Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LittleMissPurdy]

An example of several olive egger project eggs


.

they are great looking eggs Troyer!!..love those colors!!
wish i had as many as you have right there!! My girls are still taking their good 'ol time getting back into the laying business

..even chicka dee, my great layer, has taken off

...

Oh boy you're brave! Hope your pain subsides and the pathology is negative!

@LMP not sure what the 'list' is in profiles, but apparently, I have zero.

I haven't figured out what I'm doing yet.

okay..i was thinking maybe it was so we could make a list of the 'things' we want??..kinda like a wish-list..idk

..or of what we already have

...

I am hesitant to completely depopulate as it will not guarantee eradication of the disease. We do not buy in chicks or birds, so the disease must have come from the wild bird population, and I obviously can't control that. I'm also not ready to say, well, we will just not have any poultry here...ever again. I know for sure that all of the Wyandotte will be culled as that is the pen where the sick bird was. We just started with the Wyandotte 2 years ago, but It's hard to throw away years of breeding and selecting of the Olive Eggers, Marans and Orpingtons. We have some favorites that we do NOT want to part with either...no easy solution to this.

My daughter had a complication after being discharged from HUP, we weren't home 4 hours and were right back in the ER. Chester County hospital this time, so much closer to home. 3 days there and she's finally home again and looking awesome! I really appreciate all the support you've given me and ll the prayers for Devan. They seem to be working..

i have read a little bit from all of this Blarney.......you can de-populate, ..or you can keep some birds, but no free ranging -to keep them away/out of whatever areas they were in, no birds out for quite a while,.if ever?? Birds could be brought in but under very strict bio-measures....hatched out from incubator.
If they had a "new" spot to start over and where kept confined, there is a good chance things would clean up sooner rather than later....they said that chicks from hatching eggs are not positive for the disease..i am thinking if hatched in incubator not broody...
i did read that there is a test that can be performed and keep the bird alive,...(ELISA's).. BUT..what is the cost of such test..idk...who would even do it?,..what percentages of false positives or vise-verse.....lots of other issues to take into account with the whole endeavor...all materials worn, tools used can only be for those birds in that particular area....bio-security is everything...there is also 'treatments' for birds..."anti-mycobacterial therapy's".....just throwing stuff out there, I understand so much is on your plate, too much! i hope only for the best possible results for you and yours.
I am glad to hear that your daughter is now home and doing better..i am sorry she had complications..geesh...always sending positive thought your way Blarney!!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Cubalaya cockerel that I like a lot, but won't be able to keep. Do any of you want him? It's the one in the foreground.

Troyer..as always, your birds are gorgeous!!...he is beautiful.

Thanks everyone. He is gone now and in the cooler. It was a very hard thing for me. I was ok once he was dead but the whole killing him part was extremely difficult for me. It's just not in my nature. I'm not sure if we did everything right or not but it seemed harder than it should've been. Hubby did most, I just read instructions from the book and helped pluck feathers. It's going to take me a while to get over this emotional part.

Auror- you are still learning and with every step you get better and more 'comfortable' with the entire process..you are appreciative of everything that bird has given you and so, it has provided you and your family with sustenance. Big hug to you

...it can take time and it is your prerogative to take as much as you want.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Wish us luck and send us good thoughts please. We're processingan extra roo for the first time today and I'm an emotional wreck.

Glad you made it through the today, here's a thread that Sally Sunshine started. Very helpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ort-group-help-us-through-the-emotions-please

 

[Blarneyeggs]

@LMP, lots of great information there. I do like the idea of minimizing the flock, no free ranging, then hatching in the incubator and keeping the new birds on fresh soil. I'm running out of time to make decisions, processing day is in 2 weeks.

 

[dheltzel]

At the end of another exhausting weekend, but today I got something to show for the past month of hard labor every weekend. We moved 46 chickens into the new coop. It's not perfectly finished yet, still have a "punch list" for the next few weekends, but it feels great to get those birds out of their temporary hoop houses that tend to blow over in storms. They were starting to lay already, so time to get them into permanent housing.

I ran out of time and daylight, so pics will have to wait until next weekend.

My 11 YO niece was attacked today by one of the free ranging roosters. Looks like he's headed for an unhappy ending. I have a zero tolerance policy with the free ranging birds. In a pen, it's not ideal when they are mean. but I can understand them being territorial and the confinement limits the harm they can do. But we can't have a roo that chases people around the farm. I wasn't there when it happened, or that guy would be cooling his heels in solitary now, waiting for an execution date.

 

[chiques chicks]

Aurora, it's never easy, especially the first time.

Wingstone, thanks for the use of your facilities. I should be stocked up for quite some time. Froze two whole, a few legs and canned everything else. Think I got 19 quarts canned bone in, probably all go for soup and such over the winter. The rooster that went awal was under the coop last night. Glad, wanted him for his colors!

