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[Songbird]

Just watched a news item about a farmer in Norfolk who has lost his entire flock of free range turkeys and geese to bird flu  . And he isn’t allowed to restock until next October (which is then too late to provide birds for next Christmas!) 😩. Can’t blame him for rethinking the “free range” option!

[CLKD]

Is that the farmer looking for a new career  .  Some are complaining that DEFRA should have put closures on earlier: i.e. having all poultry under cover.  However, had the farmers done that prior to DEFRA making the Law, they would have lost the 'free range' status.  Seems that they can't win!

Same with salmon - much of which is kept in appalling conditions with lice = antibiotic treatment; no freedom as they grow.  Pollution due to un eaten pelleted food as well as sea gulls flying over.  Salmon are a migratory species  .  Not for keeping in cages  The trout which we catch are farmed to a certain weight B4 being released into large lakes.  They don't breed in the UK.

Some have their lights on trees already  looks Festive.  However. 

[Marchlove]

This is a rather interesting article regarding bird flu.
Basically it seems to be saying that by locking birds up and then if any of them get it, slaughtering them all, this does not allow them to develop natural immunity which can be passed on to their offspring.
There must be something in that I think 🤔


https://dailysceptic.org/2022/11/30/do-avian-influenza-lockdowns-make-any-more-sense-than-covid-ones/

[CLKD]

Most strains of avian influenza cause no or few signs of disease in infected wild birds. By contrast, the current outbreak is of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which can cause severe disease and high mortality.
. in general one wouldn't see many small wild birds - however, in recent weeks swans and geese as more than normal have been seen to be stricken have been culled as well as Zoos having to isolate their bird collections.




As far as I am aware they don't have off-spring!   The eggs are often imported from Europe, hatched in incubators then sent to farms as chicks at a very young age.  We were at a local outlet in June one year as a crate of young turkeys arrived to be fattened on for the C.mas Market.  They were so sweet and I would love to have a stag in our garden but there isn't space. 

Pheasants are hatched, fed I pens then released; I'm not sure about geese or ducks.  Quail are usually kept indoors throughout.

This particular virus is spread by wild birds in droppings which then get trampled by captive stock.  Same with F&M, starlings have often been blamed for spreading that. 

Keeping poultry in barns means that they lose the 'free range' status.  Free range means that poultry has to be able to feed in the outdoors for a certain number of hours daily picking up what they eat naturally: meaning that less grain/meal is required.  I can't remember the % of the latter required to mean that they remain free range.

[CLKD]

Have an extra this year, either a decoration for the tree next year or puzzles etc..  I happened to read the back of the card this morning to find out that ours has a decoration to cut out  .  Like many have time at this time of year  but a Good Idea I feel.

[C.C.]

We were planning a nice holiday dinner for tomorrow with dh's cousin and her family but when I got home from work yesterday dh told me they had to cancel because they all have covid.   I'm hoping we can re-schedule for next month.

Tis the season to get sick.

[CLKD]

R U very disappointed    . I was always ill at C.mas, the local GP at Grandma's would drop by on C.mas Eve so that he could eat his C.mas lunch in peace.

[C.C.]

Yes, a bit disappointed but it's for the best as I'm under the weather today and I wouldn't have been good company anyway. We are planning again for next month.

Snow on the ground this morning, so it's looking like Christmas now.

[CLKD]

I must be running a temperature, I've bought some of the decs from the loft 

[CLKD]

    cards sent.  Some decorations up.  More to hang outside when the weather improves. 

[Songbird]

68p for a second class stamp 😲. Outrageous.  I’m hand delivering to close family and friends only.
Bah humbug 

[CLKD]

Especially if postage is held up due to the current strikes    .  Our postie was out and about today.

A week today, will it be over, please say YES 

[jaypo]

   cards sent.  Some decorations up.  More to hang outside when the weather improves.

No cards sent,no decorations up,inside or out
And you think you're bah humbug songbird 

[CLKD]

there's probably a long story short there jaypo 

[jillydoll]

My tree is decorated and lights on. I even bought a new tree topper, a star that lights up. How’s about that for someone who doesn’t like Xmas! 😉🙀. 

It’ll soon be over, then we have to put them all away again. 

I’m not here next year, can’t deal with all the fuss at the shops, too many people, too many cars.
We walked to the shops the other day, in the freezing cold, just because last time we were there, there was nowhere to park. Everywhere’s manic now. So next year, canaries, here we come. 🥳🏖