Minnesota!

[lalaland]

thank you for the pics! so sweet. need the vicarious thrill of chicks since I'm skipping this year.

 

[lalaland]

About bird flu:

1. I don't see the point in locking the birds up, since ALL of the turkey farms in Minnesota that have gotten it had indoor flocks. They are looking at airflow (thinking virus is windborn), doubling their disinfectant trays and using booties on top of that....
anyway, if they can't keep the virus away not sure how any of us could.

2. Ralphie's point on visitors is, I think, very important. Because while you can't control the wind, you can limit the other means of bringing stuff to your place. Practicing biosecurity so nothing is brought to your place.

3. Best bet is to do your best to keep your flock's overall immunity up as high as you can get it - limit stress, take care of your flock well, and add fresh crushed/chopped garlic (I feed it free choice every couple of days) and try the AVC in the water . I also add tumeric to help boost the immune system. I hate to limit them to water with the vinegar, so that is an every couple of days thing for me.

4. I sure wouldn't travel to pipestone or the other counties with the outbreaks (stearns is too close for comfort for me).

 

[jbenson]

I am glad I am pretty much on a break for selling chicks at this point. I had them in the house cause the brooder coop was too Cold and the insulation and walls aren't up yet, but I broke and moved them out there. Gonna do the same, meet people in the street for remaining chick sales and then sanitize myself before going back to the chooks. Lucky for me, I live in the burns, so there isn't risk form commercial poultry operations nearby, however I fear it will hit here too. Do your chickens like fresh garlic? I have never given it to mine. Would garlic chives have a similar effect? Pretty sure they would like those cause they are green. A bit nervous about feed at this point. I have been getting it from Anoka farm and garden, but worry about cross contamination since the feed is milled near st cloud, but I don't know where the grains come from and ai is creeping slowly closer. If it can be transmitted via feed and feed bags, I might start making my own which will put me in the poor house.

 

[lalaland]

they seem to know how much garlic they need - i feed it free choice and some really gobble it up and some ignore it. THen the next day, some of the piggies still go for it, some seem to think they have had enough, and others that ignored it previously chow it down. After a couple of days, no one seems much interested although it is always gone before the end of the day.

Quantity wise, I use about a clove per chicken. If you have an aldi around you, the garlic is cheaper. And you can grown your own, too (cheapest!).

I don't know about garic chives- because I don't know exactly what element in garlic is the anti-viral part. But I would say garlic chives couldn't hurt!

 

[holm25]

So now they think AI is spreading in feed?? Great. If it is I am done getting feed...

 

[holm25]

I couldn't find my broody today... She has already taken her babies back tot the coop...

 

[duluthralphie]

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.

To me an unlearned person, the waterfowl theory does not pass muster. These "bio=security" areas are close to impenetrable. How did the duck or goose get inside the barn?

And I have said it before, BUT I do not trust government, they will lie to us to keep the blame from falling on their big business cronies.

They will control the message to get us to do what they want us to do. You can bet their will be no total dollar loss of very little when this is over, The price of turkeys will go up by whatever the loss of turkeys is...Then next year or the year after when the threat is over the price per pound will drop again, but it will never be as low as it now. ( I know I am a paranoid,,,,BUT I come by it honestly)

 

[nordicacres]

Scary stuff. For now mine are all locked up. Simply because they are chicks. The five week olds are in the coop until we can get the run finished (dang rain) and then they will free range when they are old enough. The babies are in the greenhouse in a huge brooder. We live up on the prairie so no water near by us. Although DH is digging now for his massive Koi pond. Is a chicken dumb enough to drown in a pond?

 

[holm25]

Nordiacres ours have never drowned not even the chicks have drown... But u never know...

 

[duluthralphie]

Scary stuff. For now mine are all locked up. Simply because they are chicks. The five week olds are in the coop until we can get the run finished (dang rain) and then they will free range when they are old enough. The babies are in the greenhouse in a huge brooder. We live up on the prairie so no water near by us. Although DH is digging now for his massive Koi pond. Is a chicken dumb enough to drown in a pond?

I doubt they would drown. I have found with Bert, when we soak his foot as long as we keep the other foot dry he is ok with it. When we put both feet in the water at the same time he goes ape poop...