Surviving Minnesota!

[Momof3plustwins]

I am really beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to pick out which chicks are which between my Dominique and Barred Rocks. the cuckoo Marans I think I have figured out. Ralphie have any suggestions? I believe the doms should be lighter than the Barred Rocks but it looks like I have a pretty big cockeral that is light in color but so much bigger than the other lighter ones. Also are the hens darker than the roos?

why did I ever let my DH order so many so different barred varieties?

 

[holm25]

Hi! I just want to start following this thread. I'm originally from Fargo, but my family all lives around Jamestown and Larimore. Right now I live on 10 acres outside of Barnesville on the MN side! I'd still love to be a part of this thread considering my ND roots and the proximity to ND. I have 3 lavender Orpingtons and 2 black copper maran mixes. I'm hoping to get more when I go to the Hutchinson show this October! My copper maran pullet, Esther, laid her first little brown egg today! If anyone know of someone who may want or wants a Lavender Orp cockerel let me know! He's 5 months old, beautiful coloring, and a second place show winner (only to his brother). I'd love to keep him but I can't have 2 Roos with my 3 pullets. Im a first time chicken owner so I'd like to get some input on weather and everything else. Last winter I had a too who had bad frostbite on his comb and waddles and lost a few toe nails, this year I'm really hoping to avoid that! My sisters boyfriend made me a new coop so hopefully that'll help a lot.

This is a picture of the cockerel, during the beginning of July. He's much more mature now and has beautiful coloring, full feathers, and deep red large comb and waddles. If you want to see new pictures or are interested contact me anytime.

Welcome! Youre so close to me! Just under 45 minutes lol! He is a beautiful rooster! BUT I am currently over run with roosters. Well not really but still have five of them runnib around lol. Anyways... Welcome!

 

[holm25]

Well... I am over run with broodies... i have two broody Cochins, 3 broody Australorps and 2 broody Buckeyes... Only one Buckeye hen will get to hatch babies. Everybody else will be taking the "polar plunge" tomorrow! I learned a few minutes in cold water in the evening turn off the "broody switch"

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I know Mareks is in he realm of thoughts with the symptoms. But I'm of the opinion to try easy things first....so that was my suggestion to check on their diet.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am 99.9% sure I do not have Mericks. I have not had any bird loses except by predators. I have chicks from each hatch I have had and have lost none.

If I had it Jerry would have it also as we have our original stock from Heidi on the CLB's and it was the CLBs she was talking about.

I talked to the USDA Lady Vet, JJ's girlfriend, She does not think it sounds like Merick. She thinks it is dietary.

I offered to send blood in if she wanted from mine but she thought that would be a waste of time beings I have no symptoms and have had a closed flock since the last testing.

Also an chickentopsy is the best way to find it I guess.

Welcome to the Thread MsBarnesville..



The difference between the dominiques and the barred rock is the comb, the Doms will have a rose comb, BR single comb.

 

[lvie]

Okay - I am back. I occupied my mind for a while so hopefully I am 'normal' again. I feel like it should be a campfire night, laughing, a couple of Mikes, and just joking around.

So Mom of 3 plus twins - do you like your barred rocks? I have one. She is talking allllllll the time. There is always some story to tell by her. So I named her Gilda Radner because she reminds me of some of Gilda's skits from Saturday Night Live alllll those wonderful years ago. I keep telling myself that every hen is different and just because she is so noisy does not mean all barred rocks are. Still, I would hesitate to have a barred rock again. The BO, BA, SS are such quiet, decent girls. Ralphie did a good job creating SS that prime and proper. And they are so beautiful. I like to watch them when they are standing by the BA. The irridescent feathers are very beautiful.

I watched a little chicken t.v. yesterday. One of the RIR is feathering out again. Tom really liked those RIR and both my birds are bare-backed. Tom has gone to his new home and is loving it. It is certainly quiet around here! Man could he crow! Anyways - back to Ruby. So she is getting feathers growing in and while I watched yesterday a CW walked past Ruby and pecked her really hard on the back as she walked on. Drew blood. Ruby was pretty upset and ran after her. The CW mixed in with the rest of the flock to wrangle away from Ruby. It looked as if she strategically planned the whole episode from the moment she began to walk toward Ruby. I really do need more chicken t.v. I really do need away from the house and land more often.

