Hatching Eggs / Paypal CHAT Thread

[Snapnzap]

But I just got off the phone with the guy...Straining to understand him.
But the salient points are:

• Most (75%-90%) backyard flocks have MG(???!!!???!!!!) but because there are many strains, and many are not serious, most people don’t know they have it.
• Evidently MG is a pandemic on the east coast in house finches and many on the east coast are carriers. (Also American goldfinches, purple finches, evening grosbeaks and pine grosbeaks.) My Quarantine pen is right under the birdfeeder on our deck where we feed all of these birds BOSS. Some of it falls through and the birds go in to get it.
• Even if I destroy these birds, my flock is at risk forever because it is in the local wild bird population and unless I stop free ranging and put them in a building where they can have no access to wild birds, they can pick it up. This would mean hardware cloth small enough that a finch can’t get through and roof so that a wild bird can’t poop into the run. (2 years ago before I even had chickens I rescued a blind house finch from my garden and nursed it back to health…I just didn’t know that THAT was MG)
• MG can get passed through to the egg in a bird that is actively shedding. The PCR test indicated that the birds were not shedding much (if at all.) I have no idea if my Barnevelders have been exposed but it takes two weeks to become infected. These guys only started coughing last week. And I have had them in Quarantine…but one of the scenarios is that they got it from the wild birds here.
• Most hatcheries don’t test for MG. NPIP makes you test for Pullorium and sometimes AI but they don’t care about MG because it can’t be transmitted to humans. So you can even get it from NPIP certified breeders.

I have seen no symptoms at all in my real flock. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t have it or are not carriers. 2-5% of birds who get over the disease become carriers and this is such a mild strain that it is hard to say. Just sniffles, no morbidity. And the fact that I take really good care of my birds and they are not at all stressed EVER would allow this to hide more easily.

Wow that really stinks! And if those are the disease fact I don't see how a lot of us don't have it too. Preventing it seems hopeless! My flock must be majorly high risk...east coast, free range, wild birds eat out of my chicken feeders. But I like keeping them this way.

 

[AyeUpChuck]

Thanks madam!

 

[madamwlf]

Thanks madam!

 

[coffeekittie]

Hi everyone!

Wow, what a day for so many of you! Hugs and condolences to all who need them (sadly, too many to quote), and big congratulations to the happy people!

Reading about some of the troubles hatching out chicks and then keeping them alive and healthy is helping me not get too demoralized. It's so weird how some birds thrive, while right next to them another droops and dies, regardless of extra care. There are many days when I feel like it must be just me who is incapable of raising 100% healthy animals...but it's isn't true, is it? We do our best to do right by our birds and other animals, but we ultimately can't magically keep them all in perfect health.

Even though I'm not trading right now, I try to keep an eye on this thread to keep myself positive. Both the good and the bad events help give me insight. Thanks, everyone.

Madamwlf, you are one of the least invisible people here. Plus, your lovely eggs came to me on Monday, all looking perfect - even the box looked untouched! I wrote about it in the Feedback thread, but am not sure that's much in use anymore. I want you to know that I deeply appreciate all the care you took in sending me the eggs. I think these guys have a chance.

 

[madamwlf]

Hi everyone!

Wow, what a day for so many of you! Hugs and condolences to all who need them (sadly, too many to quote), and big congratulations to the happy people!

Reading about some of the troubles hatching out chicks and then keeping them alive and healthy is helping me not get too demoralized. It's so weird how some birds thrive, while right next to them another droops and dies, regardless of extra care. There are many days when I feel like it must be just me who is incapable of raising 100% healthy animals...but it's isn't true, is it? We do our best to do right by our birds and other animals, but we ultimately can't magically keep them all in perfect health.

Even though I'm not trading right now, I try to keep an eye on this thread to keep myself positive. Both the good and the bad events help give me insight. Thanks, everyone.

Madamwlf, you are one of the least invisible people here. Plus, your lovely eggs came to me on Monday, all looking perfect - even the box looked untouched! I wrote about it in the Feedback thread, but am not sure that's much in use anymore. I want you to know that I deeply appreciate all the care you took in sending me the eggs. I think these guys have a chance.

Here's hoping you have a great hatch!!! I did send you the special instructions, right?

 

[coffeekittie]

Well, here's a double post.

My d'Uccles just laid their very first egg this afternoon! I'm so excited! My Narrs are working overtime to give me eggs nearly EVERY DAY to put in the bator, too! I didn't know they laid so well.

Turkeys rock! Even my Pilgram and unknown geese are laying, although not daily by any means, so I'm putting them in to try to hatch out some babies....

And of course the rabbits, ah the rabbits. Gotta love the self-sufficient ways they handle child-rearing!

Anyone need a cute bunny? hehehe.

ETA: Yes ma'am, you actually pm'd them to me, so I am all ready.

 

[Bettacreek]

Wow that really stinks!  And if those are the disease fact I don't see how a lot of  us don't have it too.  Preventing it seems hopeless!  My flock must be majorly high risk...east coast, free range, wild birds eat out of my chicken feeders.  But I like keeping them this way.   

Same here! East coast, free-range. I feed indoors though. I got spooked once because I had a bubbly eyed bird and one that got cataracts. Turned out it was my stupidity, not a disease. They were in a room that the dryer vented into. The dust caused the problems and autopsy showed no diseases. I still feel horrible for not realizing it sooner.

 

[Makomd]

I'm thinking about putting my Golden Cuckoo Marans with my Cream Legbar roo...wonder what the result would be? Maybe an interesting barred bird with a crest?

