North Carolina

[CricketR4]

Speaking of single chicks... My broody is sitting on ONE fertile Ameraucana egg right now (apparently my Silkie cockerel hasn't figured out his job yet in my bantam pen).
Has anyone had success with a mama raising only one chick? My friend said that her broody with one chick killed it, and now I read CricketR4's story and I'm kind of worried....
Also, she already ate the other fertile Am egg. I had two Am eggs and 4 bantam eggs (all infertile) under her. Is that indicative that she might kill the chick too? She wasn't leaving the coop at all and I finally was able to clear the chicks out of my "nursery" for her to go in, so now she has really easy access to food and water (whereas before, it was down a ramp and 8 feet away). I'm thinking maybe eating the egg was just a sign that she was starving...

I've had quite a few hens successfully hatch and raise single chicks. This one wasn't killed by it's Momma, it was killed by a very, rather mean hen, that even Momma wouldn't stand up to (that mean hen is on the cull list). I normally move my broody hens to the brooder coop to hatch their eggs, but this hen freaked out when I moved her, and wouldn't sit on the eggs (probably the reason why only one egg hatched), until I moved her back to her nesting box in the main coop. I had planned on moving her and her chick to the brooder coop on Monday morning after giving the rest of the eggs a chance to hatch. If I had moved her on Saturday evening, after the chick hatched, it would still be alive. I did have one hen that cannibalized her eggs (even with free access to food an water) a week before they were due to hatch, and she was culled, because I had heard that she'll do it anytime she's on eggs, and I can't have that.

 

[OmAnNom]

Hey all, have you guys seen this? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it...

www.fayobserver.com/news/local/n-c-residents-must-register-backyard-chickens/article_dd8ed5d7-b854-55f2-839f-16a183cf88eb.html?mode=jqm

 

[SemperChicken]

Hey all, have you guys seen this? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it...

www.fayobserver.com/news/local/n-c-residents-must-register-backyard-chickens/article_dd8ed5d7-b854-55f2-839f-16a183cf88eb.html?mode=jqm

Yep. Kind of old news. "First step is registration, then confiscation". I haven't registered, nor will I ever register my feathered, two-legged 'dogs'... Lol.

In seriousness, I think it is very invasive for them to mandate such a thing. I get the "purpose" of it, but it also says in the bill that the poultry owners are to assist any state or federal workers who come on their property. No thanks. I don't need some state worker on my property to check on my chickens.

I could go on about it, but last thing I'll say is "it's a trap!"

 

[Naliez]

Yep. Kind of old news. "First step is registration, then confiscation". I haven't registered, nor will I ever register my feathered, two-legged 'dogs'... Lol.

In seriousness, I think it is very invasive for them to mandate such a thing. I get the "purpose" of it, but it also says in the bill that the poultry owners are to assist any state or federal workers who come on their property. No thanks. I don't need some state worker on my property to check on my chickens.

I could go on about it, but last thing I'll say is "it's a trap!"

I'm still not finding what they're going to do if people refuse.

 

[SemperChicken]

I'm still not finding what they're going to do if people refuse.

Originally, when there was such a backlash, they came out and said that they were not implementing a penalty "at the time". They are hoping everyone is just compliant and will register. They pretty much said that it was a voluntary thing to register for your mandated FarmID lol.

Interesting that the article is circulating again. The registration opened on Aug 1.

 

[OmAnNom]

Originally, when there was such a backlash, they came out and said that they were not implementing a penalty "at the time". They are hoping everyone is just compliant and will register. They pretty much said that it was a voluntary thing to register for your mandated FarmID lol.

Interesting that the article is circulating again. The registration opened on Aug 1.

I agree, we don't favor state regulation of backyard poultry and find this to be over reaching.

Interestingly, this was the first we heard of it. (I need to make a better effort to check in on here more often, sorry if it's been discussed here already) Not sure why it is recirculating, especially since there doesn't seem to be any new information. As Naliez mentioned, we're trying to find out what sort of consequences there will be for failure to comply and what actions they're planing on taking. Their intention, as they state on the website, "So we can make an informed decision" is a rather meaningless statement and leaves it wide open. I'm not really sure what exactly people are agreeing to when they register...

*Edit to add: To anyone here that has followed through with registration - were you provided any additional information?

 

[scottcaddy]

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Rain, rain, rain. I am appreciating the work our farmhand did hauling loads of sand into each chicken house. Both the front and back houses would have some flooding in this kind of rain before, and they are dry as a bone now. Sooooo much nicer! Thanks Will!

On the registering...If you are NPIP, you are already registered. They have been keeping track of livestock for a long, long time. I have a reminder letter to my grandfather in the 1930s to do his annual paperwork. I fill out my annual farm surveys. As far as confiscation goes, if anyone tests positive for AI, I hope they do get their flock confiscated and put down! That is a risk for every bird in the vicinity! Far rather lose one flock that many. If one tests positive, that flock gets destroyed, and all flocks within a 10K radius gets repeat testing to make sure it didn't carry. As a biologist, I'm going for the safety factor. As far as enforcing...I'm sure there are lots and lots of people who keep chickens who will never hear of this. They don't chat online, or get the Ag review, or any other source of info. How would they even know?

And for those who say I can support it until it happens to me...in 2012 my entire flock was depopulated due to MG. Over 100 birds. I have been there. Better my little flock than the entire county or state.

 

[OmAnNom]

As far as confiscation goes, if anyone tests positive for AI, I hope they do get their flock confiscated and put down!  That is a risk for every bird in the vicinity!  Far rather lose one flock that many.  If one tests positive, that flock gets destroyed, and all flocks within a 10K radius gets repeat testing to make sure it didn't carry.  As a biologist, I'm going for the safety factor.  As far as enforcing...I'm sure there are lots and lots of people who keep chickens who will never hear of this.  They don't chat online, or get the Ag review, or any other source of info.  How would they even know? 

And for those who say I can support it until it happens to me...in 2012 my entire flock was depopulated due to MG.  Over 100 birds.  I have been there.  Better my little flock than the entire county or state.

All excellent points. I appreciate you sharing your experience and perspective.

At least the ducks are happy with all this rain. The yard had become a small lake. They're literally swimming in the grass right now. Everyone else has had it, though.

 

[NatureChica]

My empty kiddie pool is a 6foot diameter one and it went from empty to full just since yesterday!when it starts overflowing that will be a foot of water!!!