Peeps in Europe!

[crissy1079]

No I don’t think you have to have them vaccinated. I just always wondered if mine were vaccinated if they still would of gotten sick. I think 1 died from Mareks by her symptoms and some others seem to get colds on and off. I don’t even know if there is something for respiratory problems but I thought they had a vaccination for Mareks.

I am a member of our local Geflügelzuchtverein (poultry breeding club). I even have a plot of 400 square meters to keep my chickens. To become a member you just contact them... you can find the info online and who the head is... or you contact one of the members. The information is out there. Some of our members don't breed.. they are just members. But they get their immunizations thru the Verein. I pay 10cents per chicken. You just fill out a form, pay your fee and that's it.
As far as I know you don't have to have your chickens immunized in Austria though.

 

[Loopeend]

I am a member of our local Geflügelzuchtverein (poultry breeding club). I even have a plot of 400 square meters to keep my chickens. To become a member you just contact them... you can find the info online and who the head is... or you contact one of the members. The information is out there. Some of our members don't breed.. they are just members. But they get their immunizations thru the Verein. I pay 10cents per chicken. You just fill out a form, pay your fee and that's it.
As far as I know you don't have to have your chickens immunized in Austria though.

You probably don't nééd to anywhere in EU. Noone is going to give you a fine. But it is handy (if you want to travel with your chickens, or sell stock, or meat/eggs etc) and a bit of a common courtesey. I think we an Belgium had a government issued travel-ban for months; ruining a lot of shows/sales for dedicated breeders. Because some people did not vaccinate there fowl and caused a small outbreak. Even though YOUR fowl is vaccinated; in case of a small outbreak they shutdown everyone just to be safe (immagine the financial losses for proffesional egg/meat fowl keepers..). If it's cheap and available I would recommend. It's not only for your chickens but other peoples fowl too.

But that's my opinon. Vaccination is a hot debated topic nowadays. If you are not principal against it; I would urge you to put in an small extra mile to get them vaccinated

I used to breed rats with a pedigree. There where no vaccines then yet for rats. Lost all my groups within 3 days because a newly purchased rat had something :'( That is so awfull. The reliable breeder I got the rat from; the same. And so forth. Years of dedicated work to make rats live longer and healthier by a big rat-loving dedicated community down the drain. Luckely today there are vaccines for this deadly disease in rats. But would not wish myself or anyone the feeling of losing all your animals/flock suddenly. So I am all for prevention.

 

[Loopeend]

Funny you say that about them not using the internet, because I always have to search for these chicken shows they have. It’s never online and no website. Makes sense they probably don’t use the internet. I’m always looking for signs hanging around because that’s how they advertise thier chicken shows. You will just see a flier hanging on some random wall. And I always enjoy going and looking at the chickens. I also didn’t even realize verein was association. I just always called it verein. I never looked up what it meant in English

I think in most countries it is a bit of a dieing hobby. Mainly old men doing it. Not much younger new members because they all can't even buy something with land before their 40's or later haha. It's a common theme in Europe; not much to buy for the younger generations, even an apartment is expensive as..well, expensive. It's a shame. Not sure if my verein will excist in 10 years.. since the age of all those people; and surely can't hold the verein together alone. Not sure what will happen with all our breeds in the future. Probably many will stop excisting. I'm happy to often notice on here that U.S. breeders have an interest in keeping EU races alive. And Germany is luckely still going strong with it's massive breed-shows!

 

[chickengr]

the law here for commercial operations is that any animal be stunned/unconscious before slaughter, but backyard keepers are left to their own devices I think.
I saw a TV show last week that featured a chicken plant in the Netherlands (which apparently supplies about 25% of UK consumption!) where birds were gassed then electrocuted, on an industrial scale.

is that humane?

I have made the best decision of my life: to move to the country, grow my vegetable garden and raise chickens. I am now thinking to raise a few rabbits and goats as well. bye bye humane industry!

 

[abpatchy]

I think in most countries it is a bit of a dieing hobby. Mainly old men doing it. Not much younger new members because they all can't even buy something with land before their 40's or later haha. It's a common theme in Europe; not much to buy for the younger generations, even an apartment is expensive as..well, expensive. It's a shame. Not sure if my verein will excist in 10 years.. since the age of all those people; and surely can't hold the verein together alone. Not sure what will happen with all our breeds in the future. Probably many will stop excisting. I'm happy to often notice on here that U.S. breeders have an interest in keeping EU races alive. And Germany is luckely still going strong with it's massive breed-shows!

Same here, our Verein is a lot of old people. But also a couple of younger ones... I count as a younger one (and I'm 51). But I think there is hope...more and more people want to keep chickens... so who knows.

 

[Papa John59]

Really? You don't have to register? I have to even if I just have one chicken! But that is Hesse! In Bavaria you have to register, they charge you like 3 cent per chicken. If your amount is less than 2,50 they don't charge you. I think I need to move!!! LOL .

