Arizona Chickens

[mnabity]

Just started snowing 20 minutes ago and look.....

ETA-we are expecting between 12 and 24 inches by the end of this storm(sometime Wednesday). Insert chicken popsicle here!

 

[squeakyballs]

I miss you guys! What have I missed?

I found a super awesome egg video! http://www.iloveegg.com/egg_english.htm

 

[pastrymama]

TT! :

I miss you guys! What have I missed?

I found a super awesome egg video! http://www.iloveegg.com/egg_english.htm

where do you find this stuff? too funny. thanks, i needed that

you'll have to wait for mikey's shortened version of what you've missed. he is so good at it.​

 

[Mikey D]

TT! :

I miss you guys! What have I missed?

I found a super awesome egg video! http://www.iloveegg.com/egg_english.htm

You mean I have to do another summary?

 

[GrannysRoost]

I thought everyone washed away in the rain...gully gusher here all day, poor dogs run out in between downpours and come back...now need to get the carpet cleaner out. I have a one-acre swamp in Arizona

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:

I have a WHOLE BUNCH of chicken poo I can contribute to any trebuchet activities!!

I cleaned the coop right before it started raining. I have a big container of soggy chicken poop. Could make for some great stink bombs!

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Oh, I want Seramas! I have a broody but she's already been broody for a couple of weeks. I think I'll wait until a spring hatch.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Yes, do tell. I was under the impression that you shouldn't eat an animal with liver disease.

I assume that Dr. Tracy would have told us not to eat it if there was a problem. There was a tad bit of odor with this one that the other did not have.

Tracy - care to chime in on this one?

We're all still here after eating it - live and learn

If I'd known there was an odor I wouldn't have eaten her. But, nobody got sick so I guess it was okay.
How was the roo?

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Tammy just cooked up the first roo & said it was way, way better than any store bought chicken she (or David) has ever tasted.

She was thinking that maybe the liver damage the plucked hen had, had altered the taste???

We were contemplating ordering some freedom rangers (or other moderate to high growth rate breed) instead of the Cornish. If they eat less (and waste less) on a daily basis, I'm figuring the cost would about average out (those Cornish were eati'n/poop'n machines!). We are also interested in a breed that you don't absolutely HAVE TO harvest at 8 weeks.


If that is the case, next time the bulk feed comes around (Feb I think)...

http://www.facebook.com/BackyardChickenFarmersUnite

... I'll order enough to get a dozen or so from fuzzy to freezer & build a plucker.

If you need one sooner - let me know & I'll rig a drill operated on for ya real quick like...

Dem's the
ones!

Okay. So, the roo was tasty and the pullet was so so. I think somethink was really not right with that pullet. We probably should have culled her, now we know. Way better than store bought and no odor is how they should be.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
My guess is that a chicken with this infection would smell pretty bad too.

Here is what the Merck Vet. Manual (http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/201400.htm) says about it (and when they say caseous, think "cheesy"):

The bird may be riddled with caseous, necrotic foci. The mouth and esophagus contain a mass of necrotic material that may extend into the skull and sometimes through the surrounding tissues of the neck to involve the skin. In the esophagus and crop, the lesions may be yellow, rounded, raised areas, with a central conical caseous spur, often referred to as “yellow buttons.” The crop may be covered by a yellowish, diphtheritic membrane that may extend to the proventriculus. The gizzard and intestine are not involved. Lesions of internal organs are most frequent in the liver; they vary from a few small, yellow areas of necrosis to almost complete replacement of liver tissue by caseous necrotic debris. Adhesions and involvement of other internal organs appear to be contact extensions of the liver lesions.

I don't have any experience with either of these diseases, only with what I've read. But, it sounds like one distinguishing feature is the age at which the birds are likely to exhibit the diseases; Trichomonas gallinae is more likely to be seen in younger birds and infectious coryza is more likely to be seen in older birds. Also, it sounds like it would be good to have a look at the liver. That might be the best distinguishing feature a BYC'er could use.

Given our urban environment, the large numbers of doves and sparrows (which also carry it) and the extremely high frequency of infection in the wild birds, I would have to wonder if they might be the culprits. Also, Trichomonas gallinae is typically transmitted to poultry from wild birds after sharing a water source. The parasite doesn't live long at all in a dry environment (I think it's measured in minutes), but can live quite well in a watering dish. Do you use poultry nipples? That might help limit transmission.

I don't know if any of this will help and I certainly hope I didn't muddle things for you. And please, if anyone else has something to correct or add here, please do. I'm not an expert by any means, just a guy that likes to read obscure crap and worry himself.​

I think you are correct. IC is only chickens. Not sparrows, doves or other common wild birds.