Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Isn't it late to be hatching chicks? How old will they have to be before they can go outside?

Oh her husband is a builder he has built the flock a palace. Heated, lights and everything!

Shirley’s kiddos are still living in their basement - they started flying out of their crate and were found hanging out on the chesterfield relaxing…. Watching tv

Her husband covered the crate though so no more watching movies, this weekend they are being moved to the new Palace to their own home, next to the Bigs.

Babies will then go down to the basement crate when they are big enough to leave the smaller crate they are currently in.

Works great as her kids like to handle them.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thirsty Thursday

An oldie....

View attachment 4253958

Awwww! Betty Sydney and HRH lovely!

 

[featherhead007]

I have another cockerel/rooster question.
Crowing.
When? Why?
I understand it can be day or night.
I understand that first thing in the morning when he is feeling frisky he needs to announce to the world that it is morning and he is ROOSTER!
I also understand that if he hears another rooster he needs to assert himself and crow louder.
But for example is crowing ever a summons, or an alert, or a sign of aggression?
Today Mr. Chips stood on the raised top of their little open run and crowed a dozen times. One after the other. I caught just the last one on video below.
Was he practicing maybe?
The ladies all stood and stared up at him like they were watching outdoor theater. All except Nutmeg who happened to be standing next to him. She looked the other direction and shuffled away a bit like ‘this is so embarrassing’!

Also, do chickens molt around 15-16 weeks? Pooh laid into Mr. Chips and he let go a whole load of feathers. Way more than she could possibly have pulled out with her short peck.

The Lion King!!

 

[featherhead007]

I meant to weigh in on this earlier but was traveling and got distracted.
I am not an expert, but I did research this quite extensively when I first got a Marek's diagnosis in my flock, and this is my understanding:
- If you have no Marek's in your flock then no, your vaccinated chicks will not introduce it.
- If you do have Marek's in your flock, or it gets introduced (remember it is quite ubiquitous and can travel miles on wind), then your vaccinated chicks will likely do just fine, but they may become carriers for life
- There is some belief that on a population basis all those vaccinated chickens who are doing just fine but are carriers of Marek's may enable the Marek's vaccine to evolve and become more deadly. I would say the science on that is not a 'for sure' thing though factually more deadly strains of Marek's have emerged over time. The evolutionary biologist in me can't quite get comfortable with the theory (why not evolve to be less deadly so you can keep replicating without killing your host?), but more informed minds than mine will no doubt figure it out - and in any case it doesn't seem of huge relevance to one backyard flock.

Hope that helps.

 

[featherhead007]

Awwww! Betty Sydney and HRH lovely!

HRH

 

[Labsandchickens8]

There is this theory (as @RoyalChick has explained) that the Mareks vax being an attenuated virus (a very weak strain, one that won’t cause illness), can mutate into a more virulent strain.

As RC has stated the science doesn’t hold up for this. But I am sure these situation are being investigated because there is one thing scientist like to do, and that is solve puzzles.

I now have about a third of my flock vaccinated for Mareks, and there is some suggestions that those vaccinated birds can actually help protect the unvaccinated birds. Again it’s not been scientifically proven, but the theory is the weakens vaccine causes a mild illness which the others catch. Fine by me if that is so! But again sketchy science.

What scientist do know is that the vaccine challenges the birds/chicks immune system which creates antibodies that can then in the future detect the virus when the bird come in contact with it. This is what prevents the bird from getting sick with full blown Mareks (or whatever other vaccine), and what keeps me up at night worrying about with the other 2/3 of my flock not being vaccinated.

I am not worried about my older birds but, they likely have been exposed and built up immunity. But it’s the real youngsters I worry about.

Thank you. This helps. I think I'm going with vaccination in the future.

 

[featherhead007]

I spent my morning hiding my oatmeal breakfast away from Dakota. Shes a very persistent bird, who tries ever time, to get what I’m eating.

 

[featherhead007]

I was supposed to have a hospital follow-up today, but the doctor called in sick. He probably lost his golf ball yesterday and is still on the course looking for it.
Cancelled appointment inconvenience tax:

 

[featherhead007]

Here’s a post just so fuentemoon can put a like on it like all the others!

 

[Labsandchickens8]

I meant to weigh in on this earlier but was traveling and got distracted.
I am not an expert, but I did research this quite extensively when I first got a Marek's diagnosis in my flock, and this is my understanding:
- If you have no Marek's in your flock then no, your vaccinated chicks will not introduce it.
- If you do have Marek's in your flock, or it gets introduced (remember it is quite ubiquitous and can travel miles on wind), then your vaccinated chicks will likely do just fine, but they may become carriers for life
- There is some belief that on a population basis all those vaccinated chickens who are doing just fine but are carriers of Marek's may enable the Marek's vaccine to evolve and become more deadly. I would say the science on that is not a 'for sure' thing though factually more deadly strains of Marek's have emerged over time. The evolutionary biologist in me can't quite get comfortable with the theory (why not evolve to be less deadly so you can keep replicating without killing your host?), but more informed minds than mine will no doubt figure it out - and in any case it doesn't seem of huge relevance to one backyard flock.

Hope that helps.

Yes, very helpful! Thank you.
I hope to get more bantam chicks to add to my lonely little 2 Polish flock. I will buy vaccinated.