The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[curious chickee]

I don't know, I don't vaccinate, I cull any that show symptoms and allow a natural immunity to build up. I had a few birds a few years ago but haven't had any since. I do read now where turkeys carry a less dangerous strain that can give chickens immunity, so perhaps my turkeys have made it so my birds don't come down with it anymore, and I only buy chicks from a single source. Hopefully someone who vaccinates can help out.

Edited to add when I did have some with Mareks it was random and only a few young birds, it didn't wipe the whole batch out and was limited to a couple birds, one batch was from a swap meet, then the next year from the farm store, than nothing ever again.

That is how I feel, and what I am thinking. Just panicking over my daughters birds, These birds I have lost are all from the same breeder. I am thinking of continually hatching out my brahmas and let them build immunity natural way. The strong will survive and the sick I will cull. If I breed a lot, then I will lose some but have a stronger flock down the road. I was also considering getting turkeys because I also heard they help build immunity naturally. My husband said he was alright with the idea. Now to find turkey eggs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I buy hatching eggs from Porters turkeys, they are 5 dollars a piece. Which is funny because I get lots of free ones from my own turkey hens, but I like trying new colors, this year I'm getting some more blue slate.

When I first had Mareks I read up on it and panicked too, but it never went very far in my flock, and didn't become the rampant silent killer lurking in every piece of feather dander that I was reading about, so now I wonder why there's so much panic, but if your chick breeder consistently has it than I see the problem. Another thought would be the stress of the chicks being sold and relocated could cause them to develop the disease instead of the immunity to it, which most chickens do.

 

[curious chickee]

I buy hatching eggs from Porters turkeys, they are 5 dollars a piece. Which is funny because I get lots of free ones from my own turkey hens, but I like trying new colors, this year I'm getting some more blue slate.

When I first had Mareks I read up on it and panicked too, but it never went very far in my flock, and didn't become the rampant silent killer lurking in every piece of feather dander that I was reading about, so now I wonder why there's so much panic, but if your chick breeder consistently has it than I see the problem. Another thought would be the stress of the chicks being sold and relocated could cause them to develop the disease instead of the immunity to it, which most chickens do.

Not sure about stress as I got them as day old chicks, just maybe her birds don't have as strong an immunity as the ones from my own flock. The one having issues now was added to my broody at 2 days old so she was raised in this coop. Tomorrow I am taking her to the university lab to be tested just to know definitely what I an dealing with. It could still not be markes. I am going to look at porters turkeys thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Leahs Mom]

*****************

Someone had remarked earlier how they wondered how the birds could be fine one day and not able to walk the next. In another part of JS book, he mentioned that was what happened. One day they were in that condition. After feeding the liver, they recovered quite quickly as well.




***************

 

[Leahs Mom]

On botulism...

-If you ever feed raw meat, you must watch to see that they eat it all quickly. Watch them closely to see that they don't drop any of it anywhere in the litter to get buried. I always feed raw meat in tiny pieces individually and watch to be sure it is eaten or remove it right away.

-If you have fed any meat that may already be in the litter, I'd advise a complete clean-out of all litter from the pen and start with clean bedding.

 

[curious chickee]

On botulism...

-If you ever feed raw meat, you must watch to see that they eat it all quickly.  Watch them closely to see that they don't drop any of it anywhere in the litter to get buried.  I always feed raw meat in tiny pieces individually and watch to be sure it is eaten or remove it right away.

-If you have fed any meat  that may already be in the litter, I'd advise a complete clean-out of all litter from the pen and start with clean bedding. 

I added sav a chick to her water. Most of the issues I have had in past with vitamin b deficiencies were from my hatchery chicks and not broody raised chicks. They were also under 1 month.

I am still not ruling out botulism as I know we went from rainy to hot and one day the feed before I backed slopped got nasty and it is possible it fell into the coop. She is near the bottom Of pecking order so could have eaten something from ground. I have never fed raw food to my chickens so that isn't an issue.

 

[curious chickee]

Found another sick chicken. My 1 year old Easter egger is now acting lethargic, so probably not markes but definitely something. Tomorrow will take first chick down for autopsy to discover what the cause is. Bummed my EE laid the prettiest eggs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry to hear, hopefully you will get some answers from the autopsy.

 

[h2oratt]

i can't seem to read the book pages. When I blow it up it isn't in focus.

 

[2reds]

Curious chickie sounds like you have necrotic enteritis which will cause the birds to look lethargic and there legs out front. Almost always deadly and contagious. A simple fix is a powder citruc acid at about 3 ppm for several days