She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

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lazy gardener said:
Thank you.

Don't vaccinate, don't intend to. From the Mareks research I've done: Vaccine only masks the disease in that the lethal tumors don't show up. Vaccinated poultry can catch it, can spread it. So, you may have vaccinated your first flock, and continued with a closed flock, only to still end up with it infecting your flock (chicks you've hatched yourself), and you may never know that the disease came from one of your vaccinated birds. Also, it is most likely to show up in over crowded conditions and in immune compromised birds. Well tended poultry with healthy immune systems are not likely to become ill with it. (I'm not saying they WONT, but I'm saying it's less likely to have it show up in a home flock. The commercial folks vaccinate b/c their flocks are over crowded, stressed, living in filth, and immune compromised. Furthermore, turkeys carry a strain of Mareks, which is less lethal to chickens. So, if you have a population of turkeys around your flock (I have tons of wild turkeys), your chickies are most likely to pick up that strain, which will afford them immunity to the more lethal strains. (Similar to the milk maids of the past being immune to small pox b/c they'd been infected with cow pox.) As far as other diseases, I have similar opinion: it's a shot in the dark. Money spent for a disease that may never be encountered, and if your flock is healthy, they will most likely not get sick.

How to build flock immunity? I'm a fan of getting chicks exposed to native soils while their "peri-hatch" immunity is highest. (within the first 2 weeks) I give them a plug of sod: toss it right into the shavings in the brooder (upside down). I also put them on fermented feed. If you don't want to do FF, then you can do natural ACV with the mother, plus the sod, and add some packaged probiotics.


I appreciate the rep that silkies have as excellent broodies... and have occasionally considered getting one for that purpose... but. When I look at pic #2, it looks like a flock of mutant sheep to me!
I'd do a lot of research before jumping on the NPIP band wagon. There are very few diseases included in the testing, and all the NPIP certification does is state that your flock tested negative at the time you had the testing done. Personally, with all of the AI hype going on, the last thing I'd want to do is put my flock on a national registry. I'll take care of my flock, cull as needed, and fly under the radar.
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I had the same thought about the NPIP in that w/o it aren't under scrutinty and demanded to kill off your flock when it's not neccessary. (And yes, I have read more than one case that just did not seem a justified order of kill.)
 
Agreed, very good post lazy. I like the way you think.
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Just noticed a pip in a polish egg. Not sure how long its been there. Not very noticeable, just a little V, but definitely a pip!
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scflock said:
How is your feed and water set up? I'm over 100 birds now, and food and water are the most labor intensive parts. I have moved to gravity fed nipple waterers, and that has helped a ton, and I'm thinking of going to 6" PVC for feeders. My birds are in 7 different pens, so that's a lot to keep up with, especially in the winter when it's dark when I get home
Click to expand...

The feeders are old tech wooden gravity boxes, each holds 100# of feed. They're based on late 19th century-early 20th century designs I found in old coops.


For waterers, I cobbled some together.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/fortiflex-sf-6-small-feeder-5-qt-capacity-sapphire plus http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/little-giantreg;-trough-o-matictrade;-plastic-float-valve.

Build a wooden frame with extended supports to prevent the bowl from tipping, especially with turkeys or large fowl. Make it lift-out for easy cleaning. The float valves come with a couple of brackets, assemble as desired in a removable manner for easy cleaning.

I use the die cast version of these valves for turkeys as a big bird can break the plastic by standing on it.

I just put together a bucket with nipples and will try it with the babies. I'm currently using 1 gallon founts for those birds and have to refill several times a day.
 
Ok I had a sneaky little peek under 1 wing and I have a pip!!!! There's 5 eggs under her and I could only see 1 other egg from the tiny glance that I managed to get. I'm guessing that because one has pipped I should leave her completely alone now until she moves herself off the nest to keep up chicken humidity? It's boiling here today (for Wales anyhow) so only so long I could sit next to nesting box lol do you remove shells from the nest box before though? I presume my broody will take care of it?
Ahh so excited, I hope she's a good mummy...
 
chickiedoodahs said:
Ok I had a sneaky little peek under 1 wing and I have a pip!!!! There's 5 eggs under her and I could only see 1 other egg from the tiny glance that I managed to get. I'm guessing that because one has pipped I should leave her completely alone now until she moves herself off the nest to keep up chicken humidity? It's boiling here today (for Wales anyhow) so only so long I could sit next to nesting box lol do you remove shells from the nest box before though? I presume my broody will take care of it?
Ahh so excited, I hope she's a good mummy...
Click to expand...
Congrats on your pip fingers crossed for the rest
fl.gif
But doesn,t time drag when your waiting What breed is your broody?
 
bantam brood 17 said:
Congrats on your pip fingers crossed for the rest :fl  But doesn,t time drag when your waiting What breed is your broody?
Click to expand...

It's a pekin bantam, never hear them mentioned on here though. She's one of 3 birds I've got (2 pekin and 1 silkie x type bird) they are by far the best pets I've had and I've had a lot of pets!
 
AmyLynn2374 said:
I'm still waiting for Blobby McFrizzle to pip!
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Haha nice name! I'll be super excited when that one pips.

(btw, it just rained hard again for about 2 minutes. Ugh!)


chickiedoodahs said:
Ok I had a sneaky little peek under 1 wing and I have a pip!!!! There's 5 eggs under her and I could only see 1 other egg from the tiny glance that I managed to get. I'm guessing that because one has pipped I should leave her completely alone now until she moves herself off the nest to keep up chicken humidity? It's boiling here today (for Wales anyhow) so only so long I could sit next to nesting box lol do you remove shells from the nest box before though? I presume my broody will take care of it?
Ahh so excited, I hope she's a good mummy...
Click to expand...


Yeah!! I know exactly how you feel!
 

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