Michigan

[chicken grandma]

Famerboy -- there are just no words to say how SORRY I am to hear that your flock has MG again. My heart breaks at this news.




Warning to all of us - best way to avoid MG is to get all your chickens at the same time from one reliable source. No guarantees but it reduces risk.

 

[M.sue]

Got the results in the mail today.

Icelandic
Positive
Peacock
Positive
Tomaru Longcrower
Positive

​

Sorry to hear that....

 

[Grammi]

Farmboy, I am so sorry, Wish there was something we could do for you,

 

[b737drvr]

NovaAman said don't lift the shed.
ChickenGrandma says lift the shed.

Now what??? My head is going to explode....

Farmerboy16 - sorry to hear about those test results. What happens next or what can you do about it?

I'll catch up w/ ya'll tomorrow...nite!

 

[RaZ]

b737drvr
With a little bit of planning, you can landscape around the coop for mowing ease and still provide shade. Like yorkchick said, good ventilation is a necessity. I would worry about "sealing" the windows. An airtight structure is not really good for chickens or even people. And as an aside, light does not seem to be the driver for egg production. (But that is still a work in progress)

RIRJen,
I've been growing hops for years. They can grow up to a foot per day. You will likely need some support for the vines to grow up the side of your barn. I also found that my chicks loved to eat them as they were growing. It's a good thing that the hops are so aggressive. Do you want the Michigan native variety or some of the imports for brewing beer?

Farmerboy,
I'm so sorry about the results. Do you have any options other than culling? Is there a treatment for this?

 

[swampducks]

Excuse my language, but that just sucks Farmboy.

 

[RBahmer]

Terrible, terrible news Daron.

 

[M.sue]

NovaAman said don't lift the shed.
ChickenGrandma says lift the shed.

Now what??? My head is going to explode....

Do what works for you. Mine is lifted because it is movable, has wheels. It's higher than I expected but I can't complain I didn't build it my DH did and he's the one the moves it around out back. I also have cross ventilation. My coop stays fairly cool, the hens like to go under it, I haven't had any issues with mice and we are surrounded by farm fields. Now I've jinxed myself!

 

[teeville5]

Farmerboy- my heart just sunk when I read your post. I'm so sorry for you and your flock.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Thank you all. It was very hard to open the letter, and see the results. I just went limp and cried, and my mom held me. I had to go to work, and cried all the way to work. I have unplugged 3 incubators with eggs in them, some were due to hatch this weekend.
I will cull all of the chicks day-old to 3 months old tomorrow, and try to sell any of the 5 months old to a year old on Craigslist as meat birds. I want them all gone by Saturday.

RaZ- They can be treated, but it can come back when the bird is stressed, and the birds remain carriers for life.