Avian flu restrictions extended

Bored and frustrated

You might think that my hens would like being in a well ventilated, dry and windproof building at this time of year but they don't. Every time I open the door to give them fresh food ans water they try to get out. They are now banged up until 28th February.

Outbreaks of the H5N8 virus have been confirmed in England and Wales and if they are outside my birds are mixing with everything from seagulls to wild geese and sparrows.

It's more of a problem for small scale backyard poultry keepers who have only a few birds and a a very small coop. Indoors they need dry litter, good ventilation and at least 1 sq metre of floor space each.

On the plus side their feet are clean so the eggs are clean and easy to collect as they only have the nest box to lay in. Normally I have to search for eggs in straw stacks, the barn and even under hedges.

Because the hybrid egg laying machines ( the brown ones) are mixed up with the La Bresse

(white ones) and I don't have enough pens indoors to separate them I can't produce hatching eggs at the moment and these eggs are worth $3 each.