Would be interesting and very well may be autosexing or maybe sex-linked for first gen, both birds are based on double barring but the E allele is different. The GCM is based on eb and the Legbar based on the e+ (wild type) chick down. The off-spring would be e+/eb, off course you could probably breed the e+ into the Marans and have GCM that have wild type chick-down. The double barring factor should lead to lighter males though just not sure if it will reflect as much with the e+/eb.

 

[chiqita]

Well, I can almost guarantee that I can at least compete with almost anyone here for worst day. And it takes a lot to write this when all I want to do is crawl in to a hole.

I brought home some adult birds on Valentines day. They were to be the start of my Dorking program and I was terribly excited about getting them. I have had them in quarantine now for almost 2 months. Because they seemed fine after 4 weeks, I have relaxed my quarantine procedures a bit for the last few weeks…(not washing hands or feet etc) but I haven’t let them out with my others because been building a coop/separate area for them ( & didn’t want them interbreeding with my Barnevelders) Well last week one of the roosters started sneezing and got gurgly in the chest. I sat out there with them to observe for a while and realized that two of them were sniffly. So I bit the bullet and took the two birds to the state testing lab on Friday.

I just got the results today. MG.
My immediate reaction was: horror… CULL!

But I just got off the phone with the guy...Straining to understand him.
But the salient points are:

• Most (75%-90%) backyard flocks have MG(???!!!???!!!!) but because there are many strains, and many are not serious, most people don’t know they have it.
• Evidently MG is a pandemic on the east coast in house finches and many on the east coast are carriers. (Also American goldfinches, purple finches, evening grosbeaks and pine grosbeaks.) My Quarantine pen is right under the birdfeeder on our deck where we feed all of these birds BOSS. Some of it falls through and the birds go in to get it.
• Even if I destroy these birds, my flock is at risk forever because it is in the local wild bird population and unless I stop free ranging and put them in a building where they can have no access to wild birds, they can pick it up. This would mean hardware cloth small enough that a finch can’t get through and roof so that a wild bird can’t poop into the run. (2 years ago before I even had chickens I rescued a blind house finch from my garden and nursed it back to health…I just didn’t know that THAT was MG)
• MG can get passed through to the egg in a bird that is actively shedding. The PCR test indicated that the birds were not shedding much (if at all.) I have no idea if my Barnevelders have been exposed but it takes two weeks to become infected. These guys only started coughing last week. And I have had them in Quarantine…but one of the scenarios is that they got it from the wild birds here.
• Most hatcheries don’t test for MG. NPIP makes you test for Pullorium and sometimes AI but they don’t care about MG because it can’t be transmitted to humans. So you can even get it from NPIP certified breeders.

I have seen no symptoms at all in my real flock. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t have it or are not carriers. 2-5% of birds who get over the disease become carriers and this is such a mild strain that it is hard to say. Just sniffles, no morbidity. And the fact that I take really good care of my birds and they are not at all stressed EVER would allow this to hide more easily.

So at the very least, my flock is now closed. I will be waiting a month or so for anything to manifest and then have blood testing done on my whole flock. I have some hard decisions to make. If this is in the local bird population…and I know it is, there isn’t anything I can do to not eventually get it if I want to free-range my chickens.

To anyone who has hatched out chicks from me I apologize most profoundly. I tried to do the best with Biosecurity that I could. I have some reason to believe that my eggs to this point have been safe as my girls have never shown any symptoms, but there is always a chance and I don’t blame you if you are worried &/or angry.

Anyone I owe eggs to I will pay off with paypal. Please send me your paypal address.

So now I will never breed any chickens. I will keep the females for eggs and a friend will help me dispatch the males. I will not sell eggs or chicks. My chicken plans are now shattered into a million pieces.

I'm so sorry that is painful. I'm sending you hugs too, but feel free to use tem tomorrow, seems liek you ahve a lot today .

I take back every terrible thing I saix about the usps today, at least. Both boxes of birds are in Tennessee. They got bumped for dry ice shippment with about 30 other boxes of live birds. They put them in a warm room last night, gave them water and grapes. The msp hub supervisor fianally found the Tennessee supervisior, told you there was a phone...., he found my boxes from reese and EVERY single bird is alive and chirping happily. He didnt check on the one from cof, but said they are all together. s She promised they are headed for the plane right now and will be here in a couple of hours. Thank you all....ill update.

uzzah! Sounds like someone is a pet person at that hub and is parinoid, than GOODNESS.

Hi everyone!

Wow, what a day for so many of you! Hugs and condolences to all who need them (sadly, too many to quote), and big congratulations to the happy people!

Reading about some of the troubles hatching out chicks and then keeping them alive and healthy is helping me not get too demoralized. It's so weird how some birds thrive, while right next to them another droops and dies, regardless of extra care. There are many days when I feel like it must be just me who is incapable of raising 100% healthy animals...but it's isn't true, is it? We do our best to do right by our birds and other animals, but we ultimately can't magically keep them all in perfect health.

Even though I'm not trading right now, I try to keep an eye on this thread to keep myself positive. Both the good and the bad events help give me insight. Thanks, everyone.

Madamwlf, you are one of the least invisible people here. Plus, your lovely eggs came to me on Monday, all looking perfect - even the box looked untouched! I wrote about it in the Feedback thread, but am not sure that's much in use anymore. I want you to know that I deeply appreciate all the care you took in sending me the eggs. I think these guys have a chance.

I alwasy feel like Im the only one who has animal issues too, I like to hear other peopel have chicks die, makes me feel less of a foobar!

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Did you not get 3 augsburger??? They don't have feathering on their legs. I know the last batch of chicks she told me there was 5 augsburger. Well, I counted and nope, I had 6.

Nope, looks like only 2 and one that isn't going to make it. I am going to try to get her to send me some makeups on the next assortment. I actually just paid for this one flat out instead of a RBA. The one that is not going to make it has the duplex comb too.