Minnesota!

[Chickenchick11]

That's a tough question
I just got these chicks
4 Barred Rock pullets
5 White Californians pullets
5 Ameracaunas pullets
5 Silver Laced Wyanndote Pullets
The rest of these are older
5 Variety for Chantecler hens
2 Ameracauna hen
1 Campine hen
2 Buff Chantecler crossed with Partridge Chantecler Roosters
1 Buff Chantecler crossed with Partridge Chantecler Hen
1 Rhode Island Red
2 Favarolle
1 Rooster of Unknown breed maybe a Dutch Bantam
Ducks
1 Pekin Duck
2 Pekin drakes
2 Indian Runner ducks
1 Indian Runner drake
2 Rouen ducks
2 Black Swedish ducks
And 2 Guineas

Nice!

 

[nordicacres]

Nice! Would love to have some ducks, but my DH doesn't want them in his pond.

 

[I Love Layers]

That's sad. I love my ducks, but my dad's allergic to duck eggs so I can't get anymore ducks

 

[Dandelioness]

Ditto, Ralphie - I also felt very much more comfortable after viewing the map Lala posted. The wild turkeys around here are all running around doing fine. My local chicken friends and I have been setting some ground rules for visits and things. I haven't had a lot of time to comment, but I'm so very happy to know Bert's on the mend.

Welcome, I Love Layers.
What a lovely flock! I see we have a love of EEs in common. I've been thinking about chanteclers, too. I have layers, guinea fowl, and sell meaties on the side.

Which ducks are your favorite? I've looked longingly at both Pekins & Runners.

Yes, people, I know ducks are messy! Guineas are annoying, but we love them here anyway too!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Well, the facts are: This strain is one Turkeys are very vulnerable to,
Yes, most hard hit are the over crowded Turkey operations. Closed flocks yes, but obviously bio security was compromised.
Yes, MN has had a lot of large Turkey operations hit.
I would be watchful about letting wild Turkeys on your property.
I think most well kept closed flock backyard operations that practice common sense and good bio security are fairly safe. I am NOT SURE how having Turkeys in a mixed flock affects the odds of being affected. I, for one, am very leery about Turkeys, being they are so susceptible to this stain of AI.
As I stated before, Don't panic, follow common sense, follow good biosecurity, and pray to the Chicken Gods (hope they don't ask for the sacrifice of a virgin pullet)

Personally, I am not so concerned about wild turkeys unless they have been hanging around outside the turkey confinement facilities. Wild turkeys have been taking care of themselves at least since before this was the USA. Remember, Ben Franklin wanted them to be our national bird? Anyway, they already survive by Darwin's Law. It is us stupid humans who think we should mess with making Frankenbirds and then cramming them into a facility that has insufficient space and air flow. It is not different that people who keep their kinds all clean and sanitized, and the kids get sick as soon as they go to school because their immune system isn't used to germs. Let kids and poultry go play in the dirt and build their immune systems up to handle whatever comes at them. If we did away with confinement facilities for all livestock, and all of agriculture in our country were diversified rather than operating on monoculture, we might not be seeing all the problems we do. Then to think there are places that actually discourage folks from raising their own food and allowing them a handful of hens to lay eggs for them? We are all going to hell in a handbasket because of our ignorance and quest to control nature instead of working with it.
Cearbhael I don't mean to sound like I am jumping on you/your comment, it just make me think of how much better off wild critters are before people go messing with them and their habitats. I know it makes me a bit of a hypocrit since I raise purebred rabbits and poultry, but I try to give them exposure to a more natural way of living than if all I cared about was the money-which there is little to none to make unless you are a big commercial producer of anything.
stepping off my soap box for tonight

 

[DigMyChicks]

MINNIE CHICK MAMA!!

 

[I Love Layers]

Pekins are super friendly, and runners are a bit skittish, but I love them to death

 

[nordicacres]

My MIL loves to eat duck so that may be the only way I convince DH to give them a try, lol.

 

[duluthralphie]

Wow one day gone and look at all the posts..

Welcome to the Nodaker!!!

You need more guineas...



Minnie we are all hypocrite, we raise birds that nature never made and wonder why nature can kick their butts now and then...Of course I like to think my bird live a happier pampered life compared to the safety of a confined barn of thousands. I think kids and chickens both are better off living in a little dirt. When I was a kid all these allergies and asthmas were unheard off. We burned leaded gas and over all had worse air quality than we have now. ( I am nit suggesting we dirty the air some).. We always had peanuts on airplanes until the 80s.

Speaking of Peanuts, Bert loves them I have been feeding him a fruit and nut wild birds seed, it has lower protein than the layer feed and as we know protein can be Berts downfall. He is now picking through his dish picking out the peanuts.

We pulled a "Green thing" out of his toe last night. It was weird, it looked like a sticker off a bramble berry or rose bush but bigger. It was scabbed over on the outside and my wife thought it would pull out. It did. It was, conical in shape, very shape on the end, BUT it was "limp" I assume that was from al the salve and antibiotics we gave and put on him. The weirdest thing is it was Green like grass or plant green not like green pus green. It looked like a plant life. my wife said she did not think it was, but has never seen anything like it in her 40 years of nursing (people). It left what she called a tunneling wound.

Tonight we wrapped only his toe, left the ball of the foot open and the ankle untaped. He can stand and walk now!. He was not happy with us for being gone all day, he wanted his food and water. We cannot leave water with him in the house as he spills it. I am afraid he is getting so well, he is going to have to go back outside. My DW is refusing to get me chicken diapers and a harness for him.

No one needs or wants slate blue turkey eggs? I will list them at lunch tomorrow on craigslist.

 

[nordicacres]

OMG, I would loooove Blue Slate turkey eggs. But then I would need an incubator and I don't think DH is going to go for that. Bronze turkey poults from Runnings will have to do. Glad to hear Bert is doing better.