***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[MacGuyver]

Well, I'm not sure that would be any better than medicating, since the majority would hopefully be able to overcome the illness and then pass on the genes that allowed them to do so to the next generation. Otherwise you weed out the strong with the weak.

I first quarantine and let them fight it off. If it looks like they aren't going to make it and are just going to suffer, I cull. To me, it is no different from culling for color or conformation, only in my mind for much more practical purposes.

That said, I do realize you were being facetious.

Um, I wasn't really being facetious. I don't want to start a flame war or anything, but for me, I worry about CRD. Chickens that "recover" from mycoplasma infections remain carriers for life, and can infect other birds. So, to me, the thing that shows the healthiest immune system, the genes I want to maximize in my flock, is the bird that can fight it off without getting sick. That still lets through the few that can be exposed and achieve a carrier state without ever showing symptoms, but short of testing the whole flock every few months for CRD, there's no way to find those.

 

[Buster52]

Um, I wasn't really being facetious. I don't want to start a flame war or anything, but for me, I worry about CRD. Chickens that "recover" from mycoplasma infections remain carriers for life, and can infect other birds. So, to me, the thing that shows the healthiest immune system, the genes I want to maximize in my flock, is the bird that can fight it off without getting sick.

And how does one build an immune system without getting sick? That's how it works, isn't it? You get sick and fight it off? Plus, your scenario would be the case whether you medicated or not, correct? I mean, whether you helped it get over the illness through antibiotics or through natural immune systems, it would still be a carrier for the disease, I should think.

Not trying to be argumentative, here. I'm really curious.

 

[Okiesawyers]

Gentle and tame guineas. The mind boggles.

LOL.. Let me put it this way, they will come up around my feet. and circle me. My neighbors Guineas Will get close enough that you might be able to see them with a pair of binoculars. He asks what I do to get them to trust me and get so close, I told him I go out every evenning with them and socialize. He just lets them free roam and they are WILD..

 

[BlanchardOK]

So strange question - my neighbor down the way saw a few of my birds and asked if I know any five breeders he used to have a few pairs - I know I have seen rollers at the Blanchard auction but any other leads out there?

 

[sdsknifeworks]

Okay, "Rose" is up and acting like nothing ever happened now. That makes me think it's primarily heat related. It is odd that she was laying regularly before I got her two days ago but that she has not layed since she got here.

So far I brought her in the house and let her cool off, she completely calmed down and acted fine after that. As soon as I let her out she started chasing bugs.

I added a fan to the coop and opened the end of the coop completely during the day (no fan at night). I also added another military style camo net to the top of the run to extend shade, took several cool treats (fruit), and added a water mister to the run. I sure hope these things work because I'm about out of ideas. I will be adding the pans of water though to see if they will use those.

Navi has very graciously offered to make things right on this but I don't see this as her fault in any way whatsoever. I am going to see how things go tomorrow before I make a decision on trading Rose for another australorp.

Thank you to everyone who has offered advice. I sure thought that I was ready for just about everything. Boy was I wrong.

SDS

 

[MacGuyver]

And how does one build an immune system without getting sick? That's how it works, isn't it? You get sick and fight it off? Plus, your scenario would be the case whether you medicated or not, correct? I mean, whether you helped it get over the illness through antibiotics or through natural immune systems, it would still be a carrier for the disease, I should think.

Not trying to be argumentative, here. I'm really curious.

I'm not trying to be argumentative either, I really hope everyone can tell that. I'm just answering what *my* thought process is.

Okay, normally, I agree with you. One builds an immune system by getting sick and recovering. Unfortunately in chickens, most of the respiratory things aren't diseases that their immune system learns to recognize and the next time they're exposed they won't get sick. Instead, they're like herpes. The bird gets it, gets well, but carries the organism in their body for the rest of their life, and can get sick again anytime they're stressed and can always pass it to a new bird or to baby chicks. That's the way Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, the causative organism for Chronic Respiratory Disease, works in chickens. They get it, they recover, but they're always going to be carriers, and any time they get stressed, they'll get sick again. Any time I get new birds, those birds will be exposed to the disease that's in my flock. And there's no treatment that can cure it, that is, eradicate the organism from their body forever. Antibiotics treat the bird, and allow it to gain weight normally and thrive, but I really don't want to constantly give antibiotics. I'm raising my birds so I can have eggs and meat that have never been given antibiotics. Now are all diseases in chickens like that? No. Not all. Some they will get sick, recover, and have immunity, but I don't know without taking every chicken that sniffles to the vet and running tests. I can't afford to do that. So for my peace of mind, it's a lot better to remove the bird if it sneezes. I examine the bird. If its eyes are clear, its throat is clear and its nostrils smell nice and clean and its lungs sound clear to my stethoscope, I isolate it. I watch that bird like a hawk for a few days. If it doesn't sneeze any more, and it acts normal, then I assume it wasn't anything bad and I put it right back with the flock. If it does sneeze and carry on, then I cull it. I had to depopulate my entire flock last year because they got M. Gallisepticum. It was horrifically devastating and I never want to go through that again. Now, on the other hand, I have learned since then, that there is a new class of antibiotic that is used against MG. It's called Denagard. Denagard has no human use, and is unrelated to any class of antibiotic used in humans. If, G-d forbid, my flock did get exposed to MG again, despite all my precautions, I would have to think long and hard about whether I would use Denagard or simply cull. I hope that clarifies my thought process.

 

[mjgigax]

I guess that having temps staying under 100* makes a big difference, that and the 1 inch of rain we got two days ago. Most of my hens, that aren't broody, layed an egg today! Even my finicky LF girl started laying again.

Have you ever had a hen peck another hens chicks? I have found 2 Mille Fleur chicks with bloody heads this week in one of my Mille pens. The one I found today has a pretty serious wound. I put tripple antibiotic ointment on it.

That worked for the one injured earlier this week. ( I took them out of the pen and put them in a brooder)

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

Blanchardok ,I didn't quite make out your post,are you looking for roller pigeons? I think Graybear and cowboy have rollers. I have a bunch but am in Tn. I have a bunch of almonds and some yellows and white splashes. I like the loud colors. But they have to be good flying stock first.


Het did you all remember it's Sooners birthday! I can't believe she is ?? Years old! She sure doesn't look that old! Just kidding Sooner you really don't look a day over 29!

 

[Greybear23]

Hey Wayne, you need to go over to the Icelandic forum and post pics of all your/our baby Icelandics!!!

Happy 29!!!!! Bday Sooner!!!!

Lynn

 

[Ksane]

MJ, your Buff Cochin pair is amazing! They're beautiful!
And Soon, Happy Birthday, I've been wondering where you were.
Edit: MJ, it doesn't surprise me a bit a hen pecking another hen's chick.