A very clear article! Though I want to add I don't see many people talking about automated coop doors. You talk about getting up early to let your chickens out of their coop, but you can easily solve that with an automated door. That way, if you are on a holiday, someone only needs to come check...
That's great! I adore roosters and I wish I could just take them all in. At the moment I don't have enough space but when we move in the future I would really like to look for a house with space enough to host my own bachelor flock. How is the flock been going for you? Do you have several breeds...
This is undeniably the cutest thing I've seen happening in my flock.
This is Coco, my adopted Serama rooster enjoying the first warm sun of the year with my 3 Sussex hens Barb, Blondie and Sweet Pea. I love my hens so much. Throw in a rooster and they act like it's always been there. They...
Hi all,
I have a little guest over since 3 weeks. Reggie is a 2 year old Serama who's had months of vent issues. As I understand she had some sort of extra hole and necrotic tissue kept building up that had to be removed. During all of this Reggie was doing well and showed no other signs of...
Thank you for your kind words, Mary :) My girlfriend and I are actually trying to start up a little project to spread awareness about MD in our country's poultry community, because I don't want people going in as unprepared as I was.
No, he was not despite my advice to do so. In the avian community I'm part of (Belgium and The Netherlands) people generally seem to believe the anti-vaxx lies about vaccinating against Marek's. My girlfriend and I are actively trying to combat this.
The Sussex were vaccinated against Marek's...
He's available when I want to, but I'm trying to play it safe. My previous rooster died of Marek's disease, so I'm going to wait till the chick is at least 8 weeks old, preferably a little bit older even. As said, adding my late rooster and a while ago the Serama cockerel went without issues...
I don't know if it was mentioned already, but I find leaves a pretty good temporary solution in the rainy autumn. I have four big oak trees in my garden so a LOT of leaves in autumn. I pick them up with the leaf blower which cuts them into smaller pieces and I empty the bag in the run, the...
Hi everyone
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with my upcoming situation or has any more useful tips. I'll get right into it: I have three almost one year old big Sussex. When they were 5 m/o I added a similar aged Ayam Cemani cockerel. I kept him separated but he always seemed to...
No weird Sunday blues for Archie this time. I kept him inside from Saturday evening until Sunday around noon, even then I called him every now and then to check how far he was and he always arrived within seconds (he's neutered and rarely wanders off)
The vet couldn't find anything. She advised me to keep track of when he's acting weird and to take his temperature those days. Since it happened twice on Sunday we also agreed to lock the cat door Saturday night. Maybe it's all coincidental or maybe it's sort of an infection with a certain...
I tried to call the vet after work yesterday but was not able to reach her, I'll try again today. Archie is fully back to normal now, but it took a bit longer than last week.
Hi all
He did it again this Sunday. Barely eating, not being his cuddly self and constantly sleeping. While it's not weird for a cat to sleep almost all of the time, he's never sleeping that long when I'm home and when sleeping, he'll try to find a spot on my lap or shoulders. The only reason I...
You're welcome. My original 3 home raised chickens are vaccinated, at least there is a very slim chance I will ever lose them to Marek's. As for the future, there are uncertainties yes, but nothing impossible. I am not a breeder and have no aspiration to be one in the near future, although I...
Hi everyone,
I know it's been a long time, but I've only just received the results from Ghent University. Unfortunately Phil was tested positive for visceral Marek's disease. I've made my peace with it and the vet's got my back for any future questions or doubts. As a last update I would like...
Thanks for all your replies! I think he's okay. I let him outside yesterday evening and gave him just a tiny bit more food before I went to bed (because he only had one serving instead of 2). It was gone in the morning and he appeared again soon after I got up, eager to get another bowl
That would of course be an alarming sight, even to a new cat owner! :p As far as I know no problems there. It seemed to me he was drinking more, but it could just be he's drinking more inside the house. He usually goes outside and has a drink with the chickens, but I have two new ones, so the...
I hope not, I don't understand why people would think that is okay. In any case he usually doesn't stray to far away and my only direct neighbours know not to feed him as I have explicitly asked them not to before he was allowed outside. They did have a party with friends yesterday, maybe they...