BIO SECURITY Do I worry too much? Or should we all do more?

[dawg53]

Quote:

It can become very expensive if you let it. I've had to restrain myself from expanding, I have plenty of space to do it, but choose not to because I know my limits. This is where self discipline comes into play. In my case, I cant put chickens above more important things in my life. I'm still responsible for my chickens health, safety and welfare, and mine are well cared for.
I do not vaccinate. Most of mine have been through fowl pox. It's up to you whether you want to vaccinate or not. I dont go to poultry shows nor take my chickens anywhere, part of my biosecurity practices. I have been to swap meets and other friends places who have chickens. I spray my shoes, clothing and hands before and after with a bottle of water/oxine mixture. Same thing when going our feed store.

 

[slc]

Sometimes we all can get worried about the animals we care for. Sometimes it can be more about our needs than it is about them. Poultry are hardy creatures if we let them be. They are livestock animals that exist in the wild in many places of the world and do just fine without any human help and often even better. Overly sterile environments will eventually produce weak immune systems. I wouldn't worry about disinfecting the coop so often. It may make you feel better, but overuse of medications, treatments, disinfecting without cause won't really help. It will however, breed resistant strains of everything. Then you will REALY be in trouble.

Simple precautions are a good idea like quarantine coops for new birds or sick ones. Have one pair of boots/shoes just for poultry duty. Do not wear shoes/cloths you wore to the fair etc. Observation is your best tool. Keep treatments on hand but refrain from using them unless it's completely necessary. Use colloidal silver before you try other medications or products. Google colloidal silver if you've never heard of it before.

Don't worry too much.

 

[202roosterlane]

I probably do worry a bit much about it. I think I will go ahead and do the vaccinations. Just because the mosquitos and flys get pretty bad in the summer time. I do think it is work bringing up at your local get togethers. Bio Security in general. I had no idea till I read it on BYC.

 

[slc]

Quote:
Keep in mind that some vaccines (ILT for example) may render your birds contageous for life. Sprays and drops are LIVE DISEASES. If you choose to vaccinate you will have to take precautions so you and your birds do not infect other peoples' flocks. You will have to strictly quarantine any new birds until they have been vaccinated and have had time to develop antibodies or your birds could make them ill. If you plan to ever show your birds some shows will not allow birds from vaccinated flocks to be shown because of the potential for them to be carriers of the disease. Just something to consider before hand.

"Modified-live vaccines have been a mainstay in prevention of ILT, but their use has been associated with several problems, Dr Zavala said, including vaccine reactions as well as the potential for increasing virulence as the virus passes from bird to bird.
Another presenter at the seminar, Ruud Hein, director of the technical services poultry laboratory at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, said another important drawback to modified-live vaccines in the control of ILT is that vaccinated birds may harbor latent virus that can begin replicating at a later time, putting unvaccinated flocks at risk. "

 

[seminolewind]

Biosecurity. Real hard. I personally vaccinate all my chicks for Marek's or get hatchery vaccinated day olds. Then I quarantine them for a month or two.
I think you're doing well in that you're thinking these things out.

Chickens get a bacterial illness or a viral illness from other chickens. It has to be carried in by something or someone. But I think MS and MG can be passed through the egg. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Bleach is not very good for cleaning, bleach breaks down very quickly, and also with organic material. Bowls and such are fine to clean with bleach.. Oxine is more stable , doesn't break down as fast.

Looking for something that treats wood and pourous material-I have looked high and low, and found this stuff called Shock Wave by Fiberlock Technologies. It's a hospital disinfectant, it wipes out bacteria and virus on pourous surfaces. It appears to be the same stuff we use to clean incubators at work (babies).

As Dawg's link, this battle has to start with protecting YOUR chickens since you can't rely on other means to protect your chickens. I had some deaths of clean chicks hatched here this past summer, they all died, that's how I found out my flock had Marek's. They were older and resistant, but still carried it. Now I have to protect my chicks from my flock.

