Colorado

[rf12345]

which heavy breeds did you get?

 

[intangible04]

I have 39 broilers and 19 heavy breed roosters. I took these pictures of them yesterday when I moved them outside.

Here's one for size, they are 3 weeks old today.

Wow, only 3 weeks, look at those breasts!...on the chicken! On the chicken! Sorry, couldn't resist. Good looking birds. When are you going to process?

 

[nate1the1great1]

Any one going to the Rocky Mountain Feather Fanciers poultry show on Saturday?

 

[uzisuzuki]

I have 39 broilers and 19 heavy breed roosters. I took these pictures of them yesterday when I moved them outside.



Here's one for size, they are 3 weeks old today.

Holy smokes! Mine looked like toys compared to these at that age! I hope you have less trouble selling them off of CL, they're very nice looking birds to my untrained eye.

So, we've been having some fun issues pop up this fall so far. We've got 2-3 red tailed hawks, a hoot owl, and 2 bald eagles using our yard as a buffet table. They've only been wiping out the rabbits the past couple of months, but now we have something a bit bigger and mammal using the yard as a fast food stop. Not sure yet what it is, but I'm definitely going to have to make a pen extension for Memnoch and Odysseus to trade off using. I don't want them wandering around the property like they have been if we've got a coyote in the area.

I also found out that my entire flock has mycoplasma gallispeticum. Don't know who brought it in, but that's what my peahen ended up having. Her eye got all bubbly a week after her vet visit and ended up on meds twice a day for a week. Surprisingly, she got easier to handle as the week went on, but as she got feeling better it was harder to drench her with the meds. From what I've been able to read about the disease, it was a good sign that she stayed active with a healthy appetite the whole time. I guess she could have died pretty fast from it. Same with the rest of the birds not showing the symptoms. I don't know what that means for future chicks, but the vet suggested I not make any additions to the flocks any time soon since that stress can trigger the symptoms and because those birds will get the disease too. That was pretty discouraging news to get, but I'm glad my peahen went back into remission(?) and is in good enough health that she finally started making the honking noise. She hadn't made more than a very quiet, low whirling noise since I bought her. Working on my art history degree has kept me from dwelling on the bad news for too long, but I do eventually need to contact the NPIP rep for CO to talk about how this affects selling peafowl hatching eggs and peachick (and maybe the same for chickens, but I don't think too many people are looking for barnyard mixes).

I hope everyone else here is doing well and having an easier time getting ready for winter!

 

[Latestarter]

Hope everyone has enjoyed the wet weather. We really needed the rain. Looks like it's moving out now and we'll be back to sunshine tomorrow. Does look like we're about to have our first frost though.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Well it snowed a couple of inches here plus the rain. It is mostly gone and I am also glad for the moisture.

 

[COChix]

@uzisuzuki sorry to hear about the flock, but glad everyone seems to be recovering and such. So I had to go do some reading up on this disease. I pulled this info from the Natural Chicken Keeping thread and thought I would share. It is always a good opportunity for all of us to learn.

[COLOR=800080]I have been doing some light reading and it looks like you may be able to get rid of it.  If you choose not to cull the flock make sure your BIO SECURITY is tight. do not wear your chicken shoes to buy feed that kind of thing. You might also think about having any Birds you simply cant part with tested to see if they have been effected. I am so sorry you are going through this.[/COLOR]

http://umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-faq/
How does MG spread? Transmission directly from bird to bird via respiratory secretions, or indirectly from contaminated dust, droplets or feathers, is common. Also, it can be spread vertically: from infected parent birds via the eggs. It can live for days to weeks depending on what kind of material is present: longer in chicken manure or eggs, shorter on clean, dry surfaces. Therefore, removing infected birds and cleaning well, followed by a “down” time for the chicken areas of at least a few weeks, is suggested. In a chicken house, water from unsanitary “drinkers” is the most important source of spreading the infection from bird to bird.

How do I disinfect if MG was in my flock? Freezing does not reliably kill MG outside of the host bird, but heat and drying do. Removing the infected flock, thorough cleaning and drying out of the house, and then disinfection with bleach or any of the commercially available products, such as phenolic compounds, should be effective. Leave the premises open (bird-free) for several weeks (hot, dry weather is optimal) before restocking with new birds.
Why should I bother to prevent MG? Because it can be an underlying cause of production losses, can combine with other diseases to kill birds, and can become chronically present in a flock due to “carriers,” it’s worthwhile to prevent MG.
How can I prevent MG in my flock?

