Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

I was just up at the court house to request a copy of the Wednesday transcript. I also got copies of the ROA (Register of Action) for all cases under my name. That is the record of everything that has been filed or acted upon by the defendant and the court.

There were 12 dating back to 2011, plus 4 that were dismissed by the prosecutor and there are 2 or 3 that the clerk says are "sealed". Meaning that I am not allowed to look at them even though I am named as a defendant. Every one of them is an ordinance violation of some sort, most are petty complaints like the paint on the garage.

When the mayor said that he didn't want "that kind of people in his city" I guess he meant me. The prosecutor did say that he was going to make an example of me.
I guess I have been too vocal about the nonsense that is taking place here. Going to Lansing every month probably isn't helping either.

Many of you have been to my house and I've posted many pictures of the yard. Is it really that bad? The judge thinks it is awful enough to sentence me to jail.

 

[SillyChicken]

The only way to get to the sealed ones are by court order..... are there other judges in the court house? Otherwise, once a record is sealed, in some states, the contents are legally considered never to have occurred and are not acknowledged by the state. Which may work in your favor.

Check this out... http://www.recordgone.com/statutes/michigan-court-rules-8-119-i.php

 

[yorkchick]

So, earlier this week, I lost one of the two d'Uccles I got from @Folly's place at Chicken stock this year. And I haven't been able to figure out why. It (probably a little cockerel, but of the two I was still holding out a little hope it might be a pullet--comb development, but not quite as much as the other one...) was about 11-1/2 weeks old, being kept with his brother and the other chick I got at CS, a Marans that was 2 weeks younger. They're in the bigger coop but within a roomy dog crate inside. No evidence they pick on each other, they always snuggled together and ate together well. I pick them up to handle them and hand-feed them to keep them tame, but not every day.

I've been working more just lately (filling in for someone on vacation at work) so it's been more of a quick visit in the morning and evening to the birds to check food and water. Tuesday morning the one d'Uccle just didn't seem very lively, but I was in a rush to get to work. I do get to come home at lunch to let the dogs out, so I went out to the coop at lunch and the little guy/gal was just huddled with its head under its wing. I picked it up and was sad to feel how thin it was, and how empty its crop felt. I took it into the barn and hand fed it some meal worms, their favorite, and it did seem to perk up. I put him back in, sprinkled some meal worms down, and all 3 of the littles started pecking. But when I got home from work that night it had gone downhill again. No interest in mealworms. I syringe fed it a little Nutri-drench and some water, put it in a crate in the bathroom with a heat lamp nearby, but it wouldn't even stand up at that point. It died before I went to bed that night.

The other two littles seem fine so far--eating well, active--and no symptoms from anyone else in the coop. No sneezing or nasal discharge or funny breathing. The young'uns have been outside not a lot because of my predator issues plus my recent work schedule--I have had them out in a pen on grass but the last time was (I hang my head to admit) three weeks ago... just to (possibly) rule out picking up something form outside the coop?

Anyway, I realize this could just be the start of a trend and I could lose more birds. But so far, so good. Any ideas?


These are the Chickenstock 3 on July 20. The one that died is the d'Uccle in the center. About eight weeks old here. What makes a young bird stop eating and become lethargic over just a few days time?

 

[ladyrsanti]

Anyway, I realize this could just be the start of a trend and I could lose more birds. But so far, so good. Any ideas?


These are the Chickenstock 3 on July 20. The one that died is the d'Uccle in the center. About eight weeks old here. What makes a young bird stop eating and become lethargic over just a few days time?

I know what you're going through. The black copper marans pullet I got at CS this year is currently battling Marek's. She came with it and first showed symptoms while in quarantine, that I mistook for sour crop, that passed as suddenly as it came on. She essentially joined the flock then after the three weeks and now she is almost completely paralyzed. I don't expect her to make it but will keep her on as long as she is eating and drinking. Dr. Fulton warned us. I'm not blaming anyone at CS. Dr. Fulton also said that my flock already had it so no panic here but it is a sullen feeling to have it validated.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

I haven't posted here since June. I haven't read through all the posts, so I hope everyone is doing okay.

Of all the chickens we hatched, not one boy. Maybe the leghorn will turn out to be a male...

Our new coop has been built, still need to paint it.

