Re: free range regulations and interpretation

From: Jill (news_at_REMOVETHISkintaline.co.uk)
Date: 07/29/04 

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 12:11:18 +0100

nuele wrote:
> Jill <news@REMOVETHISkintaline.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> "nuele" <fowls@nuele-online.de> wrote in message
>> news:1ghnmf4.w0xd9qvveb4oN%fowls@nuele-online.de...
>
>>> Hm. I must admit I don't understand this discussion completely. It
>>> seems to me you are talking of very small houses / huts / boxes. Is
>>> that right?
>>
>> NO - the exact opposite
>> These are the folks with 5,000 plus bird houses
>> This is the commercial end of the equation
>
> What gave me the idea was that in "Smaller house the perches are low
> so the birds hop over them" and "birds huddle on the floor in groups
> at night"

Sorry - the former "smaller houses" was my description of my houses. Just to
illustrate the variations possible. Blocks of low perches could be stepped
over. Neither seem to impede the birds as the producers are suggesting.

The latter "huddling" is what the large free range flocks do now

>
> I suppose a flock of 5,000 birds must be very puzzling for the hens,
> and perhaps they prefer to stay in a group of birds they know instead
> of struggling with other hens in order to get a good place on the
> perch.

With enough perch space that could be accomodated possibly but not with only
15cm each??

>
> Metal rails sound very unattractive to me - cold feet all night...

And not easy to grip to? 

--
regards
Jill Bowis
Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment,  Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Holidays in Scotland and Wales
http://www.kintaline.co.uk
>
> Nuele (D)

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