rescue chickens

[doorframe]

mum went to check they were ok last night because of the fireworks ... they were fine

On Nov 5th we lost a parakeet to night fright in our aviary because of the fireworks, even thought the blue LED night lights were on.

On New Years Eve we left extra lights on all night, and fortunately no more died. We've spoken to many others who have lost birds (including hens) due to fireworks.

Roy

 

[Benchwayze]

unfortunately your right.... but it all had to start somewhere. i won't be buying the cheap euro battery hen eggs so my conscience is clear and hopefully others will follow. my mums girls and at least 290000+ are free to live out their lives .... more if people get involved and support our countrys new ways

Yes, a clear conscience is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately living in a City, we often have no way of knowing for sure if our free-range produce really is free-range. (There are unscrupulous traders selling the battery-produced eggs as free range, and getting away with it.) Further, even if we are sure of what we are buying our conscience can't be crystal-clear, because our personal contribution alone, won't stop the cruelty.

Sad is it not?

John

 

[Digit]

Sad is it not?

No John, sad is not the word! It would seem to be a deliberate ploy.
The Directive was issued in 1999, thus the EU countries, and it producers, have had over 11yrs to implement the change.
The transitional period appears to be the longest that any Directive has permitted.
At this point I will state clearly that I might be wrong, but as I understand it the time scale was based on the life time of the cages, that within that period of time the producers would have to replace the said cages at least once.
Therfore it seems that the non-compliant people have replaced the cages at least once with cages that they knew full well would be illegal eventually!
The EU courts can do nothing until the deadline has passed, based on past experience what will now happen is that the the non-compliant states will wait the months/years before the court gets around to them then will simply agree, 'yes, we've been bad boys, etc. But we can't now comply overnight we'll need time. About 10yrs!' and they'll probably get it.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

I won't pretend to know all of the legal and political ramifications Roy.

What I was getting at is, it would take a 100% refusal to buy battery-produced eggs, before anything serious was done. That state of affairs is a hope from cloud-cuckoo land. Eggs are one of the finest food sources we have and no one should be denied them on price. However, there are always going to be folk who just cannot afford free-range eggs.

At the moment I can, and I won't condemn others for buying what they can afford. (At almost twice the price, free range eggs etc., are draining my housekeeping, so how long can I hold out? )

One answer... I now eat just one egg with my free-range, single rasher instead of two! (Plus, if I accepted the Cholesterol Hypothesis, which I don't, it would be healthier for me. But that's another can of fish-bait!) :lol:

Regards
John

 

[devonwoody]

Of course a good route to cure the problem of battery chicks would be for some kind soul to rear young chicks and just release them to the moors and public land etc. You could then go foraging for chickens eggs early mornings. :wink:

Real free and free range eggs.

We used to get seagull eggs when we were younger, but I gather they are protected these days?

 

[Benchwayze]

I just saw a sparrowhawk fly over my garden.
Do I need a licence to take photographs of it?
Do I need a permit to allow it to land in my garden? :roll:

Listening to a lecture on birds and photographs, given by an ornithological photographer (A bloke wot likes to take pictures of birds :lol: )
I got the distinct impression that the RSPB have far too much power, based on a lot of apparently 'manufactured' information.
Well shall we say there are a lot of 'jobsworths' walking around open spaces 'policing' innocent passers-by! :twisted:

John

 

[Digit]

There's a problem with that as well around here DW, we call 'em Foxes!

Roy.

 

[marcros]

We used to get seagull eggs when we were younger, but I gather they are protected these days?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink ... -eggs.html

 

[Melinda_dd]

way to political for me now :-\

im just glad my mums girls are now free
and i helped to achieve that
i also know the eggs im eating are free range coz i collected them from the coup myself

 

[Digit]

My wife would like to do the same Melinda, but the cost of Fox proofing, if that is possible, is simply too great.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

A bit of a coup de' t'eat then! =D>

 

[Digit]

Oh Gawd! :lol: :lol:

Roy.

 

[devonwoody]

My wife would like to do the same Melinda, but the cost of Fox proofing, if that is possible, is simply too great.

Roy.

Put them in your loft then Roy :mrgreen:

 

[Digit]

Hadn't thought of that, I'll have word with the wife! :twisted:

Roy.

 

[Lowlife]

Fox-proofing isn't too hard, the only limit is how much you're prepared to spend, obviously the more you spend the bigger and more secure the run will be.

Mine are allowed out in the garden most days, but only when I'm around, and I usually let the dogs out at the same time which keeps any foxes away, not that we see many in daylight anyway.

The rest of the time they have their secure run which is approx 12' x 8', the base is paving slabs which I got from Freecycle so nothing can dig it's way in, the roof is heavy duty corrugated plastic which keeps the run dry and is also fox-proof, and the sides are either solid fence or weldmesh. So-called "chicken wire" is great for keeping chickens in, but it won't keep foxes out, they can chew through it quite easily, weldmesh or chainlink is really the only thing to use and it does cost a bit more.

Regarding the EU countries currently ignoring the new rules, yes it's true and it's very unfortunate that they've chosen to do so, but looking on the bright side that means that more than 50% of the 27 member countries are obeying the rules, you have to start somewhere.

 

[Digit]

the only limit is how much you're prepared to spend

Which was my point. My wife wants to give them the run of the orchard, as natural as possible, thus the costs are considerable.
Only two people locally have kept fowls, one is semi commercial and keeps them housed permanently, and the other abandoned the idea after repeatedly losing his stock.
Strangely his Ducks have never been taken.

Roy.

 

[Lowlife]

I see your point, securing such a large area would be prohibitively expensive!

 

[Digit]

Round here Foxes are a real problem, it may be coincidence but since the hunting ban there has been a very noticable decline in Lapwings. I have never seen a Partridge and only one Hedgehog, Pheasants aplenty, but they of course, unlike Patridges, roost off the ground.
Again it may be coincidence but there is also a total absence of feral cats.

Roy.

 

[Lowlife]

I think someone may have been bumping off the foxes around here! When we moved here 9 years ago there were lots, I could walk down the rear drive any evening and guarantee I'd see at least one, and you could hear them most nights, either the sound of a pair mating (scary!) or the squeal of rabbits being caught. I heard one a few nights ago but that's the first for several months, and I can't remember the last time I actually saw one, probably a couple of years.

It's odd, because usually when you create a vacuum by killing off foxes they are quickly replaced by new ones moving in, if there's something to attract them it doesn't take long at all, and there are quite a few people in this immediate area keeping chickens, rabbits etc...

 

[Digit]

Surrounded as we are by open fields, I expected to have to protect everything from Rabbits when we moved here. Never seen one!
There is never a vaccum with Foxes LL. The cubs are driven away later in the year by their parents as their territory won't support them all. Thus the cubs have to drive off another Fox, or kill it and take its place, so every time you remove one there is likely to be a replacement ready to move in.
Apparently Bristol City Council traps it's urban Foxes then moves them out to the countryside; to starve!
Locally the hunt 'Drags' and Foxes are shot!

Roy.