The Old Folks Home

[superchemicalgirl]

Cute chicks and I love the face on the DiDi Line chick.

I have some birds from DiDi, too, and I love my little pullet from her. I have never seen such a bearded lady.


Is anyone doing the NYD Hatch? I usually do it but I'm on the fence this year. I want the birds but I'm just not sure I'm ready to add more to the insanity of my life right now.

My biggest fear about NPIP/free necroscopies is letting the government know I have birds, and if they're ill or there's an outbreak in your area, have the power to test and demand they be culled. I realize I sound slightly paranoid and moderately insane, and I guess I am. I'm usually quite rational, but this one for some reason raises my hackles.

 

[Wisher1000]

I am considering it, I need a distraction this time of year. What I really want to hatch is peafowl, but I am not set up for them yet. First things first. I have some feelers out for some really blue eggs to hopefully hatch some really blue egg laying hens. I have a friend that really wants one and I thought I would try to raise one for her (and get a couple for myself!) I PMed Mahonri to find out who's it was that he hatched during the last Easter hatch and haven't heard back as of yet. Those eggs were the bluest I have ever seen.

 

[Arielle]

BLue eggs are beautiful. Reminds me of robin eggs every time. I'm trying to create a blue-black- plash line of blue egg layers of the EE variety. This color already exists--just new for me using my red EE hens with a blue AM rooster. Seems the last hatch netted 6 pullets and 1 cckl. Usually it's the other way around.
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THe government seems to have many programs to track animals and the health of the population. Even my sheep are ear tagged with a permanent tag so they can be tracked their entire life IN CASE they develop a disease called Scrapies. IT is rare. Just like AI and pullorum is rare in chickens. I guess I"m not convinced these programs work.

Too many animals move farm to farm that are not " tagged". Just my opinion. Maybe I"m mistaken. But I don't think so.

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Cute chicks!! Love the blue!

 

[Arielle]

P.S. I'm not doing the NYD hatch--- I have enough birds right now. WOuld like to do the spring hatchathon though!!

 

[ronott1]

I am considering it, I need a distraction this time of year. What I really want to hatch is peafowl, but I am not set up for them yet. First things first. I have some feelers out for some really blue eggs to hopefully hatch some really blue egg laying hens. I have a friend that really wants one and I thought I would try to raise one for her (and get a couple for myself!) I PMed Mahonri to find out who's it was that he hatched during the last Easter hatch and haven't heard back as of yet. Those eggs were the bluest I have ever seen.

I won an auction for Blue colored chickens that lay blue eggs. They are the blue egg layers from the University of Arkansas. I was supposed to get them in October. The Thread Starter is having "Family Problems", so I don't know if I will ever get them....They lay the bluest eggs I have ever seen pictures of.

I have not gotten a refund, so hopefully I will get them in the Spring hatching season.

 

[dsqard]

SCG, I am not going to do the NYD hatch. I just don't want chicks in the house for months and I am still waiting to hear about the job in VA.
Arielle, isn't scrapies the disease that led to mad cow disease in cows?

 

[Bunnylady]

I believe scrapie is similar to, but not the same thing as, BSE.Though both are caused by prions, my understanding is that scrapie isn't supposed to be contagious to humans.

 

[dsqard]

Bunnylady you are correct. Scrapie isn't contageous to humans but I believe that mad cow disease began by the brains of infected sheep being made into feed for cows and that is how cows got the disease. Eating the meat from infected cows gave it to humans.

 

[Bunnylady]

I know it has been postulated that BSE may have come from scrapie-affected sheep tissue somehow getting into cattle feed, but I don't know that it has been proven that that was the source. I would think that if it were the same prion, then it would be contagious to humans, whether it was in beef or mutton. Isn't there a similar wasting disease in North American deer, also thought to be caused by a prion?

 

[Arielle]

I don't know a whole lot actually. I do know that meat sources have been eliminated for vegetarian animals. So tallow has been removed from horse feed for example. The tracking I find a bit peculiar as the disease is not found in young sheep rather scrapes is found in older sheep, so the permanent tags help track back thru it's history and to find other exposed animals is my thought. Didn't get to ask any questions on the particulars with the inspectors.

I was talking to a fellow that butchers his own meats, and he mentioned a group of people that do eat the brain, risk and all , as that is their custom. I guess everything has a risk.