Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

and yes, I am heartsick.

Have you tried contacting Peter Brown (the chicken dr) at First State Vet Supply? He might have a course of action for you to take short of culling everything

 

[Wynette]

pysanki, I think there are less expensive ways to test your poultry. I'm in Michgan, and a BYC member from a few hours away from me went through MG on his farm; he did end up destroying all of his live birds, but not before collecting hatching eggs and dipping them in some sort of formula...it wa a long drawn-out thing, but I do believe his farm is now MG-free.

I recall him mentioning getting swab kits from his local vet, and him swabbing their throats himself and sending the swabs in to a lab. He is Farmerboy16 (Daron) - he may be able to help answer some questions.

 

[aveca]

i agree bio divesrity is key to any species survival..the best characteristics for health are paramount...a natural b factor in some species blood makes them immune to mereks..no vaccines needed.

I agree here too and all I can say it generally comes down to natural selection and survival of the fittest here, you either have good strong birds with an immune system to handle it or will develop this over a time through keeping good healthy birds and breeding for such. ALL it takes is ONE mockingbird flying over the pen to administer/deposit a lethal dose of "whatever" he has in his guts right out there for all that comes in contact with it. The birds that you raise either got what it takes to fend off such, or they die. Simple as that.

We raised up multi-thousands of broilers at a time here, at once upon a time. There were times when we would have outbreaks/ infestations with some disease or parasites,illnesses as most commercial operations have simply because of numbers dealt with, plus too the birds provided had no immune systems bred into them as they are only to live for 6 wks and go to slaughter. Anyway we had yard chickens here at the house, my Grandfather had chickens, my Uncle had them at his house-place on the broiler farm, we walked right in there and tended them with the same shoes and clothing on we had just toiled all day at the broiler farm in, our birds didn't kill over dead from this. We might have brought in a louse or a mite or two from time to time but so could've a visiting dove from a nearby pasture too. So yes the "bio-security" issue is blown out of proportion just a tad I'd say.

Nowadays I don't think you can have a neighboring backyard coop within a certain amount of area/vicinity of such an operation because of "bio-security" simply because the stuffs the "healthy" chickens that are laying eggs and living a perfectly normal chicken life have would kill the ones being grown for our food we buy from and eat at "walmarts", go figure.

Jeff

 

[pysankigirl]

Have you tried contacting Peter Brown (the chicken dr) at First State Vet Supply? He might have a course of action for you to take short of culling everything

Walt mentioned him and I am thinking about it but they want my credit card number to even talk to him. I haven't decided yet.

I am not culling my entire flock at this point because they are completely asymptomatic. Even the 3 birds that are still in quarantine haven't developed even a sneeze. I think I am just giving up on the thought of being a breeder. I will breed new birds for myself but not for other people.

if it is in the wild bird population in this area, then I could cull the entire flock and still end up with it again.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Walt mentioned him and I am thinking about it but they want my credit card number to even talk to him. I haven't decided yet.

I am not culling my entire flock at this point because they are completely asymptomatic. Even the 3 birds that are still in quarantine haven't developed even a sneeze. I think I am just giving up on the thought of being a breeder. I will breed new birds for myself but not for other people.

if it is in the wild bird population in this area, then I could cull the entire flock and still end up with it again.

There is a "contact us" form.....use it and he will respond!!

 

[pysankigirl]

pysanki, I think there are less expensive ways to test your poultry. I'm in Michgan, and a BYC member from a few hours away from me went through MG on his farm; he did end up destroying all of his live birds, but not before collecting hatching eggs and dipping them in some sort of formula...it wa a long drawn-out thing, but I do believe his farm is now MG-free.

I recall him mentioning getting swab kits from his local vet, and him swabbing their throats himself and sending the swabs in to a lab. He is Farmerboy16 (Daron) - he may be able to help answer some questions.

The blood or swab test for it is relatively inexpensive but will only catch a case if it is symptomatic, (according to the State vet.) and none of my birds are...they seem to be perfectly healthy!

In order to detect carriers, you have to do a PCR? PR? PRA? (something like that) test that is $75 a bird.

They said to just live with it or cull the whole flock.

 

[Pozees]

I guess one of the lingering questions I've always had is, if MG is carried by wild birds, isn't is as likely as not that any, or all, of us could have those asymptomatic carriers in our yards and not even know?

I read the Rebuilding My Farm thread Farmerboy16 posted, it was like a living novel following his progress. He did wind up with a clean flock out of his infected flock. Quite an adventure. I was under the impression the test he did to prove they were clean wasn't all that expensive (but it's been a while since I read, I could be mistaken), but it could be the difference in state ag departments.

 

[pysankigirl]

I am currently trying to find a vet willing to help me do the cheap test on all my birds. But not sure if it would prove anything.

 

[capayvalleychick]

I have to share my joy! I received some Delaware chicks from kathyinmo this morning! I'm finally going to have some big chickens! I hope that I can breed them properly with what I have been learning.

 

[NYREDS]

You can give her the half incubated eggs. They do not know how to tell time so she will snap into mother mode when they hatch.

It is also ok to wait until the chicks hatch in the incubator and put them under her then.

The started eggs won't be a problem.
The just hatched chicks may not be a problem but there's no guarantee. Some hens will take them, some hens will kill them.