Bay Area BYCers!

[The Yakima Kid]

Vaccinattng for Mareks does not always eliminate the potential to get Mareks. I haven't vaccinated for anything here in 40 years and the birds here don't get Mareks. Maybe Mikes birds have a natural immunity......which is far better than an attempt to make them immune through vaccinating.

Walt

Since the chicks come from the same hatchery at both Concord Feed and Mike's, resistance in the chicks in one store and not in the other seems highly unlikely.

Yes, the immunization doesn't always prevent the disease; but not all immunizations take effect. In any event, the immunization is incredibly effective at preventing the associated tumors.

Not immunizing for Marek's is equivalent to not taking precautions against AIDS-HIV.

 

[fowlman01]

Since the chicks come from the same hatchery at both Concord Feed and Mike's, resistance in the chicks in one store and not in the other seems highly unlikely.

Yes, the immunization doesn't always prevent the disease; but not all immunizations take effect. In any event, the immunization is incredibly effective at preventing the associated tumors.

Not immunizing for Marek's is equivalent to not taking precautions against AIDS-HIV.

I no longer have problems with Mareks. I have over 500 birds here. You need to do some additional reading regarding Mareks. Unlike Aids/HIV Mareks can be prevented by natural immunity. I have been raising chickens for 50 years.

Walt

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I no longer have problems with Mareks. I have over 500 birds here. You need to do some additional reading regarding Mareks. Unlike Aids/HIV Mareks can be prevented by natural immunity. I have been raising chickens for 50 years.

Walt

No, it is not unlike HIV-AIDS. There are people who are immune to HIV-AIDS; some of them descend from those residents of a British village that survived the plague. It appears the immunity is both genetic - and extremely rare. There are also people in Africa who appear to be immune. Note that this doesn't do much for the rest of the population.

 

[fowlman01]

No, it is not unlike HIV-AIDS. There are people who are immune to HIV-AIDS; some of them descend from those residents of a British village that survived the plague. It appears the immunity is both genetic - and extremely rare. There are also people in Africa who appear to be immune. Note that this doesn't do much for the rest of the population.

Hey....they are your birds manage them the way you like. I was just putting out to the lurkers that vaccinating is not the only way to go. I don't medicate for anything and if they die, that is the way it goes. Because of my management, the average age of birds here is 8-10 years old. I don't see birds living that long when they are medicated.

Walt

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Hey....they are your birds manage them the way you like. I was just putting out to the lurkers that vaccinating is not the only way to go. I don't medicate for anything and if they die, that is the way it goes. Because of my management, the average age of birds here is 8-10 years old. I don't see birds living that long when they are medicated.

Walt

Works for me. I immunize and feed medicated feed. After that, they are pretty much on their own, although if I see them losing weight I take a fecal sample in. I no longer treat respiratory issues with anything more complex than a hatchet.

 

[clio]

Walt,
Will you be judging at the September Heirloom Expo this year??

Thanks !

 

[fowlman01]

Walt,
Will you be judging at the September Heirloom Expo this year??

Thanks !

Yes, I will.

w.

 

[InWrongCentury]

This may be a noob question, but here goes: should the pop door between my coop and secure run be opened/closed daily? Right now I'm opening it in the morning to let the girls out and closing them in at dusk. The coop and run has secured 1/2" hardware cloth on all sides, doors, vents, even under the floor wedged into the foundation.

This isn't so much of an issue when we are home, but we are going on a 10 day vacation in August, and I'm trying to determine what instructions to leave our friends who are gracious enough to take care of the chickies and our cats. We are in Alameda, so the weather is mild, if a bit breezy in the evening.

Thanks for the advice in advance!

 

[chickenfu]

This may be a noob question, but here goes: should the pop door between my coop and secure run be opened/closed daily? Right now I'm opening it in the morning to let the girls out and closing them in at dusk. The coop and run has secured 1/2" hardware cloth on all sides, doors, vents, even under the floor wedged into the foundation.

This isn't so much of an issue when we are home, but we are going on a 10 day vacation in August, and I'm trying to determine what instructions to leave our friends who are gracious enough to take care of the chickies and our cats. We are in Alameda, so the weather is mild, if a bit breezy in the evening.

Thanks for the advice in advance!

If you are positive the run is secure you can leave it open to make things easier on your sitter but if you aren't 100% sure it is secure I wouldn't do it.

 

[chickenfu]

Just an update on my downsizing: I wasn't able to get any takers getting rid of the last 4 bantam chicks together so I am keeping the 2 girls. The boys went to Humane Society of Silicon Valley. I had my DH take them there because they had reasonable prices for small animal euthanasia and I thought that would be kinder on everyone involved than breaking their necks in the backyard. They refused to euthanize them because they were healthy. At first they also refused to accept them as surrenders but they did after an hour and a half of haggling and militant vegan animal activism. No offense intended to vegans or animal activists but they are roosters for pete's sake. Their 10 weeks of backyard life put them way ahead of 99.9% of the other chickens in the world unfortunate enough to be born male...