Silkie thread!

[gvalencia]

Thank you! I will check those out

 

[silkiecuddles]

Hi im new to byc the silkie pics are great im really debating getting a few of the neat birds

Hi! Welcome to BYC! Silkies are great birds. I love mine so much. I'm sure you won't regret it if you get some!

 

[gvalencia]

Im sure I wont just as soon as I can find as few thank you

 

[Michelle27]

does anyone know what color he will be ? His feathers are white with light black markings

 

[gvalencia]

Does anyone know the best place to order chicks or hatching eggs

 

[seminolewind]

does anyone know what color he will be ? His feathers are white with light black markings

It's an awesome color!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

PCR testing is for the DNA from the Marek's virus. They can take a scant amount and create a bigger amount that's capable to be read. I know that there are pre-requisites for a Marek's diagnosis: namely tumors, histopathy, and DNA. DNA testing is for exposure, but to say that the bird died from it means there has to be tumors present. Out of the 5 necropsies I've sent, 3 have been in my fridge for several days and there was no problem. I put them in a cooler with those ice paks . I would imagine that there are some ailments that would need to be examined fresh.

Prior to my first sent necropsy, Nambroth and Casportpony gave me a lot of good advice. I was so nervous sending the first one! And one actually got sent with 20 ml of vodka in the crop and a partially decapitated head.

Thanks on the pcr. I was reading on chicken diseases and vaccinations and testing for diseases and the research I came up with was that most of the chicken diseases couldn't be confirmed with advance tests. Marek's luckily is one of the more researched but I got feedback that too many vet reports do a lot of Marek's assumption and that necropsy through a specialty a/g lab was the only way to know if it's Marek's for certain but by that time the diagnosis is moot because the poor bird is dead! Sad really. As someone told me there isn't any money in researching or developing vaccines for chicken diseases because chickens are a commodity that's viewed as easily replaced with a 21-day hatch and as little as 4 months for another flock to be ready for production or meat. They don't care about the money spent by private breeders to grow, cull, and fine-tune their hobby birds. It's all about the dollars with agencies.

Casportpony posts are a wealth of experience I agree. Don't recall Nambroth but I'll keep that one in mind too. Of course you're on my list too

 

[seminolewind]

Does anyone know the best place to order chicks or hatching eggs

I have been listening to someone who had placed an order for 25 or more chicks. There was all kinds of problems, waiting, not getting the right breeds, etc. And this person went to a hatchery online with a really good reputation. So my feelings are that I think all hatcheries have their problems. The other part of it is orders that are sent around Feb-March, and during the hottest part of the summer, and all I hear on BYC is how people got dead chicks. I think the best thing to do is order chicks during a mild time of year, call the hatchery often with questions about your shipment (for the one reason of sticking out in their minds) , and call the post office several times because once is not enough, and make sure they call you when the chicks get there.

Of course, there's always the incubator and lots of members who sell eggs!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Does anyone know the best place to order chicks or hatching eggs

I have been listening to someone who had placed an order for 25 or more chicks.  There was all kinds of problems, waiting, not getting the right breeds, etc.  And this person went to a hatchery online with a really good reputation.  So my feelings are that I think all hatcheries have their problems.  The other part of it is orders that are sent around Feb-March, and during the hottest part of the summer, and all I hear on BYC is how people got dead chicks.  I think the best thing to do is order chicks during a mild time of year, call the hatchery often with questions about your shipment (for the one reason of sticking out in their minds)  , and call the post office several times because once is not enough, and make sure they call you when the chicks get there. 

Of course, there's always the incubator and lots of members who sell eggs!

x2

I think most hatcheries aren't taking any more orders for this year by now as well... they usually start their orders for the next year in the fall... I suggest posting on the auction chat thread and asking if any members have eggs for sale, I know someone just sold a batch of Silkie eggs earlier this week... good luck and here's a link to the chat thread...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-new-crazy-24-hour-auction/1920#post_15539559

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thanks on the pcr.  I was reading on chicken diseases and vaccinations and testing for diseases and the research I came up with was that most of the chicken diseases couldn't be confirmed with advance tests.  Marek's luckily is one of the more researched but I got feedback that too many vet reports do a lot of Marek's assumption and that necropsy through a specialty a/g lab was the only way to know if it's Marek's for certain but by that time the diagnosis is moot because the poor bird is dead!  Sad really.  As someone told me there isn't any money in researching or developing vaccines for chicken diseases because chickens are a commodity that's viewed as easily replaced with a 21-day hatch and as little as 4 months for another flock to be ready for production or meat.  They don't care about the money spent by private breeders to grow, cull, and fine-tune their hobby birds.  It's all about the dollars with agencies.

Casportpony posts are a wealth of experience I agree.  Don't recall Nambroth but I'll keep that one in mind too.  Of course you're on my list too

Nambroth is the resident ' authority ' on mareks. This article is well worth the read and seminolewind has kindly included in her signature .

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq