Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

The AI testing is quick and easy in comparison to the PT testing. Finding veins on black skinned birds isn't the most fun.... I'm just leery with all these reports of AI (even the low path too) going around down south right now. The wild birds are in full migration here right now too.

Way easier. The turkeys are the biggest pain because of needing a tube of blood and not a drop. They are not really into being held down and having a needle shoved up their wing.

Do you need 30 swabs?

I ended up with 30 guinea, 30 chicken and 22 turkey swabs. But with the AI stuff raising it's ugly head I am glad I decided to add the AI clean to my NPIP.

 

[destiny_56085]

YOU make me appreciate my health and how fortunate I am. Wow Destiny - you really need to watch what you ingest and I am sure that there are others on this forum that have to do the same. A person does not think of these health issues unless experiencing them personally either with their bodies or someone they love who have them.

I learned about the nut issue when I was just a toddler and my throat started swelling shut. Been to the ER several times and I always have an Epi-pen and lots of Benadryl in my purse just in case. When I got pregnant it was so weird though...my asthma went away during that 9 months. When it came back, so did all the new allergies too. Every day I keep mental log of stuff I've eaten and products used. Can't use Gain or Era, but can use Tide.... Too much chocolate doesn't agree with me either. Thank god my family and co-workers are all aware and make sure to warn me if anything at all with nuts or nut oil in it.

 

[duluthralphie]

I contacted a tester to come test my birds so I can become NPIP certified. She couldn't remember how old birds have to be in order to be tested so she still hasn't gotten back to me.. do you know?

Every bird over 5 months must be tested, I would test anything that looks adult. You will need to ask your State what they require, it could be different here. Also did you contact the USDA or State about an onsite inspection?

 

[destiny_56085]

Way easier. The turkeys are the biggest pain because of needing a tube of blood and not a drop. They are not really into being held down and having a needle shoved up their wing.

Do you need 30 swabs?

I ended up with 30 guinea, 30 chicken and 22 turkey swabs. But with the AI stuff raising it's ugly head I am glad I decided to add the AI clean to my NPIP.

We used to have turkeys....key is USED TO. Had royal palms, blue slate, naragansett, black Spanish, etc. About 7 years ago we got rid of them because of all the additional MS/MG blood draws. Last year ma had this crazy itch to bring home a trio of royal palms again. That lasted all of 2 months until we had to do those buggers again for the blood draws. Thank god they are gone again.

I have to do 30 on the chickens and on the rest its everything. We only have like 7 muscovies, 8 peafowl, and guineas left so a tube for each of those species.

 

[holm25]

Thanks everyone.

Ralphie they all ready picked out a new car for me. We probably won't get it until this fall after we are done building a house and my mom gets her new car. They picked out a Ford though

 

[Momof3plustwins]

Update on my hatching. I have 15 eggs doing well. BUT I missed counted my Toads somehow. I have 6 Toads, 1 dark olive EE, and 8 Doms going into this last stretch. Should start hatching next Monday.

Now one of the Toads is one that was not marked as we picked it up as we were out looking at the Toads in Ralphie's yard. I can't remember if that was the one. You said if it didn't hatch to wait another week because it could be a Turkey?? Help me remember if you can, Ralphie. Either way they all had great movement last night when I checked them.

I can't wait for the hatch. It is always so fun!

 

[holm25]

Ralphie give me a date and I will come help you with the testing if I am not busy!

 

[duluthralphie]

Thanks everyone.

Ralphie they all ready picked out a new car for me. We probably won't get it until this fall after we are done building a house and my mom gets her new car. They picked out a Ford though

I am glad to see they are starting you out right in a Ford and not a lessor car.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie give me a date and I will come help you with the testing if I am not busy!

I can do that.

 

[I Love Layers]

Every bird over 5 months must be tested, I would test anything that looks adult. You will need to ask your State what they require, it could be different here. Also did you contact the USDA or State about an onsite inspection?

I've just contacted the tester as of now. I wasn't sure if she would be able to come out at first even. I will probably ask the state about the on-site inspection. I have to start cleaning up around here.

[COLOR=333333] I cleaned the chick brooder yesterday and the chicks are getting big! Do you guys think there's a certain breed of rooster i could breed to all of these hens and get sex linked chicks? A barred rock maybe? I'm not sure I'm digging ordering around 50 chicks every February or so. [/COLOR] Not on the whites . The reds you could try a silver rooster . Females would be silver males golden . Likely silver pullets would look white and any red or buff chicks would be cockerels . Barring only works for sex links if the hens are barred and the rooster is not .

Thanks Jerry. I guess I'm stuck hatching a bunch of chicks or ordering them...