Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[Doug Hodges]

My vet is calling the state lab this morning when they get in. She is going to find out all the information she can get and see if they have any more recommendations.


I had called and left a message and she called me right back this morning.

I am wondering why she didn't have you sacrifice a chick and send it for testing??? you have lost so many Doug I am so sorry!

My vet (Angie) is a member on here. She is 4-h and is addicted to hatching chicks too. She hatched 275 for 4-h. She has 4 incubators and had to unplug them and put them away. Lol. She just sat through a 8 hour class on chickens and all of their diseases. She loves chickens. We have been texting most of the morning. She really cares. I gave her the link to this page. I'm hoping she will come on here. We could use a vet on this thread that has our addiction.

 

[ozexpat]

Day 17.5 update from across the Pacific

We have living breathing chirping Coturnix.

Just 6 hatch so far but that is 6 more than our last attempt. Its a great sign that we are on the right track.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: My vet (Angie) is a member on here. She is 4-h and is addicted to hatching chicks too. She hatched 275 for 4-h. She has 4 incubators and had to unplug them and put them away. Lol. She just sat through a 8 hour class on chickens and all of their diseases. She loves chickens. We have been texting most of the morning. She really cares. I gave her the link to this page. I'm hoping she will come on here. We could use a vet on this thread that has our addiction.
awesome! Is she an avian vet or is that all combined? Or is that why she was in classes? We finally got an avian vet in at our local office, so glad to see him too! Doug so awesome you have her so close!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Day 17.5 update from across the Pacific

We have living breathing chirping Coturnix.

Just 6 hatch so far but that is 6 more than our last attempt. Its a great sign that we are on the right track.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Here is the kicker for this whole shizzzzzz .... IF at anytime you have these diseases, they will quarantine and then re-test. IF however you are deemed biohazard its out of your pocket to pay for the Biohazard disposal of birds, coops, equipment and even excavating of grounds. I just got the email back in response to that one.... "[FONT=Calibri,sans-serif]If certain diseases, such as AI wipe you out, there may be some indemnity funds from USDA available. But yes, farming is a risky business for sure.[/FONT]"

Weighing this........ thoughts for a backyard flock owner?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I am off, have a good day y'all. Doug I pray you figure this all out.

Come on chickies to everyone hatching!

 

[Lilbrownie]

I am very close to throwing in the towel and not going for NPIP and keeping my CCL, serama and brahma and selling off the other breeds. I am having way too much stress, with all this rain this month it stinks so bad, the runs are terrible mess and I used to have fun and enjoy this, now its a major pain in the butt and I slipped and fell and got chicken **** all over me including in my hair when I fell! My dogs don't require the work my chickens do, DH wants to know why I didn't just open a kennel. DOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  good question and I guess I should have if I could afford to build one! Sorry for the rant I am miserable and confused and confused and even more confused.

Should I stay or should I go now... dam song been running in my head all day long!!!

Here is the kicker for this whole shizzzzzz  ....  IF at anytime you have these diseases, they will quarantine and then re-test. IF however you are deemed biohazard its out of your pocket to pay for the Biohazard disposal of birds, coops, equipment and even excavating of grounds. I just got the email back in response to that one.... "[SIZE=12pt][COLOR=1F497D][SIZE=11pt]If certain diseases, such as AI wipe you out, there may be some indemnity funds from USDA available.  But yes, farming is a risky business for sure.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/SIZE]"

Weighing this........ thoughts for a backyard flock owner?

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble! I feel like PA ag dept is just crazy they have so many stupilations and laws but yet they never really understand it all! Like all goats are supposed to have ear tags but the Lamancha breed have no ears so we ask in that case what do we do with the tags and they haven't answer for us but they have to have an ear tag!! Like *** do you want us to do?? No ears but have to have an ear tag I guess we are just supposed to make fake ears for them right?? I feel like they don't want people to have back yard farms they only want BIG farms because they are the ones that all the laws and such are made for! Know your pain but you need to figure out if all this stress and crayness is worth it?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I think its not worth it at all. Its not trouble at all, its just a pain to try to figure out the entire package deal. We are reading the small print, DH and I both. I see no positives at this point. I don't even see a profit. between all the paperwork for each batch of eggs sold and everything else its simply NOT for a backyard flock owner unless they are rich and can afford enclosed housing including runs and so on. and to be honest I am not sure I want those living conditions for my birds. They care about sanitation not animal welfare, which can be a plus and minus for inspection. I like watching them wonder and catch bugs and do their chicken things. What can they do in a breeding box or small cement run? breed.... so no, perhaps not for me at all. So I am thinking we will sell off our WFS and the Spitz and keep the rest for simply pets and eggs. And maybe then get into meat birds at some point, it makes a lot more sense to raise birds for 8 weeks and put meat in the freezer than to keep dishing out for notta and a whole lotta stress, this disease that disease, my chickens sick this that and on and on...... never had an animal that had so many issues that can pop up. Don't let me get you all down, its just that I had a plan and it wasn't a good one at all. I so wanted to share these brahma and some of my fav breeds with everyone and help pay for feed costs for a hobby that's all. ok, now I must go..... thanks for everyone's support.

 

[ozexpat]

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble! I feel like PA ag dept is just crazy they have so many stupilations and laws but yet they never really understand it all! Like all goats are supposed to have ear tags but the Lamancha breed have no ears so we ask in that case what do we do with the tags and they haven't answer for us but they have to have an ear tag!! Like *** do you want us to do?? No ears but have to have an ear tag I guess we are just supposed to make fake ears for them right?? I feel like they don't want people to have back yard farms they only want BIG farms because they are the ones that all the laws and such are made for! Know your pain but you need to figure out if all this stress and crayness is worth it?

i live next door to disneyland. do you want me to send you some mini mouse ears for your goats?

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I think its not worth it at all. Its not trouble at all, its just a pain to try to figure out the entire package deal. We are reading the small print, DH and I both. I see no positives at this point. I don't even see a profit. between all the paperwork for each batch of eggs sold and everything else its simply NOT for a backyard flock owner unless they are rich and can afford enclosed housing including runs and so on. and to be honest I am not sure I want those living conditions for my birds. They care about sanitation not animal welfare, which can be a plus and minus for inspection. I like watching them wonder and catch bugs and do their chicken things. What can they do in a breeding box or small cement run? breed.... so no, perhaps not for me at all. So I am thinking we will sell off our WFS and the Spitz and keep the rest for simply pets and eggs. And maybe then get into meat birds at some point, it makes a lot more sense to raise birds for 8 weeks and put meat in the freezer than to keep dishing out for notta and a whole lotta stress, this disease that disease, my chickens sick this that and on and on...... never had an animal that had so many issues that can pop up. Don't let me get you all down, its just that I had a plan and it wasn't a good one at all. I so wanted to share these brahma and some of my fav breeds with everyone and help pay for feed costs for a hobby that's all. ok, now I must go..... thanks for everyone's support.

Don't know what to tell you Sally. You have to do what is the best for you and the birds. It's like most things in life, if the joy isn't there then we must find something else. I'm going to actually sell off my Production Reds. Have a guy coming today to get a couple. With all these chickens I got this year these small ones which I rather have is eating me out of a home. 50lbs every 5 days. LOL. I have to do something. Plus then it will free up the area they are in to let my DW dogs run around and still can use it for a mid-growing pen when I need to move younger birds from the brooder. So will serve as 2 things. I have HRIR's now so don't really need the Production Reds. Except I will keep the roo and one hen. Just sort of got attached to those 2. DAM IT!! HAHAHAHA