Just a thought.....

[Nicos]

DEFRA require all owners of more than 50 chooks to be registered- yep????

OK- so ....say you had 30 chooks and had 24 chicks hatch. At what age are you supposed to count them as 'chooks'??? Is it as soon as they hatch?

I'm not planning on doing this- but it was a thought after reading another thread.

Anyone know???

[VirginVegGrower]

Don't know but damn good question. I only have four so now Defra thought police for me.

[Glutton4...]

Dunno, but I got up to 49 once, including Geese and Chicks!

[RichmondHens]

I'm pretty certain the rule states that if numbers reach 50 or more EVEN FOR JUST ONE DAY then you have to register, and that includes hatching chicks.

[petal]

Is the point of the register to enable them to swoop upon you and cull all your stock if bird flu hits 100 miles away?

[VirginVegGrower]

Something to do with conditions and selling of eggs I think. Means you're a commercial operation I suppose. Probably tax grabbing too somewhere.

[Glutton4...]

We had a thread on here a year or so back, on this very subject. Those who were registered with Defra said it was no big deal, more or less just a paperwork exercise, really. I think.

[RichmondHens]

Is the point of the register to enable them to swoop upon you and cull all your stock if bird flu hits 100 miles away?

No the point is that they have some sort of record of any significant groups of birds in a particular area so that in the event of a bird flu (or other disease) outbreak they can notify those registered and advise on any action needed. When Bernard Matthews was affected I believe they only culled the stock on that site, not anyone else's as far as I'm aware.

[Suechooks]

We are registered though the local council who own the allotment site. They don't actually know how many birds there are though. Thats why our allotment officer likes to know who keeps hens on the sites rather than how many.

[baldrick]

its like the local council allows 6 hens in the garden so for my purposes the 4 chicks dont count...................

[its hilly]

Last time I looked it said that if you intend to go over 50, and that includes hatchlings only on the property for 1 day. So 25 hens + 26 chicks = register. Even if you've hatched the chicks for someone else.
And I'm fairly sure it was total of all poultry, I remember having to count in my geese, and m-i-l's ducks.
They wont force a cull, the idea is to be able to warn you early if there is a birdflu outbreak so that you can ensure your birds are protected, covered bird/vermin proof runs, or indoor housing if I remember right..but dont hold me to that bit.
You can register with less if you want.