Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

AI:

* Continue Free Ranging.
*No Wild bird feeding.
*Chasing Wild Mallards that may land in my yard--out--but that never happens very often anyways.
*Change into my sloggers everytime I go down to the coop.
*Limit visitors
*Suggest a back hole to Jennie-O, Golden Plump, etc. Why oh why don't they bury that stuff?!? Why do they allow it air space in a field that will soon be filled with Canadian geese and other water fowl feeding?!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Yeah... I really don't think there is a right or wrong answers here. All we can do is try our best to keep our flock happy and healthy and hope the AI stays away.

I can understand MCM doing what she is doing though with her developed breed lines. If my flock was lost to AI it would be emotionally taxing but not break my wallet.

I should point out, for me, locking up doesn't mean in an fully enclosed building. I do have an open-air 'coop' (more like a barn), that has 80-square feet of windows that are open year around, and have indoor-outdoor access to enclosed runs. They are by no means cooped up.

 

[duluthralphie]

I should point out, for me, locking up doesn't mean in an fully enclosed building. I do have an open-air 'coop' (more like a barn), that has 80-square feet of windows that are open year around, and have indoor-outdoor access to enclosed runs. They are by no means cooped up.

I understood that , and did not mean to imply anything else, Sorry if I did. But as KlopKlop pointed out you "chicken" on a whole different level than we do. For us we would be out a few hundred bucks at most, you would be out thousands and many years of hard work.

 

[KlopKlop]

So would now be a bad time to ask if anyone is interested in a Minnesota chicken meet and greet?!? We could get together and show off our favorite pair of muck boots and swap used equipment, no cleaning needed!!

 

[gofeedthegirls]

Want to combine an acre and deliver then to me,  I will give you a Mikes Hard Lemonade or an Apple cider when you get here,

Make it a canoe paddler and/or st.pauly girl and I'll deliver a semi load.

 

[KlopKlop]

Make it a canoe paddler and/or st.pauly girl and I'll deliver a semi load.

I have a 12 of canoe paddlers in my fridge. Yours if you keep it coming south!

 

[gofeedthegirls]

To you veterans of chicken raising out there, what should I expect when winter rolls around? What should I look for? I know vents are a KEY, and I hope im good on that aspect of things. This will be my first winter with chickens. Sorry I am sure yo guys have your responses saved since its a common question asked.

 

[ejb3810]

As I understand it, only one backyard flock in Mn. tested positive for AI. That flock was on a farm neighboring one of the confinement facilities that tested positive.
I find it interesting that the birds which should have been much more exposed to migrating birds than those in total confinement facilities were impacted very little by AI.
It certainly makes an analytical mind question the conclusions which seem to have been reached?
If the fall waterfowl migration is completed without additional cases of AI what might one think?

 

[Minniechickmama]

As I understand it, only one backyard flock in Mn. tested positive for AI. That flock was on a farm neighboring one of the confinement facilities that tested positive.
I find it interesting that the birds which should have been much more exposed to migrating birds than those in total confinement facilities were impacted very little by AI.
It certainly makes an analytical mind question the conclusions which seem to have been reached?
If the fall waterfowl migration is completed without additional cases of AI what might one think?

There were actually more than one, but less than 10, maybe only 5. BUT those were in close proximity to infected confinements and could have been due to poor biosecurity in handling the destroyed flocks. I have heard stories from some of the folks in the hardest hit area, and that is the most likely cause for infections outside the commercial flocks. I believe one backyard flock owner received and infected batch of a poults near Sleepy Eye and had his flock destroyed. That is what I was told, anyway. Of course, mine is not the 'official' word on the matter.
One long-time breeder I spoke with stated they are certain the whole shut down of poultry movement was more to appease the turkey industry than anything else.

Speaking of turkeys, I have 5 or 6 BBWhites going in on October 13th that are not spoken for yet. Nice, pastured birds that should dress 15-20 pounds each. $3.25/lb dressed weight.

 

[Minniechickmama]

To you veterans of chicken raising out there, what should I expect when winter rolls around? What should I look for? I know vents are a KEY, and I hope im good on that aspect of things. This will be my first winter with chickens. Sorry I am sure yo guys have your responses saved since its a common question asked.

A good check of all birds before winter is always good, but you should keep up with that daily as you are taking care of them anyway. Doesn't always mean handle every day, but the better you know your birds the easier to see when something is 'off'. If they have been out on the ground during summer, deworming is not a bad idea. Make sure your coop is draft free but well ventilated. Check for any "chinks in the armor" where rodents or predators can enter, or at least have a plan for when the rodents come, because with feed around, they find their way in. Have a plan for litter removal and feed storage. Plan out your watering system, which will be the biggest PITA part of winter for most poultry keepers. I also keep cracked corn to feed as a treat to all in winter.

BC, you are farther north than I am, any other bits of wisdom?

For those of you storing straw near your birds, remember that is great nesting material for mice as well as using it for nest boxes or bedding.