California - Northern

[PetRock]

Health update for my dear friends that have really hung in there with me this very hard year....


Larry & I went to a new neurologist/pain specialist yesterday and she was amazing. I actually burst into tears when she said my condition is treatable and I can be fixed.

Not completely conclusive, still awaiting some xrays, but apparently the fall I took last January is causing instability and some damage in my low back & tail bone disc that have been pushing on my nerves and that's why I'm in constant pain. Currently diagnosed as Lumboscaral radiculopathy, a condition caused by compression of the nerves in the spine. I had 2 of my low back discs fused in 2003 so the lessened mobility of those 2 discs has added in this problem.

I've started a bit of a different treatment of pain meds & prednisone short term with physical therapy starting hopefully this week. After the xrays come in within the next few days, we'll know if surgery is a better route, which is perfectly fine with me if needed. I just can't be in pain anymore.

I'm a cripple now, like a 95 year old woman. BUT am confident and very hopeful now that this new Dr. is going to get me cured with even a stronger sense of becoming healthy! Too much life still needing to be lived!

Still selling all my breeding flocks (I've been so lucky to find wonderful wonderful homes for all me flocks!) and will be continuing to keep my pretty ladies (way too many at this point.. BTW) in the backyard. Getting down the stairs to see them daily is still going to be hard, but I can't live without them.

Thanks everyone for your caring emails, PMs etc. It's so nice to know I have so many friends out there.

That's great news, Cheryl!!! I'm so glad that you found a doctor who can help! Prayers being said for a quick and complete recovery!

 

[juststruttin]

Quote: So sorry to hear of your loss. That's a touch one, especially if she showed no symptoms prior. I had a similar case last year. One of my bantams was dead in the morning. I sent the body to Davis and she had cancer, which was obviously not contagious.

BTW, was she fat? Chicken with cancer are often bloated.

 

[lawatt]

wonderful news about the new doctor, Cheryl! hoping it is the start of a real road to recovery...

and sorry to read about the silkie pullet.

 

[chiqita]

Yep, I have been talking to a couple of breeders and there seems to be more cases of Mareks among the groups that vaccinate than the groups that don't.

I don't vaccinate. I read everything I could get my hands on about it, understood most of it, and decided if you are in an area that is more isolated from large amounts of chickens ( like we are) there is more risk from vaccinating then not.

If there was a factory farm in the area, I'd change my mind ( or at least think again) . There ARE chickens around here, but they are isolated flocks. The person I got my original Marans hens from did not vaccinate so those girls are several generations of strong stock. I should check cottage hill and see what they do.

I have been talking to Mario this morning, and neither of us have seen firefly eat or drink since she got here. I have seen the other black girl do both, in fact she is pigging out this morning as if to reassure me. I'm wondering if the move was just too much for her and she stopped. Can chickens be that fragile? Or so stupid they cant feed out a new feeder? I just had a standard one but I'm sure it was different then one you would feed 40 chickens with.

Does anyone want me to bring BSF larvae to stockton? They are semi dormant right now, not maturing, so you would have time to build a pod. We moved our pod into the garage to keep them safe from frost.

Chook, I have 4 quail chicklits for you, they are from the NYD hatch. Italian buff( now that I think of it, that should be a f1 tux the only mature roo was a f1 tibetian, what I think is a tux, and what I think are 2 roux/Tibetan f1 tux crosses. I had a gold hen and a roux hen laying in the garage and stuck the eggs in the incubator. Unless you got quails from deb and are good. Wiggles and Gimpy were also victims Off a 5 year old ninja, Little girl wanted her daddy to get the owie quail to live on dirt and wire. His setting checked out as good for her so she went home with them. I'm a sucker for little kids.

Are we thinking of meeting up on Saturday? I know last years BYC meeting was then, not sure what is up, the Stockton thread is more mellow this year.

Also, anyone I can snag eggs from let me know! Or if anyone wants me to incubate for them. Megabator should have all its kinks worked out by then.

Edit: no not fat. well, hard to tell under all the feathers, but she was small next to her flock mates.

 

[ronott1]

There is so much to reply to here today!

Mareks is a race for vaccination. Not mentioned is that the vaccine seems to be like the infant vaccines we give to our children--they do not take very well because of the immature immune system of the baby chick, so to be effective you are supposed to re vaccinated at something like 12 weeks. It is hard to have chickens die(I really do not like that part) but I am leaning towards building resistance.

