The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[1muttsfan]

I'm glad we can discuss such heated topics in a calm manner. But maybe it's time to get back to chickens, gardens and family.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm glad we can discuss such heated topics in a calm manner. But maybe it's time to get back to chickens, gardens and family.

We do a really great job doing that here, don't we, Mary? I am by no means an expert on this disease, never purport to be, not an expert on anything really. I admit, I'm still confused about it, hearing some very different views on it from people who are supposed to know what they're talking about and they disagree on it. If they disagree, I don't feel too bad being confused, LOL. I know that Karen has dealt with it far more extensively than most of us and made a decision on how to deal with it that is satisfactory for her. But, I agree, let's table Marek's talk for awhile. Blech. Not fun.

Oh, that huge pile of junk is GONE!!!!! Yippeeee! Now, we have to clean out the basement bedroom and do stuff down there in prep for my younger son's visit from Korea at the end of July.

Talking about birds past their expiration date, Amanda laid another egg! Amanda the Wonder Hen Strikes Again! Twelve years old and counting.

 

[seminolewind]

Wow! I got a few eggs from my 11 year old. Cheers to the old gals! I saw a post about what to do with older hens. I didn't go on to read it. Mine are like old friends and I feel like they deserve a retirement .

I was going to do some gardening yesterday but DH woke up to a loose horse in the back yard so I spent a few hours putting up better fencing. I'm just glad she didn't trample my plants!

 

[speckledhen]

Speaking of old hens, another is gone. She went into the hole I had dug for Georgie awhile back, who seems to have made a fabulous recovery from her "episode"/stroke/whatever it was.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ors-in-our-flock.727211/page-23#post-21368016

 

[getaclue]

Just to clarify, what I meant by "it's not a choice", was about the flock catching it. No one chooses for their flock to get infected.

Yes, everything prior to, and afterward are our choice. I agree with whatever anyone chooses to do, as far as the vaccines go. I do, however, think that people should be informed, to help guide them better in their choice. Far too many times, I've heard people commenting they were shocked about the degree they were impacted, because their flock was vaccinated. They were lulled into a false sense of security, thinking the vaccine would at least help, but didn't seem to be doing anything.

As to whether chickens can be bred for immunity, regardless of what one believes, it's already been done, tested, and proven scientifically.

If I were hit, at this point in my life, I would probably cull, and be done with it. With my cancer, I doubt I have the 4 years left that it requires to breed a resistant flock. Had it happened when I first got chickens, or if I were younger, I probably would have bumped up my breeding program, and by now I would have a resistant flock. That's not how things went though. For anyone that chooses to vaccinate, that's fine. At least it proves they are trying to do their best for their flock, and I applaud that. I simply put the truthful information out, so it's a more fully informed decision.

In the meantime, vND has really ramped up in California. I sure do hope they can contain it.

 

[getaclue]

I'm glad you were finally able to get someone to show up, and take the junk. It sure has a way of accumulating over time.

Yay for younger son's visit. How long is he going to stay with you?

 

[speckledhen]

I'm glad you were finally able to get someone to show up, and take the junk. It sure has a way of accumulating over time.

Yay for younger son's visit. How long is he going to stay with you?

I think a week is all he has.

 

[getaclue]

I'm so sorry about you losing another hen. How is Tom's back doing?

 

[speckledhen]

I'm so sorry about you losing another hen. How is Tom's back doing?

He is scheduled for a new MRI and they'll go from there. Guess he's on the right track. He's hanging in there. At least the stuff being gone is a huge burden off his shoulders. We still have stuff to do like go through the stand up crawlspace but the main stuff is done. I want to clean up and renovate the coop that is closest to the barn, put in shelves and move everything that is left in the main/original coop to that one, then part out the windows in that building and take the entire thing down. It's falling apart now after 13+ years. I'd like it just gone. But, not a priority right now.

 

[getaclue]

One of our neighbors down the way, had a barn that was falling down. He went to tear it down, and discovered the main beams in the frame were still good. It was everything else that was falling apart. He took out all the walls, windows, roof, etc, and began rebuilding it. It took him about 4 months, but he rebuilt it, and it looks good.

Another neighbor that just moved in, down the road in another direction, is building a barn. He, and his brothers remodel homes. He's got horses, so is building a fairly large barn. Dh is wanting a barn/garage so bad, he looks at them, then drools on his keyboard. We will get one, but can't afford it right now.