D'uccle Thread

[ChickenAndMore]

 

[nothingbutbirds]

Yes, any bird you bring in will be a carrier since it will be exposed to the virus.

My birds have it as well.  I've lost 4 out of my 8, last was a d'uccle, I sure miss her.

I don't think breeding for resistance is always going to work either, (see mareks thread in emergency section, it's long!).

I would still vaccinate any chick that I hatched here.  I won't be doing that though because I've had the mareks birds in my house and I won't ever be positive enough that they wouldn't be exposed if I hatched inside.  If we move, I might be able to try it but I don't know.  We are planning to move soon.

IMO all breeders should vaccinate, not because they have mareks, but because birds can go anywhere to anyone and get it.  We all find this out the hard way.  I know it's costly but it could save the lives of the birds when they go to their new homes.  It's a very awful thing to have.

I'm sorry you lost so many nothingbutbirds  That's awful.  I'm in Ohio.

Thanks. Most of the birds I lost where tame and had a lot of time put into getting them tame. It really was horrific.

 

[Metella]

Thanks all - I put a nasty typo in that earlier post ! .... I meant NOT to judge .... because I know we all go with our experiences and the way that fits best for us - and since we all have different set ups and goals - one way can't be right for all of us.


By my show bird comment ... well I don't show .... I have a flock for my amusement, bug control and eggs ... I do have a $20 rooster to start off a strain of Marans I want as my neighbor's love and buy up those dark eggs .... but I imagine someone who shows and breeds to sells birds may have a ton of money into their flock .... and that could sway a decision to vaccinate or not .....

Most of my birds are unwanted ones that I give a new home to and let them live out their lives here - they give me excellent bug control and even my old hens seem to lay an egg or two a week .... So I have little more than a few bucks into each hen, it would not be worth it to vaccinate for me - but I do hope to have a sustaining flock with my one broody hen this year and my pure Millie D'u and Marans ... so we shall see how vigorous the chicks are this spring.

 

[schnebbles]

Metella - I noticed your typo but knew what you meant

I might not vaccinate a flock I currently had, but if breeders would do it, I think it would save a lot of lives as well as heartache for those of us who end up with Mareks.

I can't imagine losing 45 of 50! that's an insane percentage. Were they older? Mine are all currently around6- 9 months or so. I keep hoping no more and I try not to think about it. I think unless you actually end up with it, you just don't quite grasp how awful it is.

Now, I cannot just get a bird from the breeder I got any of my birds from because none of them vaccinate. I have to either get hatchery stock which I'd rather not do or find a breeder who vaccinates. I also would prefer a chick to be at least 2 weeks old or even more before I'd bring it to my house. The longer the chick can go without being exposed the better. I've read way more than I ever wanted to about Mareks. I've spent a lot of $$ on things that might help, paid to have 2 put down because I can't do it and cried lots of tears.

If breeders would charge an extra $2-3 a bird to vaccinate, I don't think most people would have a problem paying it. The shipping is what no one wants to pay since it has to go 2 day and stay cold. I'd gladly pay extra.

I get on rants about that, sorry. I can't help it!

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

Beautiful. looks like love is in the air!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I feel terrible about my friend's birds, because i have always read that if you ran your flock with turkeys they would automatically get some type of resistance; I convinced her of this and now this year she lost so many even though she had wild turkeys a plenty the last couple years visiting. That had been my plan, too. I figured to maybe get a turkey hen, and run her with my flock so i wouldn't have to worry about the vacc and chicks and all. That's why the strong opinion on my part.

Has anyone else taken this direction with their research? Is it because of her breed's low resistance, or is the whole turkey thing bunk?

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

I run all my turkeys and chickens together. I only lost one turkey, do to an ugly black infection around it's nostrils. It might have been blackhead, but nobody else came down with it. She was always a weak chick and the others picked on it constantly. I find that if a bird gets picked on alot, it dies. Not sure whether they know it is sickly, or it dies because it gets picked on. My picked on birds get to spend the rest of their lives in the baby pens. Funny, I never seem to get eggs from those birds, either.

 

[K Epp]

When I went out to feed and turn some loose to free range I discover that one of my d'Uccle has a closed eye and isn't tackling the food with her normal vigor. I bring her in put a warm wash cloth on it and get it open because is is partially crusty. I have teramycine (sp) antibiotic ointment I got for kitten eyes. I works wonders on chickens too. While I have her in and in good light I give her a once over looking for bugs. Vent looks good, under wings, around breast, back all look clean. I flip up the feathers on the back of her neck in the hackle area and there is something so small I can hardly see it and looks like it has dark red/brown stuff around it too. I immediately take her out side and into garage to where I have my vet ward set up. I put Ivermectin directly on the area and DE all over the bedding and give her a light to stay warm. I went and checked the other birds in the coop and found no other bugs, but just in case I will treat them all tonight. I have a very calm d'Uccle roo who is last in command I went a head and treated him and put him in with her and she seemed to perk up some and cuddle up by him. What could these micro bugs be and do I need to treat them any differently?

 

[fuzzybutt love]

mites? These links have pics to help I.D. http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=472405

3 drops ivomec/ ivermectin on the back, bottom of the neck just like a cat. Repeat in 7 days; effective against some worms too.

Some use frontline, instead. I think that's only for lice/ mites, and i wouldn't eat the eggs but for these little bitties you don't anyway, LOL. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/465712/frontline

Definitely NO baths in these temps! Even if you dry them it takes days to get their oils back. I have used cat flea powder with some success as well, but i definitely like the drops on the neck the best. They can't shake it off since it absorbs into the skin (Make sure it hits skin when you squeeze the drops) and they are covered for a week at least! Diotomaceous earth don't work for an actual infestation, just preventative. (I have tried to do the non-chemical route and after a whole summer of it i am pretty sure) If your flock's not tame just pluck them off roost at night.

 

[K Epp]

They are so tiny I'm not sure as the exact color, but they don't look like what I thought was lice before. Its this DANG

RAIN... I hope I caught it in time and I don't loose her. I'm going to scramble her a egg and up the protein to see if I cant get her better. I went down and double checked the others again and still no sign of anything. I will treat them and the coup just in case. Everything is so wet Its hard to treat it good.