Keep things clean, wash out mutual bowls. etc. As Dawg said, the viruses can travel with wild birds or as dust in the wind. But it's not as common, and there's really nothing you do about it, where with chickens you can do alot.

71You do what you can. You can't get crazy.

RoosterLane, you are doing the most important thing-thinking about it and finding information. You are aware of the problem. Good for you!!!!!

 

[202roosterlane]

GOOD to know. Thank you. That opened up a whole new can of worms to consider. It's so darn hard to figure out the right thing to do.

Quote:
Keep in mind that some vaccines (ILT for example) may render your birds contageous for life. Sprays and drops are LIVE DISEASES. If you choose to vaccinate you will have to take precautions so you and your birds do not infect other peoples' flocks. You will have to strictly quarantine any new birds until they have been vaccinated and have had time to develop antibodies or your birds could make them ill. If you plan to ever show your birds some shows will not allow birds from vaccinated flocks to be shown because of the potential for them to be carriers of the disease. Just something to consider before hand.

"Modified-live vaccines have been a mainstay in prevention of ILT, but their use has been associated with several problems, Dr Zavala said, including vaccine reactions as well as the potential for increasing virulence as the virus passes from bird to bird.
Another presenter at the seminar, Ruud Hein, director of the technical services poultry laboratory at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, said another important drawback to modified-live vaccines in the control of ILT is that vaccinated birds may harbor latent virus that can begin replicating at a later time, putting unvaccinated flocks at risk. "

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Keep in mind that some vaccines (ILT for example) may render your birds contageous for life. Sprays and drops are LIVE DISEASES. If you choose to vaccinate you will have to take precautions so you and your birds do not infect other peoples' flocks. You will have to strictly quarantine any new birds until they have been vaccinated and have had time to develop antibodies or your birds could make them ill. If you plan to ever show your birds some shows will not allow birds from vaccinated flocks to be shown because of the potential for them to be carriers of the disease. Just something to consider before hand.

"Modified-live vaccines have been a mainstay in prevention of ILT, but their use has been associated with several problems, Dr Zavala said, including vaccine reactions as well as the potential for increasing virulence as the virus passes from bird to bird.
Another presenter at the seminar, Ruud Hein, director of the technical services poultry laboratory at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, said another important drawback to modified-live vaccines in the control of ILT is that vaccinated birds may harbor latent virus that can begin replicating at a later time, putting unvaccinated flocks at risk. "


I see you are 25 years retired Army. Is your "CBR" (NBC) training coming into play?

If so, I can relate, 22 years retired Navy here; it comes in handy having chickens doesnt it?

 

[202roosterlane]

Yes, thank you for your service

That and being OSHA certified. I think I worry to much and always put safety first. I have been retired 1 year and 7 months and it is still not out of my system and I am still get it done right the first time kind of gal. Civilians hate that. So I need to relax more.

but after loosing a chicken I feel like it could have been prevented had I had learned more before buying chickens. I know now that sometimes it happens and you just have to deal with it. Unlike NBC. Hopefully you and I will never have to deal with that but the world is in a wierd place right now with BIO threats. Something mostly military folks truely understand the degree of. Do you miss the Navy? I do and the soldiers. Spent my last nine months as First Sergeant. Guess that's why I got chickens to stay busy, but I think they boss me around.

Where's my food, where's my meal worms, someone needs to pet me.......

I could have never gone Navy because I am afraid of being on a boat for months at a time. Give me the dirt and a rifle anytime. I still go to the firing range with other retirees and our 45s just to practice and shoot the breeze.......The good ole days.......


Quote:

I see you are 25 years retired Army. Is your "CBR" (NBC) training coming into play?

If so, I can relate, 22 years retired Navy here; it comes in handy having chickens doesnt it?

 

[welasharon]

I am exhausted just reading all that you do! Just be careful not to make a drudgery out of having chickens!
sharon

 

[202roosterlane]

Sorry, I think that is the military in me. Had to write too many SOPs.

Quote: