7 day isolation

[David Swain]

Anyone like to predict what effect DEFRA's seven-day isolation rule is going to have on overseas racing for south of England clubs ? With so many fanciers in one national/classic club or another how many will want to send their birds to club races of just over a hundred miles to Picauville and the likes if that disqualifies them from a big event a week later ? If this situation re-occurs next season I reckon overseas club racing will become a thing of the past.

[Guest]

As far as I know, we in Scotland haven't had any of the 'small print' of the lifting of the channel racing ban ... yet. There was no mention of distance restriction or 7 days isolation when the initial news broke here on Monday last.

 

Read RPRA website news on it and had been thinking of the animal welfare implications of a bird just flown 13/14 hours being locked in a box for a week [don't think many will have room enough to give the bird a section to itself]. Had picked up talk about joints / muscles locking up in the basket when trained too close to marking night?????   Surely same applies here?????

 

I think these restrictions [and the implications they have on racing and the pigeon's welfare] aren't proportionate to the negligible risk of a channel pigeon bring AI back to UK.  

[Pompey Mick]

Having read the DEFRA risk assessment there is no mention of distance restrictions, it only refers to the time the bird is away from the loft from liberation time, up to 48hrs it's 7 days 'isolation', over that time frame it's 21 days ,though this could be waived if it is a hard race. It also talks of not racing from previously infected or high risk areas, it doesn't mention any distance restrictions as far as I can see, in fact it caters for overnight races with it's 48 hr ruling. The risks that have been identified are of a very low category and the report even acknowledges that to date' pigeons have not contributed significantly to spreading avian influenza viruses' With that kind of conclusion it is up to the pigeon fraternity to provide a risk assessment theirselves which will show that it is safe to race pigeons.

[THE FIFER]

yes there is a 7 day isolation for birds coming out of france,

[Pompey Mick]

I see the Irish fanciers have been given the go-ahead for French racing,no mention of a 7 day Isolation for them.   www.agriculture.gov.ie

[THE FIFER]

VIEW FROM THE READINGS 19/6/06,  QUOTE," DEFRA SEEM PRETTY ADAMANT THAT 400mls IS THE LIMIT"  QUOTE " THE OTHER FLY IN THE OINTMENT WAS THE 7 DAY ISOLATION PERIOD OF ALL BIRDS RACING FROM THE CONTINENT"

[stevebelbin]

They have come up with these restrictions for a reason, we as fanciers just have to get on with it and deal with it, keep a few off for the next channel race etc. Dont see the problem really, and think we should just be happy to be allowed to race the channel.

[THE FIFER]

THAT'S THE WAY FOR US NOW STEVEBELBIN, AND WE SHOULD ALL BE GREATFUL.

[Guest]

The full race license conditions can be found at the following web address; sting in the tail is that ALL RACING is revoked on 31st July, not just channel, as this new race license covers both, and is revoked on 31st July.  

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/keptbirds/genlicence.htm

 

 

Cannot agree with wait & see and 'ta much m'lud' views expressed - that belongs in the 19th Century.

 

If DEFRA has a case for restrictions, and a risk assessment exists that proves it, then publish it. Then our own scientific experts can examine it. If our own experts agree DEFRA's case is sound - fine, I'll be the first to accept the restrictions.

 

But if the case is flawed, as I suspect it is, then the current position must be challenged and not allowed to become 'the accepted way'. This isn't a one season thing. Its like paramyxo, it will be with us for the foreseeable future. Lets get it right now for future seasons' sake.

[Pompey Mick]

I can see that the 7 day ruling is not such a problem when your Channel races are of a reasonable distance, but when you live on the South Coast as I do and ALL your Old Bird races are Channel races, starting at 100mls then it becomes a a serious problem and will affect birdage amounts dramatically. We have just basketted for Fougeres tonight and because of this  ruling numbers are 50% down. This is because members have committed birds to the BBC & NFC next week, and the Fed is at Messac and no birds raced this week will be eligible. The same will happen at our third race, which is Cholet, only the birds which have successfully raced Fougeres this week will be in contention for that race, and so it goes on. When Channel racing is your weekly Federation racing the 7day rule will cause severe problems for fanciers and even racing alternate Channel/Inland races will not solve the problem.

[keano]

with the 7 day ruling on the following weekend you could lib on a sunday.gives you 7 days grace.

[Pompey Mick]

you can only do that once, Keano, What about the following week? Race on a Monday ? Also you cannot basket within the 7 days,

[keano]

you moan because you had to fly north then you fly south with restrictions your just going to have to pick your pigeons for the forth coming races,