California-Southern

[stuckinvtown]

From the Crazy H-Bar Ranch;
A couple of weeks ago I recycled this old entertainment center. This is what it looked like when I brought it home...







After a little demo'ing, cleaning and some repainting I added some shelves, backing, and doors.







Wired in a couple of heat lamps for the brooders.


I used peg board backing for ventilation and a mesh floor so the birdies won't have to walk in the muck and poop trays for easy clean up.


Added the door fronts............... Now you can put a "DONE" stamp on this recycled project.


Do you think the birdies like it???









I love it!!!

AMAZING. Looks fantastic!

 

[ozexpat]

your brooder is awesome hoss

 

[Sylvester017]

UPDATE

OIE: Only one Foster Farms house affected by avian influenza
1,200 turkeys are destroyed and other control measures have been implemented

Release Date: 2015-01-26

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza affected only one poultry house at a Foster Farms turkey operation in Stanislaus County, California, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reported. The presence of H5N8 avian influenza was confirmed at the Foster Farms turkey ranch on January 24, making it the first commercial poultry operation to be infected by the virus since it first entered the Pacific Flyway in late 2014.
According to OIE's report on the case, 145,000 birds were susceptible, with 4,500 deaths. An additional 1,200 turkeys were destroyed. Only one house of 9,000 birds was affected.
The property, which is in a remote location, has been quarantined, and movement control inside the United States has been implemented. The affected premises has been disinfected.
OIE believes the infection at the turkey farm is related to the recent avian influenza events in wild birds in the region. The virus was discovered at the Foster Farms facility as a result of increased biosecurity measures at all of Foster Farms’ East Coast facilities as avian influenza has spread through the Pacific Flyway.
Samples from the infected flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS) and the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the finding. Foster Farms has been working closely with APHIS and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) throughout the ordeal.
The cooperation of involved parties has drawn the praise of the National Turkey Federation (NTF). “USDA’s effective response to target avian influenza at a remote central California turkey ranch underscores why consumers can be secure in the fundamental safety of the food supply and continue to enjoy turkey,” said Lisa Wallenda Picard, NTF vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.

If the facility was in such a remote area how did the turkeys get avian flu in the first place? Answer: Wild birds. Target destroying the carriers of the disease otherwise don't expect to control the disease if it can still span the distance to a remote poultry facility through wildlife.​

 

[Sylvester017]

Anyone here raise bees too? I've got one hive. Two brood chambers almost full and now one honey super.

I don't raise bees -- however I have a garden full of blossoming veggies and herbs to feed them and to have them pollinate the blooms. Even the various wasp varieties can do a good job of pollination.

 

[ozexpat]

@Sylvester017
Quote:
Are you saying we should kill off wild birds?

 

[Sylvester017]

@Sylvester017

Are you saying we should kill off wild birds?

No, not what I'm saying but I figured someone along the way would think that. What I'm saying is that the authorities are going backwards in stopping the spread. If you can't kill off the wildlife that spreads the disease how can agencies possibly think they can control it at the end of the chain in poultry industries and backyarders? Sounds to me like it will eventually come down to wiping out all the country's poultry. You can't control wildlife and certainly not eradicate whole species but starting backwards to start by killing off poultry industry birds is the end of the line and not the beginning where the disease is originating -- wildlife. It's like trying to cure an epidemic after the fact rather than preventing it at the origin. The flu hit Asia, Europe, and now we have the pleasure of fighting their epidemic in our country. How'd the dam* thing start in the first place?

 

[ozexpat]

No, not what I'm saying but I figured someone along the way would think that. What I'm saying is that the authorities are going backwards in stopping the spread. If you can't kill off the wildlife that spreads the disease how can agencies possibly think they can control it at the end of the chain in poultry industries and backyarders? Sounds to me like it will eventually come down to wiping out all the country's poultry. You can't control wildlife and certainly not eradicate whole species but starting backwards to start by killing off poultry industry birds is the end of the line and not the beginning where the disease is originating -- wildlife. It's like trying to cure an epidemic after the fact rather than preventing it at the origin. The flu hit Asia, Europe, and now we have the pleasure of fighting their epidemic in our country. How'd the dam* thing start in the first place?

