Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[heatherscooby77]

I have a pretty strong opinion on MG/MS. It is everywhere. Its in the wild birds, on the ground, and rodents. If you show, your birds get exposed.

I have had many birds tested etc. I have talked at length with the vet school, and Ag school professors, and other breeders. It is out there everywhere. I considered, culling my whole flock. The vet recommended not doing it. So did the pathologist that did the necropsy's on my birds. They asked me if I know of a place to get replacement birds without MG/MS, no. Do you show, yes. Do you keep every wild animal out of your coop, no. Do your birds live on wire/concrete floor, no. Then you most likely will have MG/MS. There are different strains of them. There is an aggressive, and chronic. The aggressive has an extremely high morbidity, and mortality rate. Those birds they recommend calling. Then there are the ones that get a weepy eye, and some nasal discharge. high morbidity, low mortality rate.

So I most likely still have MG/MS. The one I have does not lead to the chronic bronchitis. Everyone in my area has it. It took me a long time. I now except it, and have moved on.

It was really hard to "move on" The more people talk about, the more you realize its not the end of the world, and my birds are healthy. Even though they carry it.

 

[CackleJoy]

What is wrong with the feathers on this one? I've about 20 bought-in BBS and this one has issues. Obviously this is a cull, I'd just like help identifying the problem. Thank you

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Month old pics

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I have a pretty strong opinion on MG/MS. It is everywhere. Its in the wild birds, on the ground, and rodents. If you show, your birds get exposed.

I have had many birds tested etc. I have talked at length with the vet school, and Ag school professors, and other breeders. It is out there everywhere. I considered, culling my whole flock. The vet recommended not doing it. So did the pathologist that did the necropsy's on my birds. They asked me if I know of a place to get replacement birds without MG/MS, no. Do you show, yes. Do you keep every wild animal out of your coop, no. Do your birds live on wire/concrete floor, no. Then you most likely will have MG/MS. There are different strains of them. There is an aggressive, and chronic. The aggressive has an extremely high morbidity, and mortality rate. Those birds they recommend calling. Then there are the ones that get a weepy eye, and some nasal discharge. high morbidity, low mortality rate.

So I most likely still have MG/MS. The one I have does not lead to the chronic bronchitis. Everyone in my area has it. It took me a long time. I now except it, and have moved on.

It was really hard to "move on" The more people talk about, the more you realize its not the end of the world, and my birds are healthy. Even though they carry it.

So are you showing birds that you know for a fact have MG and MS?

 

[CibolaChooks]

Mine love to be talked too! They also love to rock out to the radio. Rock n roll roosters I should call them. lol

awesome. I never tried a radio. I bet they all start talking dont they.

A side note after wearing red workout pants in my pens today i think red to roosters is like red to bulls. and after further thinking if you upset a chicken the combs and wattles turn a bright red. Maybe that's why roosters have such big combs and wattles and the reason why they are red.

 

[pips&peeps]

What is wrong with the feathers on this one? I've about 20 bought-in BBS and this one has issues. Obviously this is a cull, I'd just like help identifying the problem. Thank you

Looks like some weird feather mutation. Not exactly sure what it is. Are all the rest of the birds typical?

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

awesome. I never tried a radio. I bet they all start talking dont they.

A side note after wearing red workout pants in my pens today i think red to roosters is like red to bulls. and after further thinking if you upset a chicken the combs and wattles turn a bright red. Maybe that's why roosters have such big combs and wattles and the reason why they are red.

My first flock ever, I had radio in there coop. It got them used to human voices. I have a red feed scoop that most of my roosters will attack, I have a green one too and they couldn't care less about that one. The same ones will also attack any red colored clothing

 

[pips&peeps]

I just do not believe that. They haven't tested 95% of flocks in the USA. It's an excuse to be lax in bio security. Mine don't have it. So, am I really so rare? i don't think so. If you do not buy started birds and don't allow people to roam through your coops and pens and practice basic bio security, the risk is lowered tremendously. Risk from buying and selling birds ramps up way higher than any risk from wild birds, unless you just let them roost inside your coops regularly. If you don't do that and are careful where you get even hatching eggs, you are way less likely to ever see MG.

I am not lax on my bio security. I do not allow people in my bird facility. If you have wild birds that fly over your property you are at risk. If you have mice on your property you are at risk. MG is transferable from hen to chick via the egg.

The information I shared came directly from the former head of the National Poultry Improvement Plan in Conyers, GA.

 

[CibolaChooks]

My first flock ever, I had radio in there coop. It got them used to human voices. I have a red feed scoop that most of my roosters will attack, I have a green one too and they couldn't care less about that one. The same ones will also attack any red colored clothing 

this is a huge eye opener for me today. Awhile back i had 4 roosters turn on me in one day. I was wearing these same red pants. One was the nicest one ive ever had. He luckily has returned back to being nice aswell as the other. But the other two have stayed mean. I guess these red pants flipped a switch in them and they stayed aggressive

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

this is a huge eye opener for me today. Awhile back i had 4 roosters turn on me in one day. I was wearing these same red pants. One was the nicest one ive ever had. He luckily has returned back to being nice aswell as the other. But the other two have stayed mean. I guess these red pants flipped a switch in them and they stayed aggressive

I don't know what it is about the color red, but it just gets them all angry