FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[melonball6]

Won't be long and you'll be an addict like the rest of us. It's very insidious. You may think you can resist, but basically, you're doomed!!


Jadnil, I hope Zoey is perking up. What a horrible situation!!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I am already madly in love with my "pet" chicken!

I am seeing several new chick people in southwest florida. Thats great! I am much more likely to be able to meet up in that area than most of the northern areas. Exciting! And looks like most of us in the south are new to chickens too! That'll give us plenty to do; the blind leading the blind. But it will be fun! Xoxo Annmarie

Hi MomsGoneMild! Cute user name. It is fun to meet new people from our area. Speaking of the blind leading the blind, have you ever heard of chicken "bliss"? I thought my baby was getting into some kind of drugs every time she did a dust bath. It is an amazing thing to see.

 

[cmom]

Hi! I'm in Southwest Florida - Collier County. I am brand new to raising chickens.

 

[MomsGoneMild]

Melonball, when I see my chickens dustbathing it takes everything in me to keep from joining them.

xoxo Annmarie

 

[crossgirl]

Melonball, when I see my chickens dustbathing it takes everything in me to keep from joining them.

xoxo Annmarie

They do make it looks so inviting!!

 

[K9Flier]

I have a question that has been running through my mind regarding swap meet ups.  How do you all deal with biosecurity?  I understand the quarantine period, but what about things like your car tires, shoes, clothing, and cages, etc.     How do I go out to meet chicken peeps, or shop at feed stores, or visit friends' farms without bringing contaminates back to my chicks?

That's what I've been wondering too. Also, if I get a couple of new birds at the swap but they don't come from the same place, then do I need to quarantine each bird separately?

Jo

 

[FireTigeris]

I QT separately unless they traveled home together (shared air space Example- from the same swap)

In the pet rat community three hours away from the '-other-or QT animals' is sufficient to allow the pathogens on skin, hair and clothes to die.

I do -still- change clothes, shoes and wash and (up past the elbow) - if I saw anything clearly sick besides the three hours I will also shower first.

Now my QT for any new animal is supposed to be a month- and it starts over if the animals shows illness, after they are well again.

Other people coming to my house my not cross the fence if they have animals that are possible carriers of disease to my animals- OR they can wait three plus hours -and- wash up-

This is why I am so serious about this: http://www.rmca.org/Articles/sda.htm

 

[tigercreek]

I quarantine any new birds, but that is rare. I prefer to not bring any home, and the ones I bring to the swap stay in the cage in the truck, never on the ground. If I do find any birds I have to have, I will separate them with a cull from my existing flock. If all is clear in 30 days, good to go into the general population. I do have shoes for my chicken area only, and ask anyone visiting to spray their shoe soles with Oxine. ....stan

 

[K9Flier]

"I quarantine any new birds, but that is rare. I prefer to not bring any home, "

So you're telling me not to get a bird from the swap, darn, and I wanted a barred rock

 "If I do find any birds I have to have, I will separate them with a cull from my existing flock. "

I only have six hens and none of my girls are culls.

 

[tigercreek]

Nope K9, I'm just telling you what I do. I have brought in birds from outside. You have to in order to build a flock, but once your flock is built, I would be very carefull bringing in birds. I have lost an entire flock to diease bringing in what looked like healthy birds. See me for barred rocks ; ) ...stan

 

[Lolita]

Hello and a very random question for you guys!

Is anyone by chance going to and/or coming from the Ocala area US-27 towards I-95 like to Melbourne/Palm Bay/Sebastian?

I am trying my best to bring a pair of beautiful Finch from there

please let me know and no rush - thank you!