Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Bens-Hens]

Interesting read, especially how the now recommend double dosing with two vacs, in ovo and then one day. We only gave HVT via a subcutanious shots at day old.

Our current Marek's position. We have not had a relapse in over over a year now. Our first four pullets are close to becoming hens, and those first four are our 'budgies in a cage'. They are not vaccinated or treated, so I suspect if anyone one to show signs, it would be them. We 'touch wood' have not had another single case or sign. Every other bird produced here has been given the shot once they were fluffy up to the two Coro's we hatched. I could not justify mixing a 140 does of vaccine for 2 birds, so, a year further along they are out next 'budgies'.

It was a horrible trip for us, but to come out the other side is a good sign that back yarders can recover from MD......we thought we were going to pack up and given the backyard thing a miss, there seemed to be no hope at the time.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[ozexpat]

Interesting read, especially how the now recommend double dosing with two vacs, in ovo and then one day. We only gave HVT via a subcutanious shots at day old.

Our current Marek's position. We have not had a relapse in over over a year now. Our first four pullets are close to becoming hens, and those first four are our 'budgies in a cage'. They are not vaccinated or treated, so I suspect if anyone one to show signs, it would be them. We 'touch wood' have not had another single case or sign. Every other bird produced here has been given the shot once they were fluffy up to the two Coro's we hatched. I could not justify mixing a 140 does of vaccine for 2 birds, so, a year further along they are out next 'budgies'.

It was a horrible trip for us, but to come out the other side is a good sign that back yarders can recover from MD......we thought we were going to pack up and given the backyard thing a miss, there seemed to be no hope at the time.

Thanks for sharing.

I thought yours may have been the non HVT vaccine - it has to be shipped in liquid nitrogen - out of my reach to get to Phils.

I am so glad you have had no more evidence of the disease. Fingers crossed.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Yeah, it came from over east in a foam box, packed with freezer blocks. Was in two parts (and still is) with instructions to mix before use, and keep stored in a fridge below 4C for up to a year.

The other supplier we called only shipped 1000 doses and that came in liquid nitrogen from over east and had to be administered within one hour of arrival to the door, too much hassle and was an extra $80 in freight costs. A big waste considering we had only hatch about 9 birds, 4 of those we ate.

The first batch (the one we got) came split into 5 'lots' so we could put some in the fridge for the next hatch, the above had to all be used in one hit immediately,

Yes, lots of relief on our part too.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Let's hope you've seen the back of it Ben ! Anymore pics of coro's???? I've collected mine all up and put them in a grow out pen. Not happy Jan! They look at me as if to say, " hey mum why did you stick us over here with these dirty chooks ".

 

[Bens-Hens]

Lol, I will get some today, I have some yard jobs to do this afternoon and they are out in the mobile coop.

Will do another round of pics of the other chicks too while I am at it and throw them up later tonight. We just had a family her keen to buy two pullets and a Maran's rooster for their parents farm down south.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Me again, armed with a few photo's.

WHen taking the Coro pics, I found they had been sticking their heads into some grotty stuff. I rushed back out and checked them thinking they had stick fast feas or something but whatever it was just brushed off. Sadly, today I feel they are both males. The different feathering patterns has made me doubt all along, but those combs are getting harder to overlook.

Enough yabber for now, pictures!!!!

Neck feathers are just coming in. Confident the one on the left with the little pink slivers of wattles is a roo, the other one is feathering down the back, when the roo is not so I thought it was a pair, but the one I thought was a pullet's comb seems to have caught up a bit, no redness yet. Waiting a bit longer.




This shot shows how they are different in back feathering the best.


Miss Rosie likes to do things all at once, last couple of days she has been leaving feathers all over the place. Particularly our back door step. Her and the chicks free range all day so naturally she likes to leave her feathers where they blow into the house everytime we open the sliding back door.


