Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Pozees]

Management questions: Does anyone here who hatches and raises their own chicks vaccinate for Marek's or Coccidiosis? Do you use medicated chick crumble?

Thanks

Judi

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Management questions: Does anyone here who hatches and raises their own chicks vaccinate for Marek's or Coccidiosis? Do you use medicated chick crumble?

Thanks

Judi

I use medicated chick starter. Haven't vaccinated anybody - yet ....

 

[Leahs Mom]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but here goes.

It appears I have a broody hen and I'd like to give her some fertilized eggs from good healthy stock that I'd be proud to own and perpetuate. I'm still testing her out to be sure she's likely to stay the course and should be able to determine that in the next day or so.

Specifically looking for Wellsummer and/or Black Australorps. I need to find a source that can ship pretty quickly to arrive first of next week. Any leads would be appreciated...checking over here per Bee's direction.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Management questions: Does anyone here who hatches and raises their own chicks vaccinate for Marek's or Coccidiosis? Do you use medicated chick crumble?
Thanks
Judi

No.

For marek's, you can run turkeys among your chickens. They carry a form of marek's that is so slight you won't even notice your chickens have caught it and it makes them immune to the chicken form of mareks.

For coccidiosis, I use yogurt as a preventive. A healthy gut full of probiotics can kill the coccidiosis germs. Just make sure you care properly for them... don't overcrowd or allow them to live in filthy conditions.

 

[Pozees]

No.
For marek's, you can run turkeys among your chickens. They carry a form of marek's that is so slight you won't even notice your chickens have caught it and it makes them immune to the chicken form of mareks.
For coccidiosis, I use yogurt as a preventive. A healthy gut full of probiotics can kill the coccidiosis germs. Just make sure you care properly for them... don't overcrowd or allow them to live in filthy conditions.

Oh, interesting, I've never heard about turkeys carrying Marek's before and using them as innoculants!

I feed yogurt as well, homemade, but all the girls I have were 4 weeks and older when I got them - is it okay to feed it to younger chicks? Presumably the earlier they get the extra dose of probiotics the better, but is there an age at which it's not safe?

The first time I fed it, the younger girls, who were just over 4 weeks old, devoured it, and the older girls weren't sure it was really food. Now they all love it.

Ten years ago I had chickens and no BYC and really didn't have problems; now I have them again and have BYC, and while it is a blessing for all the learning opportunities, I find myself beginning to overthink things that really don't require it.

My concerns about management are really getting down to details, but I'd rather think them through now than when chicks are arriving and I suddenly fear I forgot something important.

My greater concerns lie with learning type. When I had dogs I was able to spot good and bad type fairly quickly after a couple of years of a LOT of help from a mentor who could pick SQ puppies virtually day one (she occasionally missed, but not very often) and who was good at describing what she saw once I asked the right questions. Tony Albritton has agreed to help me select keepers as the chicks I get grow up, and I can't fully express how grateful I am for his guidance. I'm already near to an old lady IMO (53) and am trying very hard not to put myself on a path of a length I can't complete. Then I think of others who have far larger issues they are juggling and think myself lucky. I have a roof, food, a job, and chickens; how can anything be wrong?

 

[armorfirelady]

Before people begin fantasizing about heritage birds and breeding them, let's take a moment for a reality check. It seems the beginners who live in the city, who are limited, by ordinance, to 6 hens, allowed no roosters, who have only had chickens in their bathroom or backyard tiny coopette for just a few weeks, ought to really master the whole keeping of birds first. I'm trying to say here what needs to be said, not necessarily what folks want to hear.

Use some hatchery grade hens to practice on. Get used to raising out chicks, integrating birds, living with them for a few years and experience the entire cycle for a couple of years. Feeding, coop cleaning, life, death, euthanizing, disease, the whole deal. If you succeed with those hatchery birds and still want to do this in two years, great. Until then?

Sell your city house and buy yourself a place in the country where you really can breed quality birds, keep crowing roosters, learn all about rooster behaviors up close and personal, build multiple coops, pens and barns. Meanwhile, sit in on some local breed club meetings. Go to regional APA sanctioned poultry shows, look at the fancy birds, submit to a mentor, meet some people, and spend a whole lot of time as a student and spend a lot more time just listening.

Otherwise, this is all just an internet fantasy.

I am a newbie & I live in a town where I can only have 6 hens and no roosters. I have the hens for the eggs & the experience. Some day I hope to move to the country where I can have more & a rooster. I have hatchery heritage breed but I am ok with that. I have learned so much in the last 6 months from the OT's that I am confident when I move I will be better prepared to start with some better stock but I am just as content with mutts

 

[Lacy Blues]

Oh, interesting, I've never heard about turkeys carrying Marek's before and using them as innoculants!
I feed yogurt as well, homemade, but all the girls I have were 4 weeks and older when I got them - is it okay to feed it to younger chicks? Presumably the earlier they get the extra dose of probiotics the better, but is there an age at which it's not safe?
The first time I fed it, the younger girls, who were just over 4 weeks old, devoured it, and the older girls weren't sure it was really food. Now they all love it.
Ten years ago I had chickens and no BYC and really didn't have problems; now I have them again and have BYC, and while it is a blessing for all the learning opportunities, I find myself beginning to overthink things that really don't require it.
My concerns about management are really getting down to details, but I'd rather think them through now than when chicks are arriving and I suddenly fear I forgot something important.
My greater concerns lie with learning type. When I had dogs I was able to spot good and bad type fairly quickly after a couple of years of a LOT of help from a mentor who could pick SQ puppies virtually day one (she occasionally missed, but not very often) and who was good at describing what she saw once I asked the right questions. Tony Albritton has agreed to help me select keepers as the chicks I get grow up, and I can't fully express how grateful I am for his guidance. I'm already near to an old lady IMO (53) and am trying very hard not to put myself on a path of a length I can't complete. Then I think of others who have far larger issues they are juggling and think myself lucky. I have a roof, food, a job, and chickens; how can anything be wrong?

I feed yogurt to them as soon as I can get them to try it. That's all it takes... one lone, brave chick. Then that will be the end of the story! You can start out by mixing it into their baby crumbles. They'll get used to the flavor. Don't do it every day because too much can give them diarrhea. Each time you add yogurt, just don't mix it as thoroughly and eventually they'll eat it by just being placed on top of their food.

All my birds know the yogurt container and they come running from all corners! I can hardly walk! They devour it!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I probably SHOULD live in the city, where someone would restrict my "habit" with laws. I started out with 6 "girls". Just wanted eggs. Well, they blew it and I had a boy in the mix. Well, HAD to hatch some of those eggs. Now, some 4 short years later, I have 55 plus birds at any given time, 8 or so vocal boys. Hatching eggs pretty much year round. "Chicken math" was probably created to define someone like me!

 

[fowlman01]

Management questions: Does anyone here who hatches and raises their own chicks vaccinate for Marek's or Coccidiosis? Do you use medicated chick crumble?
Thanks
Judi

No shots. I use medicated chick starter on artificially incubated chicks only.

Walt

 

[CluckyCharms]

No shots. I use medicated chick starter on artificially incubated chicks only.

Walt

That's the second time I've read that from you, and I was curious the first time and now you posted it again so I'm going to ask before my brain explodes and makes the rest of my head a sticky mess.

...what exactly do you feed your chicks that aren't incubated, but hatched via a broody? And why feed the incubated chicks medicated and not the broody's chicks?


Thanks in advance =)