Oregon

[Tammy N]

Anyone closer to southern Oregon with orpingtons or similar sized chickens available? Looking to get another couple hens and possibly a rooster and like the larger size birds. Hoping to not have to drive more then 2 hours from Medford.

I live in florence close to Eugene not sure how far that is but i do have some really BIG birds

1 My pure Dark Brahma from show people and they are show birds
Austrolorp,Buff brahma , x Dark Brahma Roo hes my second boy for my plans hes just older then the chicks that are too young for him now ,

let me know the siapan jungle fowl get about 3 feet tall

 

[Sonja73]

Hey, wait a minute, I have one cream barbanter that runs around. Poor little thing is an oddball next to the Orps. lol.

 

[Suzierd]

It is funny you mention the sick birds, it was one of the reasons I went.  I wanted to see how close together the birds were and how sanitary the conditions were.  I am a bit concerned as well.  Everything looked pretty good, and they pound it into everyone's head to quarantine their birds.  I don't know that I would bring any home, unless it was from someone that I knew and was NPIP because I couldn't buy any otherwise.  I have every intention to quarantine any of my own birds that don't sell and I bring home.  IDK, it may bite me in the butt, but I am confident that it will be okay.  But now I am thinking, er, maybe not?  I am going to have sick chicken nightmares now.

The bummer about NPIP from what I read they don't check for MG or MS and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think they test for Mareks either. Those are all common and scary. At least take a spray bottle of water with Oxine mixed in it and spray the hell out of everything. I would keep spraying the area around your birds. You might get some weird looks but who cares. It's scary that the birds can look healthy and be carrying something. And the ones that spread with dander! Dander and feathers get everywhere. I'll stop now, I don't want to give you nightmares
Best to be aware and take precautions.

 

[BGMatt]

The bummer about NPIP from what I read they don't check for MG or MS and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think they test for Mareks either. Those are all common and scary. At least take a spray bottle of water with Oxine mixed in it and spray the hell out of everything. I would keep spraying the area around your birds. You might get some weird looks but who cares. It's scary that the birds can look healthy and be carrying something. And the ones that spread with dander! Dander and feathers get everywhere. I'll stop now, I don't want to give you nightmares
Best to be aware and take precautions.

Mareks would be pointless to test for, it is everywhere and everyone has it, period.

The others aren't really anything to worry about either, when you consider wild birds, rodents, insects all spread that stuff too. That's why NPIP doesn't bother and they focus on Pullorum Typhoid and serious poultry diseases.

Take precautions and quarantine if you feel the need, but don't be scared by "scary diseases". It's way less a worry than most folks make it out to be.

 

[Sonja73]

The bummer about NPIP from what I read they don't check for MG or MS and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think they test for Mareks either. Those are all common and scary. At least take a spray bottle of water with Oxine mixed in it and spray the hell out of everything. I would keep spraying the area around your birds. You might get some weird looks but who cares. It's scary that the birds can look healthy and be carrying something. And the ones that spread with dander! Dander and feathers get everywhere. I'll stop now, I don't want to give you nightmares

Best to be aware and take precautions.

As far as NPIP you are correct about the testing. What I meant by that statement is that I am NPIP, and technically cannot purchase birds to introduce to my flock. I agree whole-heartedly about the viruses, bacterium, etc. It is a scary thing! I have squeeky clean coops, feed and water away from wild birds, open spaces under and around the coops. A girl can only do so much! lol. BUT that doesn't mean that everyone else feels the same way. One of the other things they tested for here was salmonella.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

As far as NPIP you are correct about the testing. What I meant by that statement is that I am NPIP, and technically cannot purchase birds to introduce to my flock. I agree whole-heartedly about the viruses, bacterium, etc. It is a scary thing! I have squeeky clean coops, feed and water away from wild birds, open spaces under and around the coops. A girl can only do so much! lol. BUT that doesn't mean that everyone else feels the same way. One of the other things they tested for here was salmonella.

SO TRUE! I keep thinking how cool it would be to form a local chicken cooperative. One of the things I think it would be cool to do is have a place where people who have more than enough chickens (cough, cough) can bring their eggs to be commercially processed and marketed so that small stores and restaurants could use real farm fresh eggs. BUT ... then I remember that not everyone cares as much about standards as I do, and getting people to agree to the "rules" and follow them without fail (or fudging) would be virtually impossible.

Based on some of the conversations I've had, I now know that some people are not capable of understanding standards, ethics or rules. Period.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Well you can't blame a gal for trying sounds like your fiancé is a keeper! Must be nice.

I don't go to the swaps I hear to many scary stories of people bringing home a sick bird and it spreading to their flock it scares me. I bet it is neat seeing all the birds tho.

It is funny you mention the sick birds, it was one of the reasons I went.  I wanted to see how close together the birds were and how sanitary the conditions were.  I am a bit concerned as well.  Everything looked pretty good, and they pound it into everyone's head to quarantine their birds.  I don't know that I would bring any home, unless it was from someone that I knew and was NPIP because I couldn't buy any otherwise.  I have every intention to quarantine any of my own birds that don't sell and I bring home.  IDK, it may bite me in the butt, but I am confident that it will be okay.  But now I am thinking, er, maybe not?  I am going to have sick chicken nightmares now.

For the record, while it is true that we can't tell if a bird is a carrier of something, we swap organizers work very hard, not only to pound quarantine into people's heads, but also to monitor the birds that are there. If anyone's birds look sick, they are asked to leave immediately and are not welcome back at future swaps, and every vendor must fill out an intake form, which lists out everything they are selling, so we can track it if an issue does arise.
The only issue we had from this year's spring swap was a case where someone's home flock carried disease, and they actually spread it to the swap birds they brought home, not the other way around. And yes, we keep track of things like that, and keep a list of people who aren't allowed to sell at swaps.

We take our responsibilities to not only vendors, but also buyers / other swap-goers, very seriously.

 

[Lunar Rain]

I went to the summer swap. ..and I am hooked. Everyone was super friendly and everything was clean. Not to mention it supports the local breeders, bakers, and crafters, Looking forward to the next swap.

 

[Sonja73]

I went to the summer swap. ..and I am hooked. Everyone was super friendly and everything was clean. Not to mention it supports the local breeders, bakers, and crafters, Looking forward to the next swap.

I had a good time as well, really looking forward to the Fall Swap. I have to dip my toes in the water and take a chance. BUT this time I am getting some of that homemade jam!

 

[Karenmyrrh]

Our Easter egger came through today. So the egg in front is my buff orp. Middle is the ee and the far is our red sex link.

How did we do for color?