Deanne--It is ok if you vaccinate them. Poultry studies have shown that they will not infect other chicks or chickens so it is safe to mix vaccinated and not vaccinated chickens.

Cheryl, that is great news. I remember the sadness I felt when the Family Doctor told me I had severe back problems and would need spinal fusion. Then the relief when the Ortho Doctor said it was Spinal Stenosis and could be fixed easily. I hope all goes well with your Treatments.

Shantih: I have one that is acting sickly today. She Has no symptoms other than moving slowly. She actually may be my second one to get Mareks Cancer. She is a Production Red so not resistant. She is going on 2 years old and they have egg laying issues at that age(the Sexlink hybrids), so it just might be her time to go. She has had a great chicken life though. I just drop them off at the lab on my lunch hour and would expect a Necropsy report in a couple of days. They are back up now after the Holiday.

 

[PetRock]

I am thinking about going the no vaccine route. I lost 2 chickens to Marek's this past year. One was a 1 1/2 yr old hen who had been vaccinated at the hatchery and the other was a young cockerel who was not vaccinated as a chick. The cockerel came down with symptoms first but the hen may have had it first. I sent her in to Davis and the report came back that she was full of cancer. That was in June and I haven't had another one come down with it since then.

 

[Chooklet]

Does anyone within 30 or so mies of SF bay area have shipping boxes available? I thought I had enough but now have come up short....

just trying to save some time, of course I can order online THANKS

Cheryl I have singles - not sure if they will be big enough for your birds, but if they are you are welcome to them.

 

[ronott1]

I am thinking about going the no vaccine route. I lost 2 chickens to Marek's this past year. One was a 1 1/2 yr old hen who had been vaccinated at the hatchery and the other was a young cockerel who was not vaccinated as a chick. The cockerel came down with symptoms first but the hen may have had it first. I sent her in to Davis and the report came back that she was full of cancer. That was in June and I haven't had another one come down with it since then.

Yes, that is the way it works!

They get sick as a chick and may not show symptoms. Actually, they still get sick with the primary infections when a chick even when vaccinated and then a percentage of them will get the cancer later. The Vaccine is supposed to stop them from getting the cancer but studies show only a 2% increase In protection. It is something like 5% die of cancer without the vaccine and 3% die with it. The cancer hits sometime between 1 and 2 years old, so I expect the one that is acting sick today has it and I got her from a feed store--I think she was vaccinated too. My BAs were vaccinated for sure. I do not know about the Golden Comet that died of Mareks Cancer--she came from a guy in Folsom.

Heritage RIRs and Leghorns are supposed to have the best flock immunity to Mareks. I know a lot of Poultry breeders have been breeding for resistance so I hope the new ones that I am getting are resistant.

Like I said, mine had a good life. In a battery egg production place, she would be on the way to being culled at her age.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Larry & I went to a new neurologist/pain specialist yesterday and she was amazing. I actually burst into tears when she said my condition is treatable and I can be fixed.

That is such great news!

I am so glad that you found somebody who actually knows what they are doing, it makes all the difference in the world.

Here's

that you can get back to being a happy chicken momma again!

 

[Chooklet]

Chook, I have 4 quail chicklits for you, they are from the NYD hatch. Italian buff( now that I think of it, that should be a f1 tux the only mature roo was a f1 tibetian, what I think is a tux, and what I think are 2 roux/Tibetan f1 tux crosses. I had a gold hen and a roux hen laying in the garage and stuck the eggs in the incubator. Unless you got quails from deb and are good. Wiggles and Gimpy were also victims Off a 5 year old ninja, Little girl wanted her daddy to get the owie quail to live on dirt and wire. His setting checked out as good for her so she went home with them. I'm a sucker for little kids.

Are we thinking of meeting up on Saturday? I know last years BYC meeting was then, not sure what is up, the Stockton thread is more mellow this year.

Also, anyone I can snag eggs from let me know! Or if anyone wants me to incubate for them. Megabator should have all its kinks worked out by then.

Oh cool - still need to add some more girls to the quail pen. Mr. Tibetian is definitely doing his job, and the 2 girls in with him need a break! 5 year old ninja's are awfully persuasive, aren't they?

Would love to join a meetup on Saturday. Where and what time?

Are you looking for any type of eggs in particular? You are welcome to as many random bantam eggs as you would like (the boys are easter eggers, the girls are a huge variety) or mixed bantam cochins (calico project boys in with my mixed bantam cochin flock). Or how about some quail eggs?