Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LadyBehir]

I have one Delaware now as a layer. Dheltzel, where are you again?

 

[fisherlady]

LadyBehir
There was an interesting thread which was active on here for 'Favorelle back to dorking' breeding program for someone working to produce their own back yard meat bird. There are actually a number of threads with similar projects on the processing boards. It is interesting to read through peoples successes (and sometimes lack thereof) and it would give you some ideas on how you want to pursue your meat bird plans. I would love a solid source for Cx eggs for all of our broodies.... it would mean no spring meat bird project needed each year, but it just isn't practical (money wise) for shipped eggs even if I could find them.

 

[winc564]

I bought 12 chicks from tractor supply when they dropped the price to .75. The first one has feathers like a silkie but it doesn't have black skin or 5 toes. I assumed all the chicks would be pure breed but maybe not. Anyone know where tractor supply gets their chicks? Please help me ID them! The last 3 are super tiny. I'm hoping the yellow one is a serama. I'm also pretty sure the yellow and black one is Ancona chicken.

Hi. Are these Bantams? Some look like my Bantam chicks from TSC.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Anyone have any experience with MG/respiratory illness in the flock? I had treated my 2 roos with tylan 50 and it worked great but the problem came back and now a couple more birds are showing symptoms. I've separated the sick ones and decided to cull them which is breaking my heart but from what I've read, it's uncurable, only the symptoms can be treated. I can't breed and sell babies with this and I'm trying to save the members of the flock that aren't infected. It would kill me to lose all my birds. Especially now that I have everything that I want and I love them all. I'll be cleaning and sanitizing the entire coop, separating a couple groups in different locations and monitoring everyone for about a month. Thoughts? Experiences? Please don't tell me all hope is lost here

 

[Reyvaughn]

Anyone have any experience with MG/respiratory illness in the flock? I had treated my 2 roos with tylan 50 and it worked great but the problem came back and now a couple more birds are showing symptoms. I've separated the sick ones and decided to cull them which is breaking my heart but from what I've read, it's uncurable, only the symptoms can be treated. I can't breed and sell babies with this and I'm trying to save the members of the flock that aren't infected. It would kill me to lose all my birds. Especially now that I have everything that I want and I love them all. I'll be cleaning and sanitizing the entire coop, separating a couple groups in different locations and monitoring everyone for about a month. Thoughts? Experiences? Please don't tell me all hope is lost here

Sadly, I would suggest culling. There is no cure and there is no way to be sure it isn't passed to embryos you plan on hatching. You can get the MG vaccine and treat every chick you hatch if you want to try and move forward with your own flock's lines. It's about $100 for a 1000 dose bottle and it needs to be used at once after opening (so it's costly if you only hatch a small number of chicks at a time). You can vaccinate the chicks and hope they are free of the disease. It's still a gamble...

 

[stake]

I have no idea how it happened...but somewhere along the line, I got old. Tonight my grandson says, "Are ya picking up what I'm putting down?"....uhhhhh what? He says, "it means, do you understand what I'm saying." I can't believe I have a seven year old explaining slang to me.

Oh, and a goat. These girls are both due mid. June....can't wait!

Well Blarney:

Was at the local brew house bending the elbow with a buddy and chatting with the bar maid...(we were talking food)...I said something was "the bomb"....she looked back at me and said..."my mother says that"......when my buddy chided her, she informed me the correct term was "fleck".....yep, I've joined the over the hill gang.....

 

[stake]

LadyBehir
There was an interesting thread which was active on here for 'Favorelle back to dorking' breeding program for someone working to produce their own back yard meat bird. There are actually a number of threads with similar projects on the processing boards. It is interesting to read through peoples successes (and sometimes lack thereof) and it would give you some ideas on how you want to pursue your meat bird plans. I would love a solid source for Cx eggs for all of our broodies.... it would mean no spring meat bird project needed each year, but it just isn't practical (money wise) for shipped eggs even if I could find them.

Fisher:

I am hoping to get some Dorks to hatch is a couple of weeks...(very interested in this breed)////what is the 'Favorelle back to dorking'???

 

[wingstone]

Need some help from the edible wilds people.
I have been collecting the seeds ( helicopters ) that are dropping from the maples..we like them roasted like pumpkin seeds.. I tend to throw them to the birds also, I figure that since they are good for protein and omega 3 they should also be good for any of the animals
Is this thinking OK, figure if it is OK for human, then the animal should be OK with it

 

[fisherlady]

Fisher:

I am hoping to get some Dorks to hatch is a couple of weeks...(very interested in this breed)////what is the 'Favorelle back to dorking'???

That is part of the thread title, I was following it last year for a month or so but can't remember the exact title now. Basically they were developing their meat birds by following an older cross folks used to do to get the right characteristics.

 

[emorems0]

Can you guys and gals help prepare me for the introductions that will need to happen here next week... Right now the 1-yr old layers and rooster are in the main coop and run, any time that one of the ~10 week old turkeys got into their run the hens would go after the poult and we've had two 'scalpings'. Turkey poults are next to the chicken run but they get to free range mostly or hang out in the new extension of the chicken run (the original chicken run is not yet open to the extension). The meat birds are sharing a tractor with the heritage meaties (8 weeks old), but the meat birds will be processed this weekend so I'll just have the 9 Delaware & Dark Cornish left from that bunch.

We're heading out of town Memorial day weekend and right now the turkeys and meaties get out of their enclosures every day to free range (which is fine with me, but I don't want to make extra work for my neighbor). I had hoped that by the time we made this trip all of the birds could share the new, bigger run... but every time the birds accidentally get together there is trouble. The hens have really injured two of the turkeys with their pecking and I've seen turkeys pecking at and chasing the 8 week chickens, although there haven't been any actual injuries.

My choices are: Secure the turkey enclosure and chicken tractor so they can't escape to free range and keep everybody separate (I don't really like this because the turkey enclosure is small and was meant to share a run with the chickens, and then the neighbor has to feed 4 different places -> 3 poultry + rabbits). Or, the original plan which was to introduce everybody over the next two weeks, finish the expanded run, get the chicks into the big coop and have all the chickens and turkeys sharing a secure run.

The hens were out free ranging the other day and didn't seem to bother with the turkeys or the chicks, their problem with the turkeys only seems to be an issue when the turkey is in their run. What's the best way to do introductions? Free ranging so there is lots of space? I don't want our rooster out right now because there have been a lot of kids around and he's been a really bully since the weather warmed up, I might be able to just let the hens out though.