signing up with DEFRA

A few days ago I signed up with DEFRA so that they know how many hens, ducks and bantams I've got in case of bird flu. It seemed sensible to tell but only if we are going to be given information about bird flu that makes sense to us backyard poultry keepers. I can't keep them indoors - there's no 'indoors' to keep them in unless I put them in the bathroom! The point about signing up, I think, is that if there's a possibility of vaccination for the birds to prevent them from getting bird flu then at least I should know by being known to DEFRA. One of the questions I had to answer was 'is there a pond or reservoir within 5oom of the birds?' There is the fishing pond next door of course. I heard wild ducks on it this morning early. So when bird flu comes to this part of Gloucestershire - and it's surely only a matter of time - then we're not safe at all really.