FrostRanger
Songster
- Oct 3, 2023
- 224
- 324
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So background, late last year I lost half my flock to a wet fowl pox outbreak. Hence I planned to get more chicks this year and vaccinate them ASAP. The label on the vaccine recommends giving it to birds 8 weeks or older so when my current batch of chicks turned 8 weeks old 2 weeks ago, I grabbed the vaccine from the fridge and dome gloves as soon as I got home from work and went out to vaccinate them. Now, my chicks are a mix of easter eggers (Ginkgo, Ginger and Vanilla), lakeside eggers (Basil, Lavender and Chocolate Mint)and a single buff orpington (Juniper) and are very friendly and love hanging around me, perching on me and picking at my feet. That morning though, my normally friendly flock were wary and skittish. Even Ginkgo, one of my chillest and friendliest chicks backed away when I tried to pet her. So I had to chase down all 7 of them to give them their shots. What's more, Lavender and Chocolate Mint look very similar. I grabbed who I hoped was Chocolate Mint, but I looked at her feet and saw she had 4 toes....It was Lavender whom I already vaccinated (Chocolate Mint is a polydactyl and thus has 5 toes. There are other subtle differences between them, but that's the most obvious distinction between them). I release Lavender and eventually caught Chocolate Mint. After I finished vaccinating everyone, they of course went back to their usual friendly selves. Go figure!
