Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[capayvalleychick]

It depends on the type of vaccine used:

I'm waiting for an answer from the breeder. This may ruin my plans to import those Dorkings from Canada that I've been wanting so badly. I'm supposed to go get them next week.
I spoke to a vet at UCD and he said that he would recommend vaccinating my entire flock. The breeder was surprised that I am able to show without vaccinating. I don't understand that - if vaccinated birds revert to virulence, wouldn't they be able to infect other birds at a show?

 

[ronott1]

I'm waiting for an answer from the breeder. This may ruin my plans to import those Dorkings from Canada that I've been wanting so badly. I'm supposed to go get them next week.
I spoke to a vet at UCD and he said that he would recommend vaccinating my entire flock. The breeder was surprised that I am able to show without vaccinating. I don't understand that - if vaccinated birds revert to virulence, wouldn't they be able to infect other birds at a show?

I just read that ILT is not transmitted through the eggs. Can you get hatching eggs?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I'm waiting for an answer from the breeder. This may ruin my plans to import those Dorkings from Canada that I've been wanting so badly. I'm supposed to go get them next week.
I spoke to a vet at UCD and he said that he would recommend vaccinating my entire flock. The breeder was surprised that I am able to show without vaccinating. I don't understand that - if vaccinated birds revert to virulence, wouldn't they be able to infect other birds at a show?

Very good question! Vaccination really seems like an "all or nothing" proposition. And with the same type of vaccine, if I'm reading this info right.

 

[gjensen]

It might not ruin your plans. I do not know that you can just go out and buy the CEO vaccines. I do not know about Canada or any other States, but it probably the least likely of vaccines used. Isn't that what the commercial industry is using?

I am also thinking that the recombinant vaccines are the modified virus vaccines.

I haven't looked it up. Anyone can as well as I. I think that I know, but I am no expert on the topic. I could be wrong.

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

You could always keep them at a different location, hatch heavy from them one season, and then dispose of them.

 

[Wisher1000]

Can you attach wing bands on adult birds? Is there any reason not to? I am still trying to scratch out a system that works for me.

I have been experimenting with cable ties for selection purposes. One day I look at nothing but top lines (back) and put, say, a yellow cable tie on the best two or three. Next, I look at nothing but bottom line (breast) and assign a different color, like blue, for that point for the best ones. The same for tail set, width between legs, comb, eye color, wing tuck, pelvic spread, ect. The bird, or birds, with the most bling should be my next years breeders. I thought it would also make it easier to make complimentary pairings of the lesser birds. This is not something I expect to do from now on, just something to help me until I have a bit more experience under my belt.

 

[MagicChicken]

Can you attach wing bands on adult birds? Is there any reason not to? I am still trying to scratch out a system that works for me.

I have been experimenting with cable ties for selection purposes. One day I look at nothing but top lines (back) and put, say, a yellow cable tie on the best two or three. Next, I look at nothing but bottom line (breast) and assign a different color, like blue, for that point for the best ones. The same for tail set, width between legs, comb, eye color, wing tuck, pelvic spread, ect. The bird, or birds, with the most bling should be my next years breeders. I thought it would also make it easier to make complimentary pairings of the lesser birds. This is not something I expect to do from now on, just something to help me until I have a bit more experience under my belt.

It would be hard to get a wing band in the correct place on an adult bird. With my birds, the ideal age to wing-band is 3-10 days old. At that age the chicks are large enough for me to see where the band is supposed to go, and small enough to easily handle with one hand. (The other hand is used to place the band.) The bands are designed to accommodate the tendon in the wing as the bird grows, but it might be hard to get the band over the tendon in an adult bird. You wouldn't have much room for error. Plus it would be difficult to see the area through the feathers. It is much easier to see where to put the band if the chick hasn't grown in its feathers yet.

In order to read the wing bands on my adult birds I have to open the wing and dig through the feathers to uncover the band, while holding the bird with the other hand. It's a tricky maneuver with a large squirmy bird. The thought of trying to place a wing band on an adult bird makes me shudder. Which does not mean it can't be done. It's just going to be logistically difficult.

 

[Wisher1000]

Having never used wing bands on birds of any age, I had no frame of reference. Thank you, that is exactly the information I needed.

 

[desertmarcy]

It would be hard to get a wing band in the correct place on an adult bird. With my birds, the ideal age to wing-band is 3-10 days old. At that age the chicks are large enough for me to see where the band is supposed to go, and small enough to easily handle with one hand. (The other hand is used to place the band.) The bands are designed to accommodate the tendon in the wing as the bird grows, but it might be hard to get the band over the tendon in an adult bird. You wouldn't have much room for error. Plus it would be difficult to see the area through the feathers. It is much easier to see where to put the band if the chick hasn't grown in its feathers yet.

In order to read the wing bands on my adult birds I have to open the wing and dig through the feathers to uncover the band, while holding the bird with the other hand. It's a tricky maneuver with a large squirmy bird. The thought of trying to place a wing band on an adult bird makes me shudder. Which does not mean it can't be done. It's just going to be logistically difficult.

I recently wing banded about 25 adult large fowl hens. I wanted to combine these 2 year old hens with a group of 1 year olds and wanted to make sure I could identify the oldest of the group. Since I just started using wing bands this year, these hens had never been banded. I had very little trouble doing it. I see where the bands are on the birds I banded as chicks this year and I just put the band in the same place on the older hens. Only 1 or 2 complained (meaning I probably hit a nerve or something). The rest had no problem. They didn't much like being held at the weird angle I had to hold them to get the band in place, but really, it was not hard at all. I just pushed the feathers aside as best I could and used the wing band tool to clip them in place. I took more time to catch the birds and write down the band number and the bird it went to than to actually put the band on.

 

[Wisher1000]

Hey! Y'all are both from Tuscon!