Her baby Plymouth Rocks


9 weeks BA pullet we think 2 of 6 were female


9 weeks BA cockerel. 4 of 6 were males.


Our 'French' Wheaten Maran pullet, of the three pullet she is the only clean shanked. 3 of 6 were female.
Light Blues Brother in the back ground.


FWM cockerel, 3 of 6 were male


Welsummer pullet 3 of 4 were female


Welsummer cockerel, 1 of the 4 was a male.


Light Blues Brother, dark blue evaded the camera.


Curly's x Smudge, all black face is pretty cool, confident it's a she and has some light gold leakage.


Sal the Salmon Fav, love her to bits and confident the feeling is reciprocated.


Her hatch mate brother.


The only muffed Lav Ara we hatched, the other two look clean faced. This one is female, Pretty sure one of the other two are males, jury is still out with one, but leaning towards both male.

Luna x SMudge birds are crazy brave with black pea combs and wild mops hahaha One of those cross was male, the other 3 we are confident are female.


We still have 27, but we have a couple of sales lined up for the early New Year.

 

[ozexpat]

Me again, armed with a few photo's.

WHen taking the Coro pics, I found they had been sticking their heads into some grotty stuff. I rushed back out and checked them thinking they had stick fast feas or something but whatever it was just brushed off. Sadly, today I feel they are both males. The different feathering patterns has made me doubt all along, but those combs are getting harder to overlook.

Enough yabber for now, pictures!!!!

Neck feathers are just coming in. Confident the one on the left with the little pink slivers of wattles is a roo, the other one is feathering down the back, when the roo is not so I thought it was a pair, but the one I thought was a pullet's comb seems to have caught up a bit, no redness yet. Waiting a bit longer.




This shot shows how they are different in back feathering the best.


Miss Rosie likes to do things all at once, last couple of days she has been leaving feathers all over the place. Particularly our back door step. Her and the chicks free range all day so naturally she likes to leave her feathers where they blow into the house everytime we open the sliding back door.


Her baby Plymouth Rocks


9 weeks BA pullet we think 2 of 6 were female


9 weeks BA cockerel. 4 of 6 were males.


Our 'French' Wheaten Maran pullet, of the three pullet she is the only clean shanked. 3 of 6 were female.
Light Blues Brother in the back ground.


FWM cockerel, 3 of 6 were male


Welsummer pullet 3 of 4 were female


Welsummer cockerel, 1 of the 4 was a male.


Light Blues Brother, dark blue evaded the camera.


Curly's x Smudge, all black face is pretty cool, confident it's a she and has some light gold leakage.


Sal the Salmon Fav, love her to bits and confident the feeling is reciprocated.


Her hatch mate brother.


The only muffed Lav Ara we hatched, the other two look clean faced. This one is female, Pretty sure one of the other two are males, jury is still out with one, but leaning towards both male.

Luna x SMudge birds are crazy brave with black pea combs and wild mops hahaha One of those cross was male, the other 3 we are confident are female.


We still have 27, but we have a couple of sales lined up for the early New Year.

sorry i am a bit thick

what was your final tally of pullets vs cockerels?

 

[Fancychooklady]

I'd have to agree with you on the coro's both being Roos. . Way too much testosterone around your place. Look on the bright side , if they are anywhere near as gorgeous as George you shouldn't have trouble finding a home for one of them.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Nice looking birds Ben. Awful cute pair of favs

 

[Bens-Hens]

sorry i am a bit thick

what was your final tally of pullets vs cockerels?

Sorry mate, we think it has broken down like this;

Male - Female
L/Ara - 2 - 1
Wels - 1 - 3
Mar - 3 - 3
Fav - 1 - 1
Black Aust - 1 - 3
Blue Aust - 2 - 0
BV cross - 0 - 2
BA cross - 2 - 2
12 - 15 - 27 Total

There are one or two swing votes in there with the cross's.

With the two Rocks we think a pair, and the Coro's we are leaning towards two roo's