I have been pondering the future of my little flock with the prevalence of avian influenza, aka bird flu. In this country all poultry, both commercial birds and pets, have been required to stay indoors for the past sixteen weeks. (Apparently that's legally the longest "free range" birds can be confined and still be allowed to be marketed as such; this designation ran out yesterday.)
Last winter we had to lock up our birds until around now. We had to lock them up in the winter of 2016-2017 too. This winter has been particularly bad for outbreaks, and there are still outbreaks happening; the housing order still remains, maybe indefinitely.
I have six hens and four ducks. They have a wooden playhouse that has been converted to a coop, and I've rigged up a very small covered porch for them outside their small door (made from a wire fireplace guard) so they can at least step outside for a breath of fresh air. I try to bring them fresh greenery/weeds daily, but they aren't happy. I don't blame them; I'm not happy about it either.
And what with the price of layers pellets going up--almost double what we were paying a year ago--and then they aren't even laying much (the ducks not at all), well it seems like a bad deal for everyone involved. I've kept birds for about ten years now and this is the first time I feel like there's no future in it.
Ok so how to make things better within the parameters I've described? For now I am keeping the birds. We may let the flock die out (of old age/natural causes) without getting replacements. I have suggested letting the chickens die out but replacing the ducks (and a flock size of around 4-6). But whatever we decide, we need to make our current situation better than what it is; it's been like this too long and is not good enough.
I have to keep the birds under cover; that is a given. A fully enclosed chicken tractor is allowed as long as wild birds are completely excluded. I live on a very small property in a rural village but I have done a chicken tractor before: I have a small moveable A-frame coop in the back corner of the Perennials section which is still in fairly good condition; the husband made it out of some pallets, chicken wire and bubble wrap insulation; the chickens used it at the allotment for a winter before we built them a permanent yard there.
This is going to be put back to use right away, starting on the veg beds. It has no floor so they'll be able to scratch and peck the ground and it can be moved daily; they can even sleep in it. It has no nest boxes or perches, somewhat of a drawback; but it is better than being perpetually boxed up indoors. I'll try to sort something out, but they (the chickens at least) are going in it immediately.
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