California - Northern

[caychris]

My dels have started challenging each other. However I only see this happen when they are let out of the coop into the yard. When they are all in the small coop's run they are all nice to each other and get along really nicely and dont make hardly any noise. Let them out into the yard and then they are all over the place charging here and there. It looks kind of funny when they run with the wings out and the heads down low. They look like little dive bombers or something. Then they pull up short stand up tall and sometimes almost sitting on their tails pointing feet at each other. Nobody actualy hurts anyone they just seem to be sizing each other up. We did get one incident where one pecked at the neck of the other and grabbed them but it was quickly settled when the other pecked back and stood her ground.

They also started chasing the little buffs when they were outside too. Not very intently but enough to cause the littles to run around a bit.

I wonder if this will continue when they have the larger run to be in or is them just letting off a bit of steam.

They definitely chase each other if someone has a coveted treat.

Is this normal. I wouldnt say they are outright fighting but just establishing who is in charge.

 

[Kaylish]

My dels have started challenging each other. However I only see this happen when they are let out of the coop into the yard. When they are all in the small coop's run they are all nice to each other and get along really nicely and dont make hardly any noise. Let them out into the yard and then they are all over the place charging here and there. It looks kind of funny when they run with the wings out and the heads down low. They look like little dive bombers or something. Then they pull up short stand up tall and sometimes almost sitting on their tails pointing feet at each other. Nobody actualy hurts anyone they just seem to be sizing each other up. We did get one incident where one pecked at the neck of the other and grabbed them but it was quickly settled when the other pecked back and stood her ground.

They also started chasing the little buffs when they were outside too. Not very intently but enough to cause the littles to run around a bit.

I wonder if this will continue when they have the larger run to be in or is them just letting off a bit of steam.

They definitely chase each other if someone has a coveted treat.

Is this normal. I wouldnt say they are outright fighting but just establishing who is in charge.

My Marans started doing that as soon as I moved them to the bigger brooder, now all of them seem to spar on occasion now (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 weeks old). It's really funny to see one of the Bantams go flying accross the brooder at one of the bigger Marans. No idea if it's normal but since they're all doing it and no one is getting hurt I haven't worried about it.

 

[BCollie]

My Marans cockerel and pullet will both jump at each other from time to time. I think it's pretty normal.

 

[chrissyr]

Last night the newest to die was eating and walking ariund normal tgen today i found him dead.
when i picked him up he was kinda light his keel bone was protruing,crop was empty, no snot,reg poos. he did have kind of a sourish smell come off him when i picked him up but ut wasnt a rotten smell. His comb was also purple but the rest of his face was red like normal. i know they do havr a slight infestation of lice but not baf

I would send it to Davis for necropsy.
I've had birds get sick and the horrible feeling of not knowing.
But everytime it's a huge relief to know exactly what the problem is.
I have peace of mind knowing what I'm dealing with and how to take care of it

 

[chrissyr]

Happy Mother's Day !

 

[casportpony]

Question: is pranking people off of cl a thing? This guy has been screwing with times all day (with reasonable excuses) and calls right at dinner to say he is coming in 1/2 hr. Phone is set to not take messages just says ill say you called.

Im fairly sure ive been pranked. At least I had a waiting list...

I get some strange calls, maybe even from the same guy. First time he said he was looking for white roosters, but he was using the "c" word instead and went on about why one color was better than the other. I'm a little slow, so it took me a few minutes to figure it out, lol. Then just a couple of days ago someone called and asked how many grams of protein were in the roosters I'm selling. It sounded like the same guy, but I'll probably never know.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Quote: X2. All you have to pay for is shipping and they'll bill you for that if you use their FedEx #. Last one I shipped was a 5 or 6kg package and my bill was less than $20.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Necropsy info:
Lab Locations

CAHFS is a livestock and avian diagnostic laboratory, not a small animal laboratory. Questions concerning dogs, cats, snakes, and fish should be directed to your local veterinarian.
The CAHFS Toxicology Section may be contacted regarding any poisoning cases in all animal species at this number: (530) 752-6322.
Each laboratory in the CAHFS System performs specific tests. If the CAHFS Lab nearest your location does not perform the test(s) needed for your submission, the specimen may be forwarded to the lab in the CAHFS System that does perform the test.
Business Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM
Emergencies only on Saturday and Sunday.

