Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

[U_Stormcrow]

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We finally got a good rain. It would have caught many of the mommas with chicks out in the blueberry fields. Some of the 15 seemed to struggle to find adequate cover. We’ll see in the days ahead whether I have losses. In years past, heavy rains preceded many heavy losses.

Do you think the increased losses are a direct result of exposure, or indirect in that they allow some pathogen(s) or pest(s) in the soil chance to briefly go wild in the environment?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Do you think the increased losses are a direct result of exposure, or indirect in that they allow some pathogen(s) or pest(s) in the soil chance to briefly go wild in the environment?

My opinion at this time, specific to my flock, is that a heavy rain quickly cools the chicks beyond their ability to reheat themselves. Not a problem if momma is there, but a big issue if they have no momma or heat source to run to. But for older chicks and even adults, it activates pathogens (Marek’s in my case) they’re already carrying and the pathogens quickly wreck their internals. I believe this because Marek’s related stumbling begins the morning after a heavy rain or a sudden cool snap that was preceded by a hot day. If you have ever messed with aquarium fish or tournament-caught bass that can quickly be shocked to death by being changed from hot to cold to hot again, that’s sort of what the sick chickens remind me of after a storm or a cool night.

So far I see no losses or sick acting birds. One of my newest mommas is missing some chicks, but they may have been missing prior to the storm. We got 1.1 inches here yesterday evening. Its going to put a new lease on life for much of the plant life.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My opinion at this time, specific to my flock, is that a heavy rain quickly cools the chicks beyond their ability to reheat themselves. Not a problem if momma is there, but a big issue if they have no momma or heat source to run to. But for older chicks and even adults, it activates pathogens (Marek’s in my case) they’re already carrying and the pathogens quickly wreck their internals. I believe this because Marek’s related stumbling begins the morning after a heavy rain or a sudden cool snap that was preceded by a hot day. If you have ever messed with aquarium fish or tournament-caught bass that can quickly be shocked to death by being changed from hot to cold to hot again, that’s sort of what the sick chickens remind me of after a storm or a cool night.

So far I see no losses or sick acting birds. One of my newest mommas is missing some chicks, but they may have been missing prior to the storm. We got 1.1 inches here yesterday evening. Its going to put a new lease on life for much of the plant life.

Thank you for both the explanation - fits the facts well, and the good news about your flock.

Sadly, something killed one of my last two turkeys last night, sleeping too close to the fence, but couldn't drag it off and didn't eat it - so I go forth to butcher and put parts in my traps. Several days in a row with nothing in them, I thought I had temporarily emptied this corner of predators. No such luck.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Broken neck. Now butchered, parted out, and bagged. Will use it as bait. Thankfully, turkeys come apart much more easily than ducks.

Waste not, want little.

 

[Krugerrand]

These are the best deals (in my bargain shopping opinion) I can find on Amazon at the moment. I have no experience with these specific options, but I suspect they all come off the same factories in China, anyway.

I like using trail cameras so that I know what I'm dealing with.

$24 with after coupon (no built in screen):
https://www.amazon.com/WOSPORTS-Wildlife-Scouting-Hunting-Waterproof/dp/B081ZYLZSX/

$29 after coupon includes some batteries and a memory card (has built in screen):
https://www.amazon.com/Coolifepro-Activated-Distance-Wildlife-Monitoring/dp/B0D5MD6X34/

another good looking $25 option (built in screen, batteries + memory card):
https://www.amazon.com/DNTWECL-Wildlife-Sensitivity-Activated-Waterproof/dp/B0CJ3DCJSK/