We are getting what we gave - the settlers of America wiped out whole populations with a disease or 10 that were new to the Americas. Now days they just spread faster.

As far as AI goes - we will either have to develop vaccines or develop resistant birds.

Viruses will be forever mutating. Thats how these things start. Some kill of chickens others caused the original blue gene chickens in South America

 

[Sylvester017]

We are getting what we gave - the settlers of America wiped out whole populations with a disease or 10 that were new to the Americas. Now days they just spread faster.

As far as AI goes - we will either have to develop vaccines or develop resistant birds.

Viruses will be forever mutating. Thats how these things start. Some kill of chickens others caused the original blue gene chickens in South America

Vaccines are becoming useless with the mutating viruses. Mareck's now has 5 different strains so getting a Mareck's vaccination is no guarantee it will stop whatever strain a chicken is exposed to. The Fowl Pox vaccinations are a false hope too as many owners have had vaccinated birds still contract bad breakouts of it. There are disease resistant breeds for certain diseases but I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for them as backyard birds -- either too wild tempered, or aggressive, or very bad layers. We hope for the impossible and concede to the inevitable. Always nice getting your input!

 

[ozexpat]

Vaccines are becoming useless with the mutating viruses. Mareck's now has 5 different strains so getting a Mareck's vaccination is no guarantee it will stop whatever strain a chicken is exposed to. The Fowl Pox vaccinations are a false hope too as many owners have had vaccinated birds still contract bad breakouts of it. There are disease resistant breeds for certain diseases but I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for them as backyard birds -- either too wild tempered, or aggressive, or very bad layers. We hope for the impossible and concede to the inevitable. Always nice getting your input!

I pin a lot of hope on vaccines - obviously some diseases will be better controlled than other but I see the effects in real time.

One of my caretakers proved to be a drunk and did not vaccinate for NCD and I saw 60% of my juvenile birds die in 3 days. Over 100 birds dead and some breeds I worked so hard to be established were obliterated.

No Coryza vaccine at 8+11 weeks = coryza infection at 16 weeks.If you catch it quickly you can stop the spread but vaccine is such a better option.

Mareks is a tough issue. The vaccine is also very fragile so its easy to get failure. Add to that the increased virulance you noted and the problem worsens. Several studies suggest a booster vaccination at 7-14 days is highly effective and worth considering.

The costs of vaccines can be tough on a BYCer with 12 chickens and a 1000 dose vial of serum. I once suggested a "vaccine co-op" where people in a geographical area can share a bottle and vaccinate on the same day.

Ay, the joys of raising chooks

 

[Sylvester017]

I pin a lot of hope on vaccines - obviously some diseases will be better controlled than other but I see the effects in real time.

One of my caretakers proved to be a drunk and did not vaccinate for NCD and I saw 60% of my juvenile birds die in 3 days. Over 100 birds dead and some breeds I worked so hard to be established were obliterated.

No Coryza vaccine at 8+11 weeks = coryza infection at 16 weeks.If you catch it quickly you can stop the spread but vaccine is such a better option.

Mareks is a tough issue. The vaccine is also very fragile so its easy to get failure. Add to that the increased virulance you noted and the problem worsens. Several studies suggest a booster vaccination at 7-14 days is highly effective and worth considering.

The costs of vaccines can be tough on a BYCer with 12 chickens and a 1000 dose vial of serum. I once suggested a "vaccine co-op" where people in a geographical area can share a bottle and vaccinate on the same day.

Ay, the joys of raising chooks

You have a pretty sizeable establishment and vaccinating is understandable for you. True that vaccines are costly and only come in "bulk" but if I could be certain there's one that will absolutely 100% work I would buy it in a heartbeat. A vaccine co-op sounds neat but in my suburban area there wouldn't be enough owners to "share" especially since the people I know always seem to be at different points of raising their flock -- some are in chick stage, others in juvenile stage, others in pullet/cockerel stage, yet others with adult or aging birds. I just resort to going to my vet for everything poultry. He used to actually work in the poultry industry with meat and layer chickens so has a lot of medical knowledge and I help him learn about the pet aspects of chicken keeping. He wanted to show me how to shove a syringe down my Silkie's throat and I politely squeezed the contents into my palm and my Silkie came running up to lap up every tiny drop with her little tongue. We're learning a lot from each other