 

[yorkchick]

I know what you're going through. The black copper marans pullet I got at CS this year is currently battling Marek's. She came with it and first showed symptoms while in quarantine, that I mistook for sour crop, that passed as suddenly as it came on. She essentially joined the flock then after the three weeks and now she is almost completely paralyzed. I don't expect her to make it but will keep her on as long as she is eating and drinking. Dr. Fulton warned us. I'm not blaming anyone at CS. Dr. Fulton also said that my flock already had it so no panic here but it is a sullen feeling to have it validated.

Awww, sorry to hear that, Lady. So hard to see them sick and not be able to help much. How are your other birds doing?

Marek's had occurred to me. None of my current birds (except the lone holdover from my originals, a five year old EE who currently lives with the peahen) were ever vaccinated. The old gal is the only hatchery bird I have... And Marek's can present in so many different ways that it's hard to rule it out. (It's kind of like lupus on the TV show "House." You have to suggest it for every weird thing that comes up...) But Mary of Folly's Place did say she hasn't had issues with Marek's in the past (not to say it isn't there, and isn't in my flock too, as Dr. Fulton said, but nobody's been symptomatic prior to this). I do have a turkey, who, yes, is at risk of developing blackhead from associating with the chickens but who may pass some immunity to Marek's on to the chickens. Though, again, due to predator issues, these chickens have less contact with the turkey than my previous chickens. I do let the adults out for a few hours later in the day when I can watch them. But I don't know how much sharing of space needs to occur for the Marek's protection from the turkey, such as it is, to happen.

And, of course, it's a total stab in the dark that Marek's had anything to do with my chickie's death. Just going through my "Storey"s Chicken Health Handbook":
"Symptoms--in chicks over 3 weeks old (most commonly 12 to 30 weeks): growing thin while eating well (most common form), deaths starting at 8 to 10 weeks and persisting until 20 to 25 weeks." Well. Cannot rule out Marek's based on that. However, I hate to leap to any conclusions, either. I guess I just wait to see if any of my other birds are affected.

 

[JackieandChicks]

I haven't posted here since June. I haven't read through all the posts, so I hope everyone is doing okay.

Of all the chickens we hatched, not one boy. Maybe the leghorn will turn out to be a male...

Our new coop has been built, still need to paint it.

You need a roo? I may have a spare roo....

 

[Opa]

Anyone need a Welsummer cockerel? Of the four chicks that hatched Monday one is definitely a cockerel and I will be culling him soon unless someone needs him.

 

[aart]

I know what you're going through. The black copper marans pullet I got at CS this year is currently battling Marek's. She came with it and first showed symptoms while in quarantine, that I mistook for sour crop, that passed as suddenly as it came on. She essentially joined the flock then after the three weeks and now she is almost completely paralyzed. I don't expect her to make it but will keep her on as long as she is eating and drinking. Dr. Fulton warned us. I'm not blaming anyone at CS. Dr. Fulton also said that my flock already had it so no panic here but it is a sullen feeling to have it validated.

I'm confused here you got a pullet at CS that came with Mareks, did you know this before you brought her home?

.......but Dr. Fulton told you you already had Mareks, did you know this before you brought the new pullet home?

 

[ladyrsanti]

I'm confused here you got a pullet at CS that came with Mareks, did you know this before you brought her home?

.......but Dr. Fulton told you you already had Mareks, did you know this before you brought the new pullet home?

I did not know either. What Dr. Fulton means when he says that we already have it or that it's everywhere is that it's not a matter of IF but WHEN. It's so widespread in our state that no amount of biosecurity is going to keep your flock clean forever. Therefore, if you don't have it yet, you will so let's not kill ourselves over the what-ifs and where it came from, who's to blame, etc. It travels 50 miles on the wind and you can pick it up on your shoes at the feed store, etc. Nowhere is safe so it's just easier to assume that everyone has it and do the best we can to keep it under wraps, vaccinate, and breed for resistance. So far, I've only ever lost three birds to unexplained illness (two young cockerels and an older hen) and I can't say what did it but if it was Marek's, it happened while I had a closed flock. I didn't bring new birds in until last summer and the deaths happened before that. So who knows...

ETA: It's been seven weeks since CS, the cockerels that were in quarantine with the pullet are still healthy and the rest of the flock is also still healthy. But I'm keeping an eye on them just in case.