Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Bens-Hens]

My beautiful wife snuck out and picked up some a present for me today.



Araucana's, bit of luck and we will have our own blue eggs!

Also, found out today the the state agricultural department will access Mocha for free. Unfortunately, she must be put down to compete the testing. Sad, but the best thing for our flocks future.

Little Cooper (it was his bird) is not so happy about the idea. Hard for us to to enforce but has to be done.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Aww, sorry it had to be that way for Mocha. You're doing the right thing though for your entire flock both now and in the future. Congratulations on getting the araucana eggs! Does your turner disassemble so you can leave them on the turner while the others are in lockdown or will you move one group to the other incubator?

 

[Eggnog101]

aww, I'm sorry about mocha. but she had a good life while it lasted.

lol, I love your brooder, so colorful

 

[Bens-Hens]

The chicks seem to LOVE it too.

The egg turner tray unhooks from the motor and lifts out so the eggs are just left on the mat. Since we have a three day gap though I will probably fire up the Hova-bator, get it to 80% and transfer our first dozen to that one for the hatch and leave the Araucana in the DIY to continue to grow. The hatch them in the new incubator, just so I know it can do both parts of the process.

Going to begin to sort the details for Mocha as we have only been told by a vet and a breeder to take her there. We still need to actually get in touch. The Vet says it's Marek's, the breeder thinks he has miss diagnosed. Either way, her leg has not got better, and the past couple of days we have thought it has got a little wore as she has been holding it forward and sitting on it a little weird.

We have done what we can, and if the breeder is right, and it's something else we need to know what so we can treat it before our chicks spend any time in the back yard.

 

[NovaAman]

I am wondering if she slipped a tendon... Hock... I hope that is the case... Sorry you will need to put her down just to find out. Wish there was a live blood test that could be done...

 

[NovaAman]

I was just looking, and it looks like you can get a live bird blood tested. Is this an option four you? Hasn't she had this for more than 2 weeks?

 

[Bens-Hens]

Yes Nova, it has been more than to weeks. We thought it may have been a tendon or hock joint, but could not find the same signs as people that talked of the issue.

We feel very bad, thinking it was a injury all this time, when it as almost certainly Marek's again. From the age we were told she was when we bought her, we assumed she and Latte were too old to get it (nearly 32 weeks now) but neither had laid an egg yet. I have heard Wynedotte's can be slow but 28 weeks must be a bit of a stretch. Latte is a RIR x lorp, so we thought she would be ready to lay well before 25 weeks, but she still is not showing signs of being ready (hip bone distance test) Only leads me to think that the '18' week old pullets were probably actually closer to 12-13 weeks old. We didn't know any better at the time. As I said in our first post, we have learnt many lessons, that was one of them.

We thought she had just hurt her foot, but as time has gone on she has not shown improvement. This past week we have watched more closely and her symptoms seem to fit to broard spectrum of Marek's.

With our first rescue bird (Nugget) showing similar symptoms, then Pepper (who went to a bird vet and was diagnosed by him) and then Mocha at the point of lay it just seems that we have it on the property, and need to take measures to get rid of it.

Today Alicia called the Department of Agriculture's animal health lab. Our vet and a breeder said they do free testing. This was confirmed today, but long story short, he said don't bother bringing her in. The vet is very reputable and 99% certain of being correct. They gave a few options, but most of them were short cuts, with fallow land being the best option.

We decided that we are going to formulate a plan to clear our property before our chicks (and expecting) hit the ground. Olivia (last rescue bird and only layer) will be culled. Mocha now needs to also be put down. Latte seems to be bullet proof, never so much as coughed. The lab suggested that she could grow up fine, with an immune system that has copped with what ever exposure she has had. We were going to cull her too and start fresh, but a family friend that bought rescue birds from the same place at the same time as our original purchase said she would be happy to take our cream pullet. Her birds are already vaccinated. That family is just doing their own research about joining birds, vaccinated and non vaccinated and so on. If they change their mind in the next couple of days then Latte will also be put down. I really did not want to take that path, I am attached to her (she was my bird as each family member had their own) but we have got to a point where it needs to be dealt with properly, and better to start over now, instead of when we have a full flock and some breeds that are not so common here.

The plan following (so far, may be adjusted depending on hat more research digs up)

Disinfect the coop, run and floor area. (Virkon S broad spectrum virus disinfectant)
Remove the top layer of soil, disinfect again and apply lime.
Nest box and roosts will be replaced.
Coop will be left fallow over the winter period (we are in Autumn) so it should get a few cold months to kill anything the chemicals and lime missed,
Chicks and expecting will be kept from the rear yard area, only going in the mobile coop to upwind lawn area's not used by the mature birds.
Vaccinate new chicks.

It's the best we can come up with. Removing all birds for 62 week is just not feesible, and I have no intention of abandoning our chicks or current hatch.

A different breeder I had been in touch with about obtaining vaccine from said she had it and left her property birds free for 3 months and it was gone after that, failing that, FLAME THROWER!

 

[Bens-Hens]

Sorry for the REALLY long post....again.

Been a long down day with some hard choices to make, even though they should not be hard.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Wow Ben - tough decisions made for sure. Thinking of your family. It sounds like a good thorough plan that should work. I have no experience with it but it sounds like it.

 

[NovaAman]

Sorry you are going to have to go to such measures.... Very sad and difficult. I totally understand. Good luck with your plan. I am sure it'll work.