My hands hurt.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

@LMP, lots of great information there. I do like the idea of minimizing the flock, no free ranging, then hatching in the incubator and keeping the new birds on fresh soil. I'm running out of time to make decisions, processing day is in 2 weeks.

this is the site..:
"new methods for diagnosis of mycobacterium avium infections in birds"
if you copy and paste that to google, it will be the first site....glad to 'try' to help out

hope you can keep at least some of the birds/breeds you have been working on..such a shame to lose that time/effort because your birds are so far along.
I really believe that Bio security is the key..well, it is with all this animal husbandry..clean is healthy...they emphasized that whomever is tending to the animal/birds, that what they are wearing, pants-boots-shirt..and tools they are using is only for THAT area..never used in the non-infected areas...and that the person tending doesn't have : example- AIDS, or any kind of severe immune-deficiency disease/disorder...cause you just don't know..why take the chance.
Testing at different intervals is also recommended..in both positive and negative flocks...I haven't look up any more info on that non-lethal method of testing..maybe that would be something for you to look into & the 'anti-mycobacterial therapy'...to help treat any infected animal...
the way they believe it spreads the worst/most is through feces..from how i understand it..when the bird gets stressed the lesions in the animal are even more inclined to cause disruption sending out the bacteria..there are actually 3 strains of this stuff...
they have been working on a inoculation/vaccine for this issue..it has been with mixed results.
I think there is a positive to this, that a chick hatched can be used..so there can still be 'future' birds of the same caliber you have been working on.
Anyhow..here i am typing a novel with all of this when all you have to do is read..it is very interesting stuff & I have learned a lot..,I am so sorry it has unfortunately come at your expense.
As always..positive thoughts to you Blarney. Truly hope this all works out for you & you are able to sustain some semblance of your flocks.

of course there is a lot of info out there...can make your head spin...

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

At the end of another exhausting weekend, but today I got something to show for the past month of hard labor every weekend. We moved 46 chickens into the new coop. It's not perfectly finished yet, still have a "punch list" for the next few weekends, but it feels great to get those birds out of their temporary hoop houses that tend to blow over in storms. They were starting to lay already, so time to get them into permanent housing.

I ran out of time and daylight, so pics will have to wait until next weekend.

My 11 YO niece was attacked today by one of the free ranging roosters. Looks like he's headed for an unhappy ending. I have a zero tolerance policy with the free ranging birds. In a pen, it's not ideal when they are mean. but I can understand them being territorial and the confinement limits the harm they can do. But we can't have a roo that chases people around the farm. I wasn't there when it happened, or that guy would be cooling his heels in solitary now, waiting for an execution date.

Glad to hear your coop is finally-almost done!

...it is stressful when you know that at any time whatever your animals are in can blow over..i know we have had our fair share of "the tarp' drama..so glad that is over!! I feel for those who have to fight with that. Feels good to know that they are secure!
I hope you niece wasn't hurt badly, poor girl!! That had to tramatizing...my gosh, yeah..that guy would have been in the cold room asap!

Aurora, it's never easy, especially the first time.

Wingstone, thanks for the use of your facilities. I should be stocked up for quite some time. Froze two whole, a few legs and canned everything else. Think I got 19 quarts canned bone in, probably all go for soup and such over the winter. The rooster that went awal was under the coop last night. Glad, wanted him for his colors!

My hands hurt.

glad you found you guy!!....how did you do-up your canned meat...?, salt/water & pressure canner?...I have yet to try mine out..i do believe it needs a new ring, but i have to check to make sure...i was thinking of doing a 'trial-run' with some soup....
I am telling you guys..a warm paraffin- hand dip is a true remedy for those hurting hands!!! You won't be disappointed!!

 

[chiques chicks]

I just packed the hats full of parts and pressure canned. It makes its own juice. There were instructions with my canner. Let steam escape, bring to 11#, hold there for 90 minutes.

I never tried it before, so it's all an experiment, but I don't have freezer space. There were a few really tough old roosters, so I'm hoping it tenderizes them.

 

[wingstone]

Aurora, it's never easy, especially the first time.

Wingstone, thanks for the use of your facilities. I should be stocked up for quite some time. Froze two whole, a few legs and canned everything else. Think I got 19 quarts canned bone in, probably all go for soup and such over the winter. The rooster that went awal was under the coop last night. Glad, wanted him for his colors!

My hands hurt.

I bet they do. You had a lot of cutting up to do... did you cold pack, with or without adding liquid...let me know what you think when using the canned chicken. Makes for a quick meal.

By the way, the big scovy finished at 9 pounds. Good size for a young duck... that same buyer is looking for guinea, anyone out that way have any...