Come on over! I mean, you are what? Only 2 dorfs away? When my son registered, they didn't charge him, just wished him luck.

 

[Perris]

is that humane?

I don't know about that but the birds are at least unconscious when killed. For me their living conditions are more of a concern - in commercial poultry sheds worldwide.

 

[Papa John59]

What did I miss?! I go away for a weekend and come back to a "book" of new posts, in what has been a quite thread for the most part. Even a few new "members" posting....I like that!
WOW! In just a weekend, we had 6 countries represented (7 if you count us 2 misplaced Americans) from Greece to Wales! I am impressed!
But it's nice to see that we all have the same concerns and problems with our passion to provide for our feathered friends. My only concern at the moment is how much more the EU will involved itself in our daily lives.
Now. I'm off to call my vet and get my vacs for my ladies. Luckily, she is the wife of one of my work colleagues and we have been friends long before I got into my hobby!
Have a nice day!

 

[BDutch]

Do you now some more? I've heard diffrent story's about cochin and wyandotte.

Probably you can find more info on the internet. I researched on egg production wanting to try another bantam breed. I have no experience with other breeds. But I do remember silkies lay all winter.

If you like to have egg all year you can add a few hours of light in your coop in the morning. On a reliable source (levende have) they claim that adding extra hemp seeds in autumn/winter stimulates to lay eggs in winter too.

I'm not sure about the Austrian vereins; but the Dutch, Belgian and German ones offer yearly free/or smal fee vaccinations-days for members. (yearly membership is usely around 50 euro's). Since all are connected to the bigger EE association; I guess they all kind of offer the same things. Have the same guidelines. But I guess it also changes from local verein to another. In my local one everyone is 70+ and noone uses internet.. so I actually had to visit their meetings to learn about those vaccine-programs and their (and then mine) personal vet. They don't have a website and even joining was done by sending a letter heehee. (That reminds me; I have to go call the leader on his landline when the next meeting is haha) Getting information and their great knowledge of 60+ years breeding animals can take some more effort then "just a mouse-click away".

If it is the same as here; fowl vets are hard to find; the ones that excist often only come over if you have over 200+ chickens for your egg/meat business.. they work for proffesionals. That's why these vereins hold these days. Or some vaccines they get send from a vet by mail and give to the members to administer themselves. It's worth it though. I eventually have found a fowl vet nearby.. the same vaccine costed 124 euro more due to the money you have to pay for the vet's her time.. through that verein it was 1 euro per animal

I spontanously forgot the English word for verein. Sorry. Association?

Do you mean vaccination against Marek?
In my opinion it is better to have a healthy flock without having to vaccinate. But I understand you need to vaccinate if you get new birds in you're flock from unreliable breeders.

Having a small flock without Marek, I want to keep it that way. I didn’t buy chicks/ chickens because of this when I wanted another breed. I bought fertile eggs and let my Dutch breed and hatch them.

 

[crissy1079]

I wanted different breeds so I bought all my chickens from different places. 1 hatched from an egg. So some were vaccinated when I got them but others were not, and the one I hatched was not. I wanted to vaccinate but could not find any info where to go about getting the vaccinations. Most vets just told me they don’t deal with any type of bird. I’ll have to ask around at these small animals events. Or try and get in touch with someone, where I bought the vaccinated chickens from.

So you used to breed rats. Rats are another pet I love. I’ve had many over the last few years years. All but 1 has gotten tumors and died from cancer. I even drove an hour and a half to get a long haired rat from a good breeder, and he too got tumors and cancer and died on the younger side. He just passed a few weeks ago and I decided not to get anymore rats. I love their personalities but it’s just too sad how they get tumors and cancer and don’t live very long. And they usually suffer towards the end and have to be put down.

You probably don't nééd to anywhere in EU. Noone is going to give you a fine. But it is handy (if you want to travel with your chickens, or sell stock, or meat/eggs etc) and a bit of a common courtesey. I think we an Belgium had a government issued travel-ban for months; ruining a lot of shows/sales for dedicated breeders. Because some people did not vaccinate there fowl and caused a small outbreak. Even though YOUR fowl is vaccinated; in case of a small outbreak they shutdown everyone just to be safe (immagine the financial losses for proffesional egg/meat fowl keepers..). If it's cheap and available I would recommend. It's not only for your chickens but other peoples fowl too.

But that's my opinon. Vaccination is a hot debated topic nowadays. If you are not principal against it; I would urge you to put in an small extra mile to get them vaccinated

I used to breed rats with a pedigree. There where no vaccines then yet for rats. Lost all my groups within 3 days because a newly purchased rat had something :'( That is so awfull. The reliable breeder I got the rat from; the same. And so forth. Years of dedicated work to make rats live longer and healthier by a big rat-loving dedicated community down the drain. Luckely today there are vaccines for this deadly disease in rats. But would not wish myself or anyone the feeling of losing all your animals/flock suddenly. So I am all for prevention.