This computer that just was cleaned up is about 8 years old also BT. We are almost done having the operating system loaded on a new laptop which will be used for the business. Then this computer will be mine to use for just my stuff. I hope it lasts another eight years. What are the chances.

Well, hope all you chickeners are getting a nice night of sleep. Good night.

P.S. Holms - I did mail those saddles and you should have gotten them, at the latest today. I hope they arrived safely. How is that hen doing anyway? Did you actually stitch her back together? Would that hurt a chicken?

 

[lvie]

Quote:
I HOPE EVERYONE KNEW I WAS TEASING. IT DOESN'T READ VERY FUNNY NOW. I REALLY LOVE YOU GUYS! HONEST!

 

[duluthralphie]

Ye gads!! My last post vanished!


I found several sites and they say Mericks is not transmitted vertically. Whew..


Transmission and Epidemiology

The disease is highly contagious and readily transmitted among chickens. The virus matures into a fully infective, enveloped form in the epithelium of the feather follicle, from which it is released into the environment. It may survive for months in poultry house litter or dust. Dust or dander from infected chickens is particularly effective in transmission. Once the virus is introduced into a chicken flock, regardless of vaccination status, infection spreads quickly from bird to bird. Infected chickens continue to be carriers for long periods and act as sources of infectious virus. Shedding of infectious virus can be reduced, but not prevented, by prior vaccination. Unlike virulent strains of Marek's disease virus, which are highly contagious, turkey herpesvirus is not readily transmissible among chickens (although it is easily transmitted among turkeys, its natural host). Attenuated Marek's disease virus strains vary greatly in their transmissibility among chickens; the most highly attenuated are not transmitted. Marek's disease virus is not vertically transmitted.


http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/neoplasms/mareks_disease_in_poultry.html

I can understand why the rumor it is spread vertically can exist though. There is genetic resistance to Mericks than can be passed along. It is a mutation that happens at b21 (as I recall ) if the genes at that loci have the mutation resistance is passed down the line. However even that resistance is not 100%.


I had to review and find that part again. I take it very seriously if were to ever pass on a disease (which I have not done yet that I know of) or even suggests I might have. So I have been trying to learn what I could on Mericks today, which is why I was not here most the day.

I take sanitation and disease prevention very seriously. I have so many birds I have too.

Sorry, if I sound overly defensive about it. Even a rumor of me spreading a disease could cause me great harm. Besides the fact I would never want to hurt anyone else's birds. It is one of the reason I am on a first name basis with the USDA Vet, Besides the fact she is one smart woman and just a nice person overall.

We talked for nearly a half hour today, she believes if I had Mericks I would know it and I would have a lot of dead birds.


Anyways, on to other subjects....


My rooster taming project is not going well, I was bitten quite a few times today. I am thinking they may just be anti-social wild birds.

Ivie the "wild hawk" is gone, long gone. I did not want it here. I was not happy when it flew into the coop/shed. We kept it in the house for about a week then sent it on it's way. It is living with Judy's sister in Rochester. I kind of miss it, but I do not want it here anymore than I want a wild duck or goose here (or domesticated one for that matter)

I am thinking of giving a few roosters a chance to ride the "Chicken Scrambler circus ride" sunday. We will see how much I get done tomorrow.

 

[I Love Layers]

Raiders won against Mott-Regent tonight 30-22!
We had our best player out most of the game due to a high ankle sprain. Mott-Regent was very disrespectful to say the least, with there coach openly yelling hit him harder referring to the kid we had out... And many other numerous things.
My best friend Owen, who's also a freshman got a touchdown! Ran for at least 60 yards.
Couldn't have been happier!!

 

[Momof3plustwins]

I am 99.9% sure I do not have Mericks. I have not had any bird loses except by predators.  I have chicks from each hatch I have had and have lost none.

If I had it Jerry would have it also as we have our original stock from Heidi  on the CLB's and it was the CLBs she was talking about.

I talked to the USDA Lady Vet, JJ's girlfriend, She does not think it sounds like Merick. She thinks it is dietary.

I offered to send blood in if she wanted from mine but she thought that would be  a waste of time beings I have no symptoms and have had a closed flock since the last testing. 

Also an chickentopsy is the best way to find it I guess.

Welcome to the Thread MsBarnesville..



The difference between the dominiques and the barred rock is the comb, the Doms will have a rose comb, BR single comb.

Thanks Ralphie.