Minnesota!

[Drea07]

Just read on the news this morning the first confirmed case of AI in a backyard flock was confirmed in Pipestone county to a flock of 150 chickens and guineas.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Yeah that hits a little closer to home doesn't it? Backyard flock. ugh....

Good healthy foods and immune systems and biosecurity for our birds, everybody. Nasty bit of business. I've heard it may take 3 years or so to run it's course.

 

[Drea07]

3 years!! Oh man, I hope not!

It just figures, I finally get to have my chickens and ducks and then AI hits hard.

 

[duluthralphie]

Yeah that hits a little closer to home doesn't it? Backyard flock. ugh....

Good healthy foods and immune systems and biosecurity for our birds, everybody. Nasty bit of business. I've heard it may take 3 years or so to run it's course.

It is scary now,

I read the things I can do off Lala's post. I cannot bring myself to lock up my birds. I only have the 30, so it is not a major expense. I like seeing them run around living like an animal should.

I will be more careful with who gets to see my flock, I am going to put a sign up for my eggs customers telling them to stay in the car and I will come out to them.

If you have chickens, as much as I like to show off my birds, it will not happen unless you have new clothes with and will shower before, on clean clothes and boots I can disinfect. A lot of hassle and I expect no one to be willing to go through it. BUT I need to be careful.

I think I am going to take the bandage off Bert, It appears he is trying to walk and the bandage is like a cast and not allowing him to bend at the ankle to step on his foot. I am not going to get my hopes up yet.



I broke the eggs off my "broody". I think I made an error. I Was sure she was broody when I put her in the cage. She seemed to sit on the nest most the time. I gave her 10 eggs, I took 18 eggs out today..

The eggs she had were rotten no development. They were eggs I found in an hidden next so I have no idea how old they were, but I think they were less than a week. I guess I need to figure out a better way to determine broodiness.


I am taking my cheapy little giant still air incubator back today. I called Runnings and they are willing to take in back without a receipt. I am so glad I found a close by runnings store.

I broke open the creamette eggs, they were about 1/2 developed. I am hoping it is the creamettes and not something in the incubator as I have 2 full incubators right now.

 

[duluthralphie]

3 years!! Oh man, I hope not!

It just figures, I finally get to have my chickens and ducks and then AI hits hard.

That is how I feel, I finally get my covered runs and coops nearly the way I want them and BOOM,,,Oh well, there is always beer and fishing....

 

[Drea07]

Beer and fishing?....Yup! That'll work.

 

[holm25]

So is it turkeys that r spreading the AI?? Or r they more suseptable to it?? I am a little scared and am going to leave the birds locked up... We have LOTS of money into this and would hate to see it all go down the drain. AND we r next to a big pond that is filled with waterfowl...

 

[Minniechickmama]

Maybe they had just read "50 shades of Grey"...?

You're killin' me, man!!!

 

[Drea07]

So is it turkeys that r spreading the AI?? Or r they more suseptable to it?? I am a little scared and am going to leave the birds locked up... We have LOTS of money into this and would hate to see it all go down the drain. AND we r next to a big pond that is filled with waterfowl...

One news station is saying they believe it MAY be spreading by migratory water fowl, but they are also testing food to see if that is how it may be spreading. From the sounds of it, they are grasping at straws to try and figure out how it is spreading, even into biosecured areas.

 

[destiny_56085]

thats a lot of banties - if you get the chance to take some pics and post, I would love to see the salmon favorelles.

with AI, I am upping the frequency of offering free choice fresh chopped garlic - garlic being an immune booster and especially for viruses. I'm already adding tumeric to the feed although I notice the chickens aren't as happy with the feed on the days the tumeric is added (every other day right now) but they still do eat it, it just doesn't disappear as frequently.

keeping my fingers crossed that all of our flocks stay AI safe!

These are the ones I have out of the shell so far from last week and a half. 41 chicks already went to 4-H kids out of that older bunch in the cardboard box. Its just too darn cold to move them out to the garage brooders yet so had to fashion makeshift ones for now in the basement. There's 15 rouen ducklings that did get kicked out to the garage though because they are dirty lil devils!. 1 white African gosling, 23 bantam polish, 17 silkies, and 63 bantam faverolles still left in there. Only the fav's and polish will be for sale though. If you click on my profile, I have a link to my website to see pics of the adults.