BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[JRNash]

That's a good point.

 

[DesertChic]

Three week old crowers are precocious indeed!

That's the truth! I've got one, and he is tenacious. Sweet....but tenacious.

 

[bnjrob]

That is very true, the poults are among the most charming little ones.

Sorry to say, expect their sweet personality to continue.....

There is some difference between breeds/lines in the young and adults. Some stay way friendly, others get a little more aloof/independent and unfortunately in some lines the toms can be inclined to be obnoxious in not a good way.

I love how brave and inquisitive the poults are. Much different than the chicks that run screaming to hide under their warming plate just because I walked by. Sure does make it hard to work in the pen with poults though, when they are all trying to either climb up on top of me, or fly out and explore.

Had a friend tell me she would never get turkeys again after the horrible toms that she had, but as long as our toms aren't trying to kill me, we will figure out how to deal with whatever they throw at us. Just a part of life when you want to live on a farm with animals.

 

[JRNash]

I've got white giants,white rocks,dark cornish and a few Cornish X coming in July. Im probably going to order barred hollands for the white eggs. I want to work on a dual purpose utility strain that falls in line with the Malines.

 

[Arielle]

I am skeptical that resistance is truly an option here. Flu viruses change so fast. What is here today is not the same as tomorrow's sub strain. Perhaps one can offer some protection against another if it is related closely enough. Then do we really want to perpetuate carriers when there is risk of jumping species? It will happen eventually.

I do not know the answers. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

I think of the colds the kids get at school. THey are always getting something. BUt the rational , via school nurse , is that previous exposure lessens the reaction to the current sub-strain. . . . . THis is the same thinking behind vaccinating horses for the " flu". It lessens the reaction to the exposure but exposure is important. For the horses, first exposure can be life threatening. I have seen a barn full of weanlings all get sick because they had not been vaccinated yet and a new horse ( not showing any symptoms) came into the barn.

This is put out there as a thought to ponder over as what is truly know about the bird flu is really very little. I do expect we are at the beginning of the problem and to look back in another 40 years will be interesting to those still here.

Many things jump species. How much the bird flu jumps still has not been made clear to me. Is there a population study to show the rate at which the bird flu can jump to humans??? THe little I know, which is not enough, is that most cases are people who are in direct contact with sick poultry. I would like to know what percentage of those exposed get sick and of those how many recover.

There are a number of zoonotic diseases. . . just that most do not have the risks that this new avian flu disease has because humans have not been exposed enough yet to see who is going to survive it. We no longer like to think of survival of the fittest. . . . .

I'm not worrying about it. Just trying to keep a few birds "just in case". Fresh meat is a bit more appetizing than the MRE's my son wants to buy as they will last " 5 years". lol

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Takes a while for us noobs to catch on to this method.

 

[ronott1]

I've got white giants,white rocks,dark cornish and a few Cornish X coming in July. Im probably going to order barred hollands for the white eggs. I want to work on a dual purpose utility strain that falls in line with the Malines.

Keep us posted on your progress!

 

[JRNash]

The problem with the "build resistance philosophy" is a disease that is as likely as not have a 90% mortality rate. There is alot of really scary information out there on the Spanish influenza. We as poultry owner's are at higher risk. Then again I might fall out of the bathtub ( which Happens to me more than i like to admit ) and break my neck. What has to be avoided IMO is the knee jerk reaction the public has when they hear the sensationalized news media.Have no doubt. This is eventually going to have a major impact on the transportation of live birds

 

[gjensen]

I think of the colds the kids get at school. THey are always getting something. BUt the rational , via school nurse , is that previous exposure lessens the reaction to the current sub-strain. . . . . THis is the same thinking behind vaccinating horses for the " flu". It lessens the reaction to the exposure but exposure is important. For the horses, first exposure can be life threatening. I have seen a barn full of weanlings all get sick because they had not been vaccinated yet and a new horse ( not showing any symptoms) came into the barn.

This is put out there as a thought to ponder over as what is truly know about the bird flu is really very little. I do expect we are at the beginning of the problem and to look back in another 40 years will be interesting to those still here.

Many things jump species. How much the bird flu jumps still has not been made clear to me. Is there a population study to show the rate at which the bird flu can jump to humans??? THe little I know, which is not enough, is that most cases are people who are in direct contact with sick poultry. I would like to know what percentage of those exposed get sick and of those how many recover.

There are a number of zoonotic diseases. . . just that most do not have the risks that this new avian flu disease has because humans have not been exposed enough yet to see who is going to survive it. We no longer like to think of survival of the fittest. . . . .

I'm not worrying about it. Just trying to keep a few birds "just in case". Fresh meat is a bit more appetizing than the MRE's my son wants to buy as they will last " 5 years". lol

No. There is no sense in worrying about it. I am not going to. It doesn't do any good anyways.

Concerning the other thoughts. It is the flu. The bird flu. A virus. If they are exposed, they will get sick. It is highly pathogenic, so they will die. They will die fast. It is not the benign flus that we are used to. At least for the birds.
Oh, an occasional survivor could be had. That bird could also be the carrier that spreads it, or harbingers the individuals that cross over eventually.

The bird flu will crossover eventually. This generation, the next, or the next . . .who knows? Not worth worrying about until the time comes. I agree.

It would be interesting to look back at it and see.

It will be what it is going to be though. I will be set up to operate independently for some time. I suspect the movement of birds will come to a crawl. No where local for me to go for other than backyard junk. That is where my thoughts are. To be able to continue with what I enjoy doing.

 

[gjensen]

Takes a while for us noobs to catch on to this method.

Just be concerned with the cost, and eat them along the way, trying to hold on to the best birds. LOL.

You can skin a couple 8wk culls, clean them, and have them on the grill in a couple minutes.