Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

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Thanks, Danz, I've been going back and forth on this issue all day.

Good thing to know, though. I don't want to be a stupid bird owner and kill everyone.

 

[Hawkeye95]

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I never told her not to buy...just to take precautions if she did. Not promoting a double standard at all. I sell birds and I'd never advise someone to take them home and just dump them in with the birds they already have anymore than I would do that with a new bird. I have too much time and money invested in my birds to ever risk doing that. Even back when I just had hatchery mutts I didn't introduce new birds into my flock. Just not worth the risk to me.

I have to disagree that a hobby farmer is the best person to buy from. Those are the ones I see buying birds willy nilly at the poultry auctions and combining birds from different buyers in the same cages. No telling what all illnesses you'll drag home from their birds.

No, you can't really look at a bird and know that it's healthy....a carrier bird can look perfectly healthy and infect your whole flock and never show signs of illness themselves.

There are breeders that haven't brought in new blood for decades and their birds are perfectly healthy....it's called line breeding.

In all my years of having poultry I've never had an outbreak of disease. I firmly believe it's because of the precautions I take. If you were to come to buy birds from me you'd be disappointed that I have a no one in the pens rule. You can observe them from a distance, but no one, especially someone who has poultry is allowed near my birds.

I think you did a good job of informing me, just i'm pretty worried about buying from "just anyone". But probably a good concern to have anyway, and a healthy respect for the problems that can happen will hopefully keep me out of trouble. I really do appreciate everyone's input- even if it is different, I'd rather hear both sides.

 

[Hawkeye95]

oh- what about Seymore, though? Over on the turkey site, a lot of them put turkeys and chickens together? Honestly there is no way around it, I'm not going to build two coops and two pens for one lonely turkey. And she's never been around any other birds that I know of, and has never been sick... well except when she had heat stroke and nearly died. I'm not getting any more turkeys either- she was just a fluke accident.

Renee, I tried to PM you about your SILKIES, but it says your inbox is full. When you get home, let me know whats going on!

I hope your return trip is safe.

Well, ran errands while the kids were in Preschool this morning. FINALLY got the call that my son's glasses have come in while I was out. So picked up the kids after school, and we went over and got them fitted for him. They look cute and they got the ear pieces to wrap around his ears nicely so they won't fall off when he runs or plays. They had him lean over and shake his head really hard. Glasses didn't come off! In fact, they barely budged. But in the car on the way home, he threw a tantrum about wearing them and wanted them OFF. I had to resort to threats to keep them on. Sigh. This is going to take some getting used to. We asked if he could see better, but he said it kind of looks the same. But then again- he needs two more lens changes before he gets into his final prescription. So maybe this first set really won't make much difference.

ETA-- oh, and I called Meyer hatchery and they said that the silkies are always straight run and never sexed. They said they are too small to be able to tell! So that was sad, so I def won't be ordering from a hatchery for them.

 

[justinwrites]

Ya know I think Joel Salatin runs turkeys and broilers for a while in the same pen. He says the CXs teach the turkeys how not to die from stupidity.

 

[chicken danz]

Katy, Let me clarify Hobby Farmer. I am talking about people like Hawkeye and the greatest number of people on BYC. They have small flocks. They bought them as chicks. They don't have a huge operation, etc etc. They treat their birds like members of the family and they probably have the best care available. Other than avian flu and Pullorum typhoid I can't think of many diseases that wouldn't show some signs and/or surface during quarantine periods, But that's based on my knowledge.
I am not what I consider to be a hobby farmer. I have many breeds and types of birds and lots of them. I figured up last week I feed over 70 pounds of feed a day. And I honestly believe that anyone who knows birds at all can spot a healthy flock over a poor one.
I wasn't stepping on your toes or anyone else's. I was simply stating that If everyone becomes afraid to buy a bird you won't be selling any either. I don't know about you but selling my birds is how I partially pay for this.
I am VERY familiar with inline breeding and do so myself but for a couple generations, but when it becomes excessive you begin to see problems like weak chicks etc. Like I said, nature has a way of dealing with these things.
I am also very conscientious about keeping people from bringing in disease from outside. But even if you keep your chickens penned and protected, wild birds can bring in disease just by flying over. Unless you have solid roofed pens rather than netting, and no feasible way for any bird, mouse, or other creature to get into the pens, there is always some risk of disease.
At one point I honestly considered making people put on shoe covers before getting out of their cars. I decided that was excessive and expensive.
If someone shows up here with chicken poop on their shoes or their hands I guarantee they aren't going to walk in my pens. They can point at what they want but they aren't going to handle them unless they've already paid to take them home. The houses are pretty much off limits to everyone except when I am selling chicks from my brooder house. They are allowed to go in the open area but not the pens themselves. Most of my birds free range all day anyway.

 

[justinwrites]

heh, biosecurity for me would mean exterminating the infestation of two legged yard rats across the street

My neighbors kids love my back yard and often come to help or watch. hand sanitizer and washing goes a long way with them. for myself I have "town" shoes that never go into my back yard. and I have hiking boots I wear to other farms and they too stay out of my back yard. in a back yard situation that's about the best you can do I think.

and as wisdom goes, never be so afraid of losing something that you don't go get it in the first place.

ETA I might be in the market for more birds in the spring... or sooner if situations keep on. I've determined I'd like more layers. But then I have to figure out which ones. I bought NHRs and BRs just cause, and I have one roo of each but I'm not thrilled with either yet. They've both got one foot in the stew pot. And I'd plan to hatch some of my own someday and would like to improve upon Orschlens offerings.

 

[chicken danz]

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Make a game with your boy. Show him things without his glasses, then show him things with his glasses. Come up with a prize if he can see something with them that he couldn't without them. After a while he'll decide that he likes being able to see better. I don't like wearing glasses either. It takes a while to get used to them and I still don't wear mine the greatest amount of time. Give him breaks from them off and on for short periods so they don't make his ears sore or something that will turn him away from them completely. Tell him how cute he looks and praise him when he wears them. He'll come around.
I know several people that run turkeys and chickens together all the time. Not a problem unless your chickens have blackhead disease. Your hatchery chicks should be fine.
What color silkies are you looking for BTW?

 

[Hawkeye95]

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That is HYSTERICAL!!! I love it!

 

[Hawkeye95]

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thanks, Justin.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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I just posted this earlier today



http://topeka.craigslist.org/grd/2609719816.html



http://topeka.craigslist.org/grd/2609689891.html