Welcome To BYC Dr. B! I look forward to hearing all about your birds and getting to know you.
Your experience and expertise is most welcomed here. We do the best we can in most cases because there are often no vets nearby for members to take a chicken too...so we use each other and past experiences to help guide each other...professional advice, info and guidance is greatly appreciated and welcomed.
HI DR. B, and welcome!! You are in the right place, chicken talk for the soul! I had to chuckle when you mentioned that most chicken enthusiast will spend more time consulting with their vet over a $2 chicken then more expensive and exotic pets! I was one of those folks in my beginning trials of raising chickens, more out for the chickens than the other animals. I am very fortunate that my vets specialty is also chickens and he makes himself available for us 24/7 as he works out of his home. He has even made house calls to trim the hooves of my beloved pot belly pig. (Truly an animal lover himself) Every penny spent with him has left us more knowledgable on preventive care and with the most healthiest chickens ever! I breed and sell egg layers only, (lol), will not sell my chicks to someone looking for a meat bird, though most breeds that I raise are dual purpose. I never refer to "chicken" as food in front of my girls, just as my pig doesnt know that I love pork, bacon and ham the best! When I am cooking either of the two meats, I close up all the windows and doors to my house so they do not get offended by the smell. Thank you for your kindness and generosity in offering thousands of us folks advice, and may you also find the food for your soul through this sight. By the way, I love that you roo hangs out with you on your desk, put the biggest smile on my face. Nothing like waking up to the sweet sound of a crow at the break of dawn, music to the ears. Aloha!
FROM ATLANTA!!!! I need to PM you--- I have a few questions about my 2 hens' death. On the forum click "messages" (in case you didnt know) and you can find the message i sent you. and be warned... this forum is ADDICTING!!!!!!
Thank you everyone for such warmed feathered welcomes.
First, I uploaded some images, but I do not know where they went. I will need to practice with the site a little to figure out how to use it. If anyone has any pointers or guidance, I am all eyes.
Second, this last few months and the next couple of months are the busiest, most important time in my entire career, life even. I am giving three lectures at the upcoming Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) conference; I am new Board of Directors Member and have several important organization-changing meetings next week; I am the Chairman for the AAV Avian Welfare Committee, so I have lots of responsibilities with that position; I am proposing an Avian Welfare Summit to the Board which will take me up to a year to prepare; and I am studying for my Boards coming up in January. This on top of running my veterinary practice, teaching veterinary students, managing my pet bird supplies store, overseeing my wholesale distribution company (we sell pet bird supplies to retail stores and web sites), and of course all of the personal stuff like taking care of me and my pets.
I only am mentioning all of this so that if I am not able to post much in the next few weeks, it is not because I don't want to, it is because I simply run out of time. Please know that I am with you and will be participating. Things will slow down for me after mu Boards and I pan to take it easy for a little while then. I might even take my first official vacation.