is transferred through droppings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 [quote user="viva"]I saw a snippet on French news on friday whichshowed a chicken processing factory and all the workers were wearingprotective clothes and masks, is this usual? If the employees of such places are taking extraprecautions then it doesn't bode well with me that these chickensshould be entering the food chain.[/quote]That's normal - just routine hygine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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