BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Beer can]

I'll probably see those same pics at work or on wife's facebook soon. Always someone passing others pics in other states off as around here. People swear they're here, IDK never hear any proof. Just as much proof on Sasquatch.

We do have tons of coyotes. NO coyotes in WV ?
I hear three separate packs at my house. And they are just the one's in earshot.

 

[Kassaundra]

The big cats have been spotted in out area too. Wildlife dept denied and denied they were here and kept accusing people of photoshopping, until the proof was overwhelming, now they say "they don't live here, they are just using OK to pass through to where the actually live." .......................................................... yeah right ...................................... are you practicing to run for office??????

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Hypothetical question here. So what would you do if your chickens caught AI? Give up chicken keeping completely? Or what?

I think it's the same procedure in both the US and Canada, if your flock had AI they would all be destroyed. Of course one could always start up again, but you'd lose your breeding program unless you had sold birds to someone else and could get some back.
It's probably a better idea to practise strict biosecurity, and not get it in the first place- but really if you thought of all the diseases etc. that affect chickens, you'd never have them in the first place. Me personally I'd start over.
I find it very odd that the first place flu seems to show up is in the large commercial barns- of course it could just be that deaths go unmentioned in backyard flocks, but I wonder. We had one outbreak last year in Ontario, the rumor was it came from Minnesota via the feed- they keep blaming the migratory waterfowl but then how come it's not more widespread?

 

[AnthNDacula]

Hypothetical question here. So what would you do if your chickens caught AI? Give up chicken keeping completely? Or what?

There's no fighting the government, so if it shows up at a chicken house within 5 miles of me I expect the men in white coats and respirators to show up and destroy everything. Once I have my breeder flock of White Dorkings up and running I'll be looking for people to take my excess breeding stock to create satellite flocks outside the kill zone. I'll focus on people within 100 to 200 miles of me to hopefully create a network of folks who can help each other out in case things go badly for any one.

Beyond the 200 mile radius I'll be looking for people comfortable with shipping eggs to place eggs/breeding stock with.

 

[Beekissed]

I'll probably see those same pics at work or on wife's facebook soon. Always someone passing others pics in other states off as around here. People swear they're here, IDK never hear any proof. Just as much proof on Sasquatch.

We do have tons of coyotes. NO coyotes in WV ?
I hear three separate packs at my house. And they are just the one's in earshot.

Yes, we have many coyotes in WV.....they are just very, very shy here. Every person with a gun is their enemy and we have lots and lots and lots of guns here in WV.

We have a pack on our land but we have our own dogs to keep them from the only chickens in the area, so are not bothered by them. Mom came face to face with a young one while walking back from the mailbox, don't know who was the most startled by it!

 

[Beekissed]

Hypothetical question here. So what would you do if your chickens caught AI? Give up chicken keeping completely? Or what?

I don't ever say "what if", even in my mind, about illnesses in the flock. I've never had any and don't plan for having any...I always plan for NOT having any. Those plans are attended to each year in various ways. It's so much more simple to plan for healthy chickens than it is to plan for the what ifs of unhealthy chickens.

I'd advise everyone else in these AI prone areas to do the same....cull hard, keep only the strongest and active layers, build immune systems from day one...ruthlessly...don't think of them as little chicks but as potential chickens, don't pamper your flock with medicines of any kind, give them a natural chicken life out on the land, a simple and balanced feed ration, and commit your flock to the Lord, Who designed them. Having done all of that and you still get an illness in your flock~and I'd be vastly surprised~ you can safely say you've done all you can to raise healthy flocks and can really do no more. Time to close up coop.

 

[Kassaundra]

There's no fighting the government, so if it shows up at a chicken house within 5 miles of me I expect the men in white coats and respirators to show up and destroy everything. Once I have my breeder flock of White Dorkings up and running I'll be looking for people to take my excess breeding stock to create satellite flocks outside the kill zone. I'll focus on people within 100 to 200 miles of me to hopefully create a network of folks who can help each other out in case things go badly for any one.

Beyond the 200 mile radius I'll be looking for people comfortable with shipping eggs to place eggs/breeding stock with.

The newest 1 - 2 dozen fertile eggs from my flock are never eaten or sold. I had a catastrophic preditor loss several years ago and that taught me to always have "potential" chickens in my genetic lines. I might not get perfect chicks, but I'll at least keep some of my genetics going.

 

[hellbender]

The newest 1 - 2 dozen fertile eggs from my flock are never eaten or sold. I had a catastrophic preditor loss several years ago and that taught me to always have "potential" chickens in my genetic lines. I might not get perfect chicks, but I'll at least keep some of my genetics going.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushacking varmint!

 

[DesertChic]

Oh no you don't. Ever been stalked by one? We have some friends of friends that have been, they promptly shot it. But it almost got them first, and I'm not kidding!!!

The first week after we moved into our house I woke up in the morning and found a deer's hind leg sitting on the porch outside of our front door. Apparently, since our house had stood abandoned for over a year, a mountain lion had claimed it as place to hang out and feed. That first month living here was a bit....unnerving, but eventually she moved on.

 

[Our Roost]

Hypothetically speaking, do you really think they would kill your birds if they were indeed not infected? My problem is, I don't know how they are handling this.