Davis Laboratory

The Davis facility consists of two laboratory buildings: The John E. Thurman, Jr. Building, and the Kenneth L. Maddy building. Davis is staffed and equipped to provide the full range of diagnostic procedures in the disciplines of pathology, bacteriology, mycology, serology, avian virology, mammalian virology and toxicology for all species of livestock including poultry. It also houses the Equine Analytical Chemistry laboratory, which is staffed and equipped to provide equine drug testing.
The Davis laboratory also conducts tests on specimens forwarded from the other four laboratories, which have not been staffed and equipped to perform them. As the central laboratory of the CAHFS, it provides professional support and supervision of tests and procedures to be used throughout the CAHFS. Discipline specialists at Davis, working with diagnosticians at the other laboratories, develop standard protocols and provide standardized reagents for use in the CAHFS. They also have supervisory responsibility over activities of their specialty, including both monitoring of testing procedures and the training of personnel in the use of such procedures at the other laboratories.
The Davis Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions. Carcasses may be submitted for necropsy. Submissions for livestock and horse biopsies, serology, bacterial cultures and electron microscopy are also accepted. The Toxicology section of the Davis Lab will accept specimens from all animal species, including domestic animals, wildlife, and sea mammals.
Address
620 West Health Science Drive
Davis, California 95616
(530) 752-8700
(530) 752-6253 (FAX)
[email protected]

Turlock Laboratory

The Turlock laboratory provides diagnostic support for the needs of the poultry industry in the northern San Joaquin valley. It provides diagnostic services in pathology, bacteriology, serology, mycology, and in some aspects of virology. The Turlock Laboratory serves as a point of access to the CAHFS and all of its services except necropsies of large animals. Specimens (except large animals, cats and dogs) will be transported to other laboratories of the CAHFS for diagnostic procedures that cannot be conducted at Turlock.
The Turlock Laboratory accepts all AVIAN submissions including carcasses, serology samples and bacterial cultures. The Turlock Laboratory now performs the Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Elisa test on ear notch samples.
For USPS mail & deliveries, use our PO Box address.
Address
1550 N Soderquist Road
PO Box 1522
Turlock, CA 95380-2204
(209) 634-5837
(209) 667-4261 (FAX)
[email protected]

Tulare Laboratory

The Tulare laboratory is located in the facilities of the Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center, University of California, Tulare. It provides diagnostic laboratory support for the food animal industries and the veterinarians who serve these industries in the central and southern San Joaquin valley. Services offered on-site include pathology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, regulatory serology and certain aspects of virology. The Tulare Laboratory accepts all AVIAN, LIVESTOCK and HORSE submissions.
Serology and toxicology samples are sent, as necessary, to other CAHFS laboratories for testing.
Address
18830 Road 112
Tulare, CA 93274-9042
(559) 688-7543
(559) 686-4231 (FAX)
[email protected]

San Bernardino Laboratory

The San Bernardino laboratory provides diagnostic laboratory support for the livestock and poultry industries of southern California, and conducts serological tests required for programs of the Animal Health Branch. It is staffed and equipped to provide diagnostic support in pathology, bacteriology, mycology, milk quality, serology, and some aspects of virology and parasitology. It serves as a point of access for all services offered by the CAHFS.
The San Bernardino Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions: avian carcasses and biopsies, livestock and horse carcasses and biopsies, serology and bacterial cultures.
105 W Central Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92408 2113
(909) 383-4287
(909) 884-5980 (FAX)
[email protected]

How to Send a Bird for a Necropsy​

They need the whole bird, refrigerated, not frozen. If you live in CA, there are four labs that do necropsies on poultry (chickens, turkeys, waterfowl) for free. I know that they do out of state necropsies, but I think they charge for those. You could call them and ask what they charge for out of state "backyard poultry". The lab I use is the one in Tulare, CA. If you are in CA, call them and ask for their FedEx account number, it will save a bunch on shipping charges.

CAHFS
18830 Road 112
Tulare, CA 93274-9042
(559) 688-7543
(559) 686-4231 (FAX)
[email protected]


The other labs are listed here:
http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/services/lab_locations.cfm

If it's Friday, unless you want to overnight for Saturday delivery, I would suggest shipping on Monday for Tuesday delivery. What you need to do, if you haven't already done so, is put your bird in your refrigerator, NOT the freezer! Then you need to find a box, line it with styrofoam (I use the 4'x8'x1" stuff from Home Depot. You can also get smaller pieces at an art store like Michael's, but is way more expensive. Click here to see foam options. You'll also need at least one ice pack. Here are some pictures that I took of the last bird that I sent:

Box lined with foam on four sides and bottom. Seams of foam taped sealed.


Box, sides, bottom and and top.


Frozen ice pack in ziplock baggie.


Brown paper on top of ice pack.


Hen in ziplock baggie on top of brown paper.


Brown paper on top of hen.


Ice pack on top of brown paper.


Lid on top of brown paper.
​

Inside the box you should also include a submission form in a ziplock baggie. Do not tell anyone at FedEx that you're shipping a dead animal... that seems to really worry them. Just make sure that nothing will leak.
http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/local-assets/pdfs/StandardSubmissionForm_1-14.pdf
-Kathy

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: X2. All you have to pay for is shipping and they'll bill you for that if you use their FedEx #. Last one I shipped was a 5 or 6kg package and my bill was less than $20.

-Kathy

When I used their FedEx number, it cost me nothing. The FedEx office told me they pay.

 

[BCollie]

I can't believe how fast one of my Splash Laced Red Wyandotte chicks is feathering out. She's less than 5 weeks old and the only adult feathers she doesn't have yet are the ones on her neck. She even is getting them on her head already.
Is the speed of feathering out an indication of gender? The girls feather out faster, correct? Her sibling that is the same age only has wings & shoulder feathers.