Bird Houses

Bird Houses

Our Bird house structures are the ideal way to help protect your birds and poultry from predators and “Avian Flu”

 

Housing your birds is the best way to protect them from bird flu. It prevents them from coming into contact with wild birds, which can spread bird flu.

In England, you must house your birds to protect them from bird flu.

In Scotland and Wales, you may be in a disease control zone with housing measures.

Housing your birds during a disease outbreak may impact the welfare of your birds, especially if they’re not used to being housed for long periods.

You are responsible for the welfare of your birds while they’re housed. You should:

  • make sure they’re not overcrowded
  • make sure they have natural light where possible - do not keep them permanently in the dark (artificial light should follow the typical day and night patterns)
  • make sure there is adequate ventilation – adult birds will tolerate low temperatures but may not tolerate high temperatures (consider installing a thermometer at bird level and do not allow temperatures to go significantly above 21°C)
  • make sure they have enough food and fresh, clean water (do not use standing water as it may have been contaminated by wild birds)
  • keep bird litter fresh - you can use damp-proof membranes for earth floors to help keep litter dry
  • provide enrichment items to prevent boredom, like scatter feeds, whole grain, litter with grit, pecking blocks, straw bales, cabbages, rope and footballs
  • check them more than once a day to make sure they’re healthy and have enough food, water and dry bedding
  • avoid sudden changes to their diet – if you need to change their diet, mix old and new food through a transition period
  • check for skin parasites like red mites – they can make birds irritable

Consider providing aerial perches for birds. This helps prevent overcrowding and gives birds:

  • more vertical space
  • space to move away from pecking by other birds

In Scotland registered laying flocks must have aerial perches.

The welfare of pullets (young hens)

You should provide pullets with conditions like those they had during laying. If pullets are reared in a range and then confined, it increases the risk of injurious feather pecking.

Pullet suppliers should make any confinement history available to buyers.

Signs of poor welfare and boredom

Look out for:

  • injurious feather pecking
  • redirected foraging behaviour, such as pecking other birds
  • loss of condition

If you see signs of feather pecking, you can:

  • reduce the light (there should still be enough light for you to read a newspaper)
  • provide more enrichment items like scratch feeds, straw bales, cabbages, rope and footballs
  • include more whole oats, wheat, corn, alfalfa, maize, barley, pea, silage and carrots in their diet
  • mash their food to increase eating time and keep your birds occupied
  • add nutritional supplements to drinking water to help keep your birds calm

Signs of Bird Flu

Birds infected with the most serious strain of bird flu, called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), usually show some (or all) of the following signs.

  • sudden death
  • swollen head
  • closed and runny eyes
  • lethargy and depression
  • lying down and unresponsiveness
  • lack of coordination
  • eating less than usual
  • lethargy
  • sudden increase or decrease in water consumption
  • head and body shaking
  • drooping of the wings
  • dragging of legs
  • twisting of the head and neck
  • swelling and blue discolouration of comb and wattles haemorrhages and redness on the shanks of the legs and under the skin of the neck
  • breathing difficulties such as gaping (mouth breathing), nasal snicking (coughing sound), sneezing, gurgling or rattling
  • fever or noticeable increase in body temperature
  • discoloured or loose watery droppings
  • stop or significant drop in egg production

Some species such as ducks, geese and swans can carry the avian influenza virus and spread it without showing any signs of illness.

Birds infected with the less serious strain of bird flu, called low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) may not show clear signs of infection. They may have mild breathing problems. These signs can indicate bird flu, but the avian influenza virus can only be confirmed through laboratory tests.

If you are concerned about the health of your birds speak to your private vet. If you suspect bird flu, you or your vet must report it immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) even if the signs are mild.

Click here to see highland polytunnels Bird Houses

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