BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Beer can]

All this talk is scaring me, thanks...
I'm not going to do anything but pray, and no new birds unless they come from known disease free flocks.

 

[ronott1]

All this talk is scaring me, thanks...
I'm not going to do anything but pray, and no new birds unless they come from known disease free flocks.

Hatching eggs are much safer. There are not as many illnesses that pass through the eggs.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

It's true, eggs are a good way to go............although the condition of some of the hatching eggs I've received has been less than satisfactory, filthy and well smeared with poop and bedding

 

[ronott1]

It's true, eggs are a good way to go............although the condition of some of the hatching eggs I've received has been less than satisfactory, filthy and well smeared with poop and bedding

Contrary to what you may see posted, It is perfectly fine and does not hurt hatching to clean the eggs. Hatcheries use a fumigant to sterilize them.

There have been some studies that showed higher hatch rates using a citrus soak. I will wash them with manna pro egg wash. The bottles has instructions for cleaning eggs on it.

 

[Our Roost]

Sorry for your loss. I hate when I have a sick chick and I feel helpless. I myself am neither educated enough or gifted enough to solve a lot of health concerns.

 

[AnthNDacula]

All this talk is scaring me, thanks...
I'm not going to do anything but pray, and no new birds unless they come from known disease free flocks.

Try not to be too afraid. I went thru my own panic over the AI situation and feel a little more calm now. AI is a problem but is complicated by the politics of protecting the commercial poultry industry. And there's not much we can do about those politics. The existing form of AI is pretty unlikely to affect people and when it does it doesn't transmit from person to person. It is also highly unlikely that it will ever affect your flock. Having said that you need to make a plan for "what if". Part of my plan includes sharing my important breeding stock with other people who live far away from me but within reach if I lose my birds. It sounds like you've begun your plan by choosing not to bring in birds unless you can confirm the are from a clean flock. That's a great place to start. Now read as much as you can about the disease but leave it alone if you feel overwhelmed. The CDC has a lot of information on their website about it. Educate yourself about what you can do and try to let go of what you can't. And by the way, I am speaking to myself more than you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
By this time last year it was big news with millions of birds euthanized.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I have not heard of manna pro egg wash, I'll have to see if they sell it here. There's some research to show that oregano oil works, I've forgotten if it's 1 or 2% solution though. Our Roost do you wash all your hatching eggs, or just the dirty ones?

 

[NanaKat]

  I have not heard of manna pro egg wash, I'll have to see if they sell it here. There's some research to show that oregano oil works, I've forgotten if it's 1 or 2% solution though.  Our Roost do you wash all your hatching eggs, or just the dirty ones?

I use Oxine at a 5% spray solution. I use a damp paper towel on the collected eggs as they go in the rocker trays until I have enough eggs for a batch to incubate. I load the incubator trays and spritz the eggs. Let the eggs dry and then put into the incubator. Oxine is an anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and a great disinfectant. I use it to clean incubators, cages, water and feed containers. I also add 1/8tsp per gallon of water to keep down algae in water containers.

 

[angry rooster]

@angry rooster I've heard the same thing, shootin up the coyote population results in them breeding more (wish that worked for deer). We'll keep culling them hard and hope for the best. If there is any big cats or wolves in the area it's rumored the state introduced them to deal with coyote population (of course they deny it). Really don't want anymore large predators here, bears are bad enough, don't dare let the kids play outside by themselves as is.
Scientists say we'd have to knock out 70% of the their population (coyotes) every yr just to keep them in 'check'.
You mentioned those flashing red lights, I just recently read about them, I thought animals couldn't see red??
Even with all the predators here (just recently got a fisher population, enough to open a trapping season on them) they have left our coops alone. Outside dogs keep them away I think.
Skunk and opossum are the only only ones I've had to deal with besides hawks. Skunk made it into run at night, I think after food left in there. I almost dispatched it, but I was scared, in and outside googling if they spray shot between eyes. Luckily it decided to leave on it's own. Buttoned up run.
Left coop house door open one night, had a opossum in there, it didn't leave on it's own...

Yup about racoon's and skunks if you use ceyana pepper powder on the ground they breath it in though there nose and run like hell and on could days if you put it in your socks and gloves cheap heated aparle
And there was a hunting magazine that had a article about what coyotes can see and they can see red but what there spectrum looks like is grays and yellows and green it's kinda like how they add colour to the old movies the info is there but they have to work at it to differentiate between the colours an there thing that was cool about the article is they talked-about the different calls they make like if you shoot one you can make a death cry and call in more or stop the one that you missed in its tracks
On the bear thing I hope they leave you alone and the only thing that I know that works for them is electric fencing