California - Northern

[AmyPaperlady]

I think all 3 combs might be a bit bigger than they were when I got the girls.

 

[chrissyr]

Yay, so far I've sold fifteen turkeys!

I think this weekend I'll process a couple to cut back the numbers even more.  And a duck.  I'm really looking forward to roasting a duck next week.



This was the pen I most wanted to cut back the numbers before winter weather sets in.

Congrats!! And you're making me hungry over here... Homegrown thanksgiving Turkey!! Sounds so good! ...and the duck too!

 

[ronott1]

Hungry too!

Good Morning All!

I finished the morning chores and need to make a list for the days work.

How are things going this weekend? We need a hatch report or two and baby pictures!

Are the chickens leaving the coop yet? Are the skinny ones starting to plump up yet? Is anyone processing for the Fall?

I need to find a pumpkin today for the girls to work over....

 

[chicksnthestiks]

Hungry too!

Good Morning All!

I finished the morning chores and need to make a list for the days work.

How are things going this weekend? We need a hatch report or two and baby pictures!

Are the chickens leaving the coop yet? Are the skinny ones starting to plump up yet? Is anyone processing for the Fall?

I need to find a pumpkin today for the girls to work over....

Good morning to you too, that sure looks good! I'm having my coffee before heading out to the chickens and horses. Do you half the pumpkin for the chickens?

 

[Flowers of Abba]

Hungry too!

Good Morning All!

I finished the morning chores and need to make a list for the days work.

How are things going this weekend? We need a hatch report or two and baby pictures!

Are the chickens leaving the coop yet? Are the skinny ones starting to plump up yet? Is anyone processing for the Fall?

I need to find a pumpkin today for the girls to work over....

Haha such beautiful golden eyes you have.


So in reading over information on keeping flocks healthy... " the dangers " of poultry shows and purchasing anything but eggs... I'm feeling confused ? On one hand I tend to believe most places /properties are not as clean from illness as one may believe and feeding and cleaning are key to prosperity. On the other hand there's the " bleach your shoes" group that I understand but can't "do" .
There are so many typs of illness and npip only test for some. What do each of you care to know about? How do you decide about adding to your flock aside from incubation? Aside from Merck and or Newcastle .... Do you grin and bear it and use antibiotics to treat symptoms as necessary or flush carriers and cull -starting fresh,?!?

We have never had symptomatic birds of any kind. I don't want that to cause me to become TOO carefree. But when beautiful birds become available I want to feel confident on my decision and how I bring them home.

Everyone's thoughts welcome.

 

[ronott1]

Good morning to you too, that sure looks good! I'm having my coffee before heading out to the chickens and horses. Do you half the pumpkin for the chickens?

I cut a hole in the side and let the chickens do the work.

I will get a picture of it for you.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Here is the sex link information:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

If you use a crele type rooster over about anything else you will either get
sex linked or auto sexing depending on what you use.

 

[capayvalleychick]

So in reading over information on keeping flocks healthy... " the dangers " of poultry shows and purchasing anything but eggs... I'm feeling confused ? On one hand I tend to believe most places /properties are not as clean from illness as one may believe and feeding and cleaning are key to prosperity. On the other hand there's the " bleach your shoes" group that I understand but can't "do" .
There are so many typs of illness and npip only test for some. What do each of you care to know about? How do you decide about adding to your flock aside from incubation? Aside from Merck and or Newcastle .... Do you grin and bear it and use antibiotics to treat symptoms as necessary or flush carriers and cull -starting fresh,?!?

We have never had symptomatic birds of any kind. I don't want that to cause me to become TOO carefree. But when beautiful birds become available I want to feel confident on my decision and how I bring them home.

I breed for resistance. Sick birds are culled. Birds exposed and not showing symptoms are bred. This is what the old timers and master exhibitors do. Read the posts on this page: post #15941

According to the people who show the most, shows are not really a danger as far as disease. In CA, they do a health check on every bird before it enters the premises. That is, the show floor. I have seen questionable health in birds at sale barns. Swaps without health checks are a source for infection.

Before you buy chicks, ask them about how they handle illness in their flock. If they have to immunize and medicate in order to keep their birds healthy, that flock is not truly a healthy one.

Use common sense regarding biosecurity. There is more danger of exposure from wild birds than from most poultry keepers.

Years ago, I had some chickens come down with symptoms of MG. I think the source was some Craigslist birds and I do not buy any chickens off Craigslist anymore for this reason. According to popular opinion on BYC, I should have culled my entire flock and started over. I culled the sick ones, had tests done at UCD. They were sure that it was MG but tests were inconclusive. I kept breeding the healthy ones that had been exposed. In the following years, I'd get one or two with symptoms and they were culled. Any new lines introduced were the ones who usually showed minor signs of illness, ie sneezing. This year, I tested at UCD and was negative for MG. I did have my first case of Mareks this year, a line new to me. I was panicked at first, thinking it had just been introduced to my flock, since I haven't had any Mareks in 13 years. My mentor is also a CA Health inspector, as well as a long time breeder. He assured me that the Mareks has been here all along and my flock is mostly resistant.
I haven't used medicated starter in years, either. This works in my environment but may not for others. I test before I use wormer and those tests lately have not shown parasites. My flock has had one case of lice in 13 years. I don't treat unless there are visible bugs. I did quarantine my birds that had been at a show for a week. I also quarantined new birds from other breeders for a month before introducing them to the flock, even though the old timers don't.
So that's my opinion.

 

[capayvalleychick]

@tommysgirl here's that thread that I mentioned: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rock-chicks-indy-rex-and-iras-progress-thread

 

[ronott1]

I breed for resistance. Sick birds are culled. Birds exposed and not showing symptoms are bred. This is what the old timers and master exhibitors do. Read the posts on this page: post #15941

According to the people who show the most, shows are not really a danger as far as disease. In CA, they do a health check on every bird before it enters the premises. That is, the show floor. I have seen questionable health in birds at sale barns. Swaps without health checks are a source for infection.

Before you buy chicks, ask them about how they handle illness in their flock. If they have to immunize and medicate in order to keep their birds healthy, that flock is not truly a healthy one.

Use common sense regarding biosecurity. There is more danger of exposure from wild birds than from most poultry keepers.

Years ago, I had some chickens come down with symptoms of MG. I think the source was some Craigslist birds and I do not buy any chickens off Craigslist anymore for this reason. According to popular opinion on BYC, I should have culled my entire flock and started over. I culled the sick ones, had tests done at UCD. They were sure that it was MG but tests were inconclusive. I kept breeding the healthy ones that had been exposed. In the following years, I'd get one or two with symptoms and they were culled. Any new lines introduced were the ones who usually showed minor signs of illness, ie sneezing. This year, I tested at UCD and was negative for MG. I did have my first case of Mareks this year, a line new to me. I was panicked at first, thinking it had just been introduced to my flock, since I haven't had any Mareks in 13 years. My mentor is also a CA Health inspector, as well as a long time breeder. He assured me that the Mareks has been here all along and my flock is mostly resistant.
I haven't used medicated starter in years, either. This works in my environment but may not for others. I test before I use wormer and those tests lately have not shown parasites. My flock has had one case of lice in 13 years. I don't treat unless there are visible bugs. I did quarantine my birds that had been at a show for a week. I also quarantined new birds from other breeders for a month before introducing them to the flock, even though the old timers don't.
So that's my opinion.

Thank you for posting a reply to the bio security question. I agree with your balanced approach to bio security.