Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[fuzzybutt love]

all true, but mine carry crd; i do take care to alternate the antibiotics as well to lesson the chances of resistance. Usually they don't get "sick", but the snuffle means that they will this time; my favorite in particular has had it hit hard during a temp drop before earlier this winter. Quits eating, hunches around, gets picked on...... Very soon i'm going to invest in the stuff daron got last year to treat it. ($50) I had to wait for the holidays to be over, i don't get payed for them and with winter's increased bills..........

Normally i go the natural route and i have ideas towards this as well..... open to more ideas though! This has just NOT been a normal winter with all the earlier "wet" and then the drops, the super cold drops.......I'm still thinking about the cayenne. Has anyone done this with success??

Putting them down is NOT an option. Put 3 years into this project! I have been gettting a few birds here and there with the thought of trying for stronger, more resistant bloodlines....?

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Just popping in to share, I just got home from work and look out the window to see one of our resident Bald Eagles swooping around catching starlings, a Red Tailed Hawk roosting in the tree by the road waiting for starlings to get too close, and our farm Falcon driving one of the bigger flocks of starlings and rushing in to grab one. I guess it's dinner time. Birds are absolutely gorgeous creatures, except those darn starlings anyone want a flock of 50,000?:/

By the way, all my chickens are smart enough to hide under the coop when the big guys come to the farm.

 

[Opa]

Just came in from the chicken coop. I had gone to TSC for cracked corn and layer pellets and since only Granny is the only other one here, I placed my purchases in the coop and then spent several minutes evaluating the condition of my flock. Since my incision is almost closed and gooped with antibiotic ointment and bandaged I didn't think a few minutes with the flock would hurt. There was no noticeable odor of ammonia in the coop, the upper windows are open, and the large circulating fan is set to kick on at 30 degrees so I don't think ventilation and humidity are going to be an issue. Both rooster appear hale and hearty. Their combs are bright read and standing proud so there's no evidence of frostbite.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Hi all! No hawks lurking here lately, but about 2:30 I went out to do an egg and water check. As I got closer I could hear something wasn't right. My GCM rooster Rye was making all kinds of noise from his separate coop yet there were hens walking around in the pen acting fine. A large grey "thing" sat with it's back to me with red on the snow all around him. A Possum was eating spaghetti I'd tossed in earlier for the hens. My hens didn't even freak when he growled and hissed when they snuck spaghetti away. Luckily they were all okay. It seems Rye was the only one that knew it could hurt them. I wish we'd get at least a predator break during the winter. I suppose they know the extreme cold is coming back and are out looking to fill up.

 

[aart]

all true, but mine carry crd; .....

What is crd?

 

[fuzzybutt love]

This is still the closest to curing MG/ CRD http://www.qcsupply.com/denagard-liquid-concentrate-novartis.html?gclid=CNqBiMr3u7QCFao7MgodA1oA4g

It doesn't have the risk of resistance that the other antibiotics do, it's being used in england with pretty good results. Not a complete answer, but..... The sister of the weak one had one slight bout with it her first year, and no symptoms since. Lays a jumbo egg nearly every day even in winter. Those eggs are what i usually feed back to the sick ones, and i like to think that they are good for me as well.

Finding herbal info for birds that is tested is hard! MG is the poultry version of bacterial pneumonia; the micoplasma strains are different and i can't get theirs; But those bacteria are so small they don't have cell walls and hide in healthy tissue. Also of interest to me is that diabetic people get a form of yet another strain of mycoplasma on their feet when they get wounds and the wounds get infected! A dr is saving limbs by treating the micoplasma, dr's are using meds to cure rheumatoid arthritis and other things too by treating different mycoplasmas! (marshal protocal for any other health nerds out there) Problem is it is only a "cure" after a year or more of very strong antibiotics and they are having issues with resistance too.

My flock's sickness hits close to home with me, i hate-hate-hate using the antibiotic crutch on them but don't know what else to do for the moment. Like i said, any feedback at all or ideas would be great, i would be grateful to have another lead for this. At moment i must take care that they don't get any secondary infections, that is what kills in CRD, not the CRD itself.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

"chronic respiritory disease". Usual symptom is foamy eyes, rattling and nasal discharge. Acts just like a human cold; they get it from other chickens that carry it and from wild birds sometimes when they free range. Mine got it ranging, i think ... so i choose to not kill the flock (the usual recomendation since there is no cure)

Normally they show no sign but with this crazy year.... symptoms are brought out by stress of the temp change.

This isn't the noise that taprock and i were talking about; that is something entirely different. (according to the vet, nothing to worry about)

it is a personal decision and one that i've taken a lot of flack for. I don't regret my decision; i did a lot of research on the subject and i'm not going to NOT range my birds, that's all i'll say on this topic since it was so heated a discussion last year; if anyone has any questions of me feel free to PM.

 

[RaZ]

I guess the PC term for baby cage is "play pen".

I want one for housing a bird that may need isolation or extra TLC. It could also double as a brooder.

 

[snowflake]

Snowflake are those your dogs? Very sweet looking.

one is mine the other is my Grand-daughter's, they are brothers, Snicker's comes to visit us on Sunday and they have a ball

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I've gotta go and i've yapped enough but i couldn't let your visit to the coop go un-noticed, Opa!

Made me giggle. I could just about see you thinking about it, just happening to have that corn and no one else there to say you couldn't ! A sure sign you're doing better, you're getting spunky I'm really glad to hear you are doing better and your birds are doing great as well. I'm sure that was a huge relief for you to lay eyes on them.