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

[welasharon]

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Well I envy you being retired and able to spend that kind of time messing with chickens! I have about 12 years of teaching left before retiring...but I still won't do all that! Too lazy! LOL

 

[202roosterlane]

It sucks sometimes being 46 and retired. All my friends are working. I didn't think of that before I retired. Did all my remodeling ideas the first year. Got bored so I got chickens.... LOL They keep me plenty busy. But I worry to death about them and they are just fat, happy and have no worries......go figure

 

[welasharon]

Lordy! I'm 52 and have the 12 years left...I'll probably die in the classroom! I got a family started before I started teaching so that put me behind. I love teaching though so it's not so bad.
sharon

 

[202roosterlane]

@ Sharon......girl that's a l ong time but you aer a very special person to teach children. I help out at the school once in awhile with the 1st graders and WOW, I am exhausted at the end of the day!!!!!!
Got you in my prayers hun.

 

[202roosterlane]

I have decided that I do like LYSOL. When everyone is out of the coop I spray down the shavings for germs. I know they need some germs. But there can be a lot going on in those shavings besides poop and pee. I let them back in after about an hour.

 

[AlienChick]

For bio-security reasons I have a closed flock; I do not introduce new birds into my flock. I buy hatching eggs and hatch my own.

I keep everything clean but I'm not a clean freak.

Then I read about how Marek's can be spread simply through the air and can travel from farm to farm without setting foot on someone else's farm or buying someone else's birds.

That made me feel powerless and paranoid.

I also read that new chicks under the age of 5 months should not be near adult chickens because of possibly contracting Marek's.

I ALWAYS have baby chicks since my incubator doesn't get much rest.

I finally had to let it all go and decide to just do the best that I can for my flock, but not get paranoid about the whole bio security thing.

I really do not remember my grandmother doing ANYTHING more than tossing food stuff onto the ground for the chickens.

I do keep a can of lysol and hand sani readily available in the barn and I always rinse off my rubber boots after taking care of the chickens.

This thread is interesting to see what lengths people go to in order to protect their flocks.

 

[startingover]

We don't vaccinate our birds. We maintain a closed flock and only get hatching eggs. If a bird gets sick (as hard as this is to do) I don't treat with medications. I will quarantine and keep comfortable. Most birds get better and then are immune. This immunity gets passed onto the babies from her. With each passing year there is less and less illness. This year I only lost one bird and that was a golden comet from internal laying. We will not be adding any more crossbreeds to our flock. We are finding that the heritage breeds are much much better at surviving.

Yes it is hard not to help when medications are so easy to come by. Cocci can even be treated in chicks naturally. For hundreds of years our ancestors raised birds with no medications, why can't we?

 

[202roosterlane]

I am thinking the same way are you about our ancestors and raising chickens, but perhaps disease is worse these days because some people with infected birds do not do enough to protect other flocks. It's common sense to me that if you have sick chickens at home with Upper respitory problems, signs of cocci, or mareks, why would you attend a poultry show (whether you take poultry to the show or not) and possibly spread it. It's really about common decancy.



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[startingover]

Yes people are traveling and showing birds now where they didn't used to do that. That no doubt has a huge effect on disease spread. We don't show so maintaining a closed flock is easy for us. We rarely have people over that have chickens so I don't even worry about visitors here transporting something in.

 

[202roosterlane]

Well it has been some time since I posted on this thread. I wanted to update you on the status of my bio security practices. I have used the oxine more through the cold or really wet months. My chicken coops have a covered run but with wire not tin roofing. I think I will have to change that because of the rainy months. The mud is too much for me to walk in much less the chickens. So I sprayed with oxine a little more. Just bought my second gallon. Worth the money.

I now have over 100 chickens and chicks. Most my TSC chickens are gone and I have bought 300+ eggs from BYC members. Many I have hatched, donated, sold and some did not hatch for what ever reason. Getting new coops and runs in very soon so my responsibilities will increase. I think the last count was 18 breeds. Yes I do have my hands full. But not to the point I feel like it's work. I think of it as a responsibility. It's the same as taking care of a cat or dog. (s) Don't tell my cats but my chickens are more fun. My cats are LARGE and lazy and definitely in princess status these days.

I think those who test their chickens are awesome but there are so many diseases out there not mandated to be tested for. And who is to say your chickens did not catch something after they were tested. So NPIP is good just leaves a small room for error and possibly a false sense of security. Does that mean I won't get mine tested? No I will because like my cats and dogs, it's the right thing to do, but I will also take in consideration my own bio security practices, where I go when other chickens are present, where I choose to take my birds for display or sell, and if I buy birds to bring home.
Remember just because you bought a NPIP tested bird does not mean it is 100% clean from illness or disease. Properly quarantine your new chickens.

Maybe I go overboard....... but I have a lot of money invested in my chickens as well as my cats and dog. It's the right thing to do. Just do your best and they will thank you with lovely eggs and many days of enjoyment and laughter. If your like me you have probably taken a million photos already! LOL Have a great BYC day.