1. Start with clean birds: The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is one of the best resources to protect your poultry investment. Starting with MG-free birds, and keeping MG out of your flock with good biosecurity, is by far the best plan.
2. Good sanitation: Keep drinking water/drinkers and feeders clean. Outside runs should be on well drained soil and water puddles should be removed.
3. Simple is best: The more birds of different ages, breeds, and types are on the farm, the greater the risk of infection.
4. Keep it clean: Don’t let wild birds, or new birds of unknown (untested) background, bring MG into your flock. Net the top of coops to keep wild birds out; keep feeders contained and think carefully before you chose to do “free range” for your flock.
5. You may want to investigate MG vaccines, which can be given to young birds by spray or eyedrops, but which come in large-dose sizes (~1000 doses) and which may not be effective. These vaccines may not be allowed in Maine; check with the state department of agriculture.

[COLOR=800080]I added info from the web site posted above I make no claim on the information. Just trying to share some helpful information.[/COLOR]

I have read that if you remove the infected birds it can be eliminated - unlike Mareks.

But...
The idea of keeping my chickens "protected" from wild birds by penning them is just not going to happen here.  I want my birds to have as natural a life as possible and if they have to be separated from the world, I might as well just go get my eggs and meat from confined feeding operations. 


So... for me at least....
The strong healthy ones are the ones that have good immune systems and thrive in the environment.   I've read that  almost every flock has exposure to MG...that it is very common and hard not to find the virus present in most environments.  [COLOR=B22222]If that's true, it tells me that some birds immune systems are strong and they never come down with symptoms.  While others are weak and likely have issues that are broader than the virus itself. [/COLOR]

When I got the 2 cockerels that looked healthy but kept having the mucous crusting on the nostrils, I had a really hard time deciding what to do.  I finally ended up processing them since I hadn't seen any signs of any problems in my flock of any kind. 

For me... I think that if the rest of my flock was in good condition, I'd probably end up removing the new ones and going from there.  Since they're showing some extreme symptoms it would tell me that there is some kind of inherent weakness and I'd probably be nursing them their entire lives.

It's very hard to make that decision and I tend to wait much longer than I should have on these things.  But with the extreme symptoms I think I would be quicker than I was with the boys.



Again...this is only my thinking.  It took me almost 6 weeks before I processed the cockerels.  But they weren't showing the symptoms you describe.  If they had, it would have been much sooner.

Sounds like it is passed vertically from hen to egg...from what I have read. Maybe @Ashdoes could jump in and discuss this aspect since she has experienced this with their flock and Marek's. Or anyone else well versed.

 

[Ashdoes]

I only have a minute, so didn't fully read both your comments, but had some thing to add. Our Cream Legbars and Swedish Flower Hens were hit the hardest by Mereks. The minute they turned four weeks, it's all down hill. On the other hand, any mixes have done fine. I did some reading on this and am just guessing, but the imported breeds have the hardest time dealing with the variation of the disease in this country. Greenfire Farms has stared vaccinating for Mereks because of this.
Our Faverolles are vaccinated, and I'm really hoping that protects them. I would never just lock up my birds, they enjoy free range, and I enjoy watching them in the yard.

 

[Ashdoes]

Having a disease hit your flock, when you had big plans, is devastating. It was months before we fully understood what was happening, and what we needed to do about it. With Mereks, you just watch them die, and see who comes out the other side still alive. It's quite sad. We were told that since most flocks have it, but don't know it, that selling was still "ok". I do not agree with that. Mereks does not go away, it just keeps passing on to every bird it comes in contact with. Then, it either kills them, or doesn't. We got Mereks because someone else thought it was ok to keep selling, even though they had "signs of Mereks" in their flock. I couldn't do that to someone. I wish it was something that we could just cure, I don't even think flock resistance is in the foreseeable future.
Uzi, I'm not an expert on your flocks issue, i really don't research these things until it's directly affecting our birds. We spoke with the ladies at CSU, they have the best info. They're the ones that told us we could keep selling, which I don't agree with, but they're also very informative and really try to calm you down. They know a lot about poultry, and the area, so it really helps to get their advice and opinions.

 

[Latestarter]

Sun shining nice and bright, typical of Colorado. Went out for a quick drive and the mountains are all snow covered again

Had a hard frost last night, no middle ground here... from nothing to hard frost in one day. Even had to close the windows and turn the heat on last night. Guess it got down to just above freezing @ 33-34F. But mid 60s now and a really nice Fall day. Hope y'all are able to get out and enjoy it. Have a nice butt portion ham just went in the oven to feed me for the next several days. Laundry is all finished & the house is opened up right now to get fresh air in.