Monthly Archives: February 2006

European Parliament Wants More Space For Chickens

by Amy Posted on 15 February 2006

The coops for poultry chickens should be larger, according to a statement made by the European Parliament this Tuesday. The proposal was made by Dutch politician Thijs Berman.

Chickens should have about 10 percent more space by 2013, according to the Parliament. The current standard says that chickens of 38kg need to have one meter of space. That weight class will be lowered to 34kg. With this new regulation the Parliament sends a clear message that animal well-being is important, according to a spokesperson.

Critics of the plan say that more research should be done on the impact of increased space. Another fear is that European chicken farmers will not be able to compete with Brazilian farmers.

Source: Europarlement: grotere hokken voor vleeskippen

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Europe, Law | Leave a comment

Roof Homes For Sparrows

by Amy Posted on 15 February 2006

The common sparrow in the Dutch towns of Noordwijk, Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Hardenberg will soon have more places to call home. A test project on home roofs in these communities will provide housing specially designed for the sparrows, so that they are sure to have nesting area available.

In 2005 the wild sparrow took several blows in the Netherlands. Openings in homes and roofs were better sealed. The amount of shrubs in parks, sidewalks and other public places was reduced for security reasons. Sparrows prefer to make their nests in openings in buildings, or in the tight branches of shrubs and bushes.

Sparrow roof tile nest box In order to give the sparrow abundant nesting areas in neighborhoods, the roofing firm Comfortdak has designed a special roof tile, the Vogelvide (see photo), which allows sparrows to nest near the foot of the roof. The first unit was placed on a rental house in on the Abraham Rademakerstraat in Noordwijk during a presentation by the bird protection group Vogelbescherming Nederland on Tuesday. In total approximately 100 homes will be fitted with the special tiles.

Sources:
Huisje voor huismus
Vogelvide – redding voor huismus?
Photo from Vogelbescherming Nederland website

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Netherlands, Science & Tech | Leave a comment

It’s Official: Dutch Chickens Must Be Penned

by Amy Posted on 14 February 2006

Free range chickens, ducks and other poultry birds in the Netherlands must be penned or otherwise sheltered from contact with wild birds starting February 20. The measure is to prevent the H5N1 virus from spreading into the country. The Dutch interior minister Veerman declared this new regulation on Monday in response to the virus being found in three EU countries: Greece, Italy and Slovenia.

Initially Veerman called the cooping up of birds to begin on March 1st. A spokesperson from the Dutch Organization for Poultry Farmers (NOP) was satisfied with the measures taken by the government. He stated that everyone from tourists to bird farmers should be aware of the situation and alert to the dangers on the spread of the virus.

Source: Nederlandse kippen versneld opgehok

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Netherlands | Leave a comment

Dutch Poultry Farmers To Coop Up Birds

by Amy Posted on 13 February 2006

Now that H5N1 has been found in the European Union, Dutch poultry farmers are advised to pen their birds as soon as possible.

“The sooner the better” said Jan Wolleswinkel, from the Dutch Organization for Poultry Farmers (NOP). The group is imposing a rule on the nation’s farmers to pen their birds.

The Netherlands interior minister has already called on farmers to shelter their birds away from possible contact with migratory birds from March 1.

Source: Kippenboeren willen snel ophokken

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, North America | 1 Comment

Bald Eagle Family Of Llano, Texas

by Amy Posted on 13 February 2006

A family of bald eagles has returned to their Llano County, Texas nest site. The group of three adult birds tend to a nest nine miles north of Llano on Texas Highway 29. The adult eagles, two females and one male, have been tending to the nest this season. One eaglet hatched in late January. Excellent photos and nest activity details are captured at Cottonwood Photography.

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, North America, Texas | Leave a comment

Belgium: Protected Birds Shot & Poisoned

by Amy Posted on 12 February 2006

In the last few weeks dozens of protected birds have been illegally shot or poisoned in Beglium. The culprits are hunters, who consider the birds of prey to be “competitors”. The bird protection group Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen has asked the government to take action.

On Friday a forest ranger from the natural area Opglabbeek found a dead red kite, a rarely seen raptor. The bird was shot and had lead in the chest and leg area.

A spokesperson for Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen said, “Every year, just before the breeding period, many birds of prey are shot and poisoned. The poisoned birds eat bait set out for foxes.”

Vogelbescherming also points out that the poison is a health hazard for humans. The poisons release dangerous toxins in the atmosphere, like strychnine and carbofuran.

Source:
Beschermde vogels geschoten en vergiftigd

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Europe, Law | Leave a comment