We all know that sickness and disease is part of raising birds. Everything from MG to Fowl pox. So what about managing it?
I am a breeder, and I do sell stock. So I was wondering what everyone else’s thoughts were on this. I want to sell the healthiest most viable birds I can. So some of my practices can be quite violent and harsh in some people’s opinions. If I have a bird get sick, I isolate it of course because that is first thing first. Once I have identified what it is than I take action.
Now I hate respiratory diseases, I can’t even stand the thought of them, but it is one of the most common sicknesses in poultry today. I had an outbreak of MG when I first got started back in chickens, and instead of isolating birds I really just left them there and the whole flock got sick and I put them down. which I believe was the right choice. I’ve also had a fowl pox outbreak at the end of last year that is finally starting to go away. And of course stuff here and there. So how do you manage sickness without killing the whole flock like some say to do?
Well I’m gonna tell you how I do it. Since the birds I raise are unique it is really unethical to kill a whole flock because one bird gets sick. So what I do is just deal with the one bird. I breed for resistance! So if a bird comes down with something, I do these things:
1. I separate the bird.
2. I identify the cause of the problem.
3. I than take the precautions needed, and I do what I feel is best for the flock. Not that one bird.
This usually includes me dispatching the sick bird. A bird that gets sick is a bird with a weak immune system. So I don’t want to breed towards that. I do not treat birds. Them and there genetics just leave the flock completely. I do believe this method works as with every generation your birds should be healthier and have more resistance to disease than the last generation. I actually have two birds I need to get rid of tomorrow. Ones eye is swollen and another has a runny eye. This started about the time we had biting flies move in. So it could just be injury but I’m not taking any chances.
Just remember no matter how much bio security or testing you have done. Disease can get in your flock via: insects and even wild birds. So it’s just a part of raising birds.
What are yalls thoughts on this?
I am a breeder, and I do sell stock. So I was wondering what everyone else’s thoughts were on this. I want to sell the healthiest most viable birds I can. So some of my practices can be quite violent and harsh in some people’s opinions. If I have a bird get sick, I isolate it of course because that is first thing first. Once I have identified what it is than I take action.
Now I hate respiratory diseases, I can’t even stand the thought of them, but it is one of the most common sicknesses in poultry today. I had an outbreak of MG when I first got started back in chickens, and instead of isolating birds I really just left them there and the whole flock got sick and I put them down. which I believe was the right choice. I’ve also had a fowl pox outbreak at the end of last year that is finally starting to go away. And of course stuff here and there. So how do you manage sickness without killing the whole flock like some say to do?
Well I’m gonna tell you how I do it. Since the birds I raise are unique it is really unethical to kill a whole flock because one bird gets sick. So what I do is just deal with the one bird. I breed for resistance! So if a bird comes down with something, I do these things:
1. I separate the bird.
2. I identify the cause of the problem.
3. I than take the precautions needed, and I do what I feel is best for the flock. Not that one bird.
This usually includes me dispatching the sick bird. A bird that gets sick is a bird with a weak immune system. So I don’t want to breed towards that. I do not treat birds. Them and there genetics just leave the flock completely. I do believe this method works as with every generation your birds should be healthier and have more resistance to disease than the last generation. I actually have two birds I need to get rid of tomorrow. Ones eye is swollen and another has a runny eye. This started about the time we had biting flies move in. So it could just be injury but I’m not taking any chances.
Just remember no matter how much bio security or testing you have done. Disease can get in your flock via: insects and even wild birds. So it’s just a part of raising birds.
What are yalls thoughts on this?