Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Totalcolour]

Quote: I bought some Xanthan and Guar gum to test them out. They work pretty well as binders. I have also tried them in dressing and they are good for that too. Used a lot in Gluten free breads.

 

[Hinotori]

Mom has had good luck with glutinous rice flour and sweet potato starch in her mix to help bind. She can't eat the gums. They make her very sick.

I do have to say that the sweet potato starch makes a great coating for fried food. It is much better than wheat flour.

 

[TeamCutler]

I am trying to decide if my little silver laced sebright on the right is a roo. We got the little booger about a week ago at a wonderful feed store and it's basically feathered. I'm leaning toward roo with the pink comb

 

[Duck Drover]

I have been considering the possibility of allowing my daughter to show in the future and I have been looking into becoming NPIP certified so as a result I have been researching poultry diseases. In all honesty, my reading literally keeps me awake at night. There are so many incurable diseases that have similar symptoms. It sounds like you have to kill anything that shows any sign of illness and then there is still a risk of mortality to the rest of the flock because exposure happens before symptoms are observed. I am becoming paranoid about getting something from the air or soil that will wipe out my entire flock. How often does something like that happen? It sounds like anything that survives exposure will be resistent but high numbers of birds may die. I like hatching and raising chicks but ducks seem so much easier because they have fewer diseases. Now I am considering selling all my chickens and chicks to avoid ever having to deal with diseases and death!

 

[fosterson]

I have been considering the possibility of allowing my daughter to show in the future and I have been looking into becoming NPIP certified so as a result I have been researching poultry diseases. In all honesty, my reading literally keeps me awake at night. There are so many incurable diseases that have similar symptoms. It sounds like you have to kill anything that shows any sign of illness and then there is still a risk of mortality to the rest of the flock because exposure happens before symptoms are observed. I am becoming paranoid about getting something from the air or soil that will wipe out my entire flock. How often does something like that happen? It sounds like anything that survives exposure will be resistent but high numbers of birds may die. I like hatching and raising chicks but ducks seem so much easier because they have fewer diseases. Now I am considering selling all my chickens and chicks to avoid ever having to deal with diseases and death!

If chickens were as fragile and prone to disease as the literature makes it sound like there wouldn't be any chickens left! We humans domesticated and raised chooks for something like 5600 years without electricity and 5550 years without antibiotics. The chooks are fine if you take simple, common sense sanitation measures!

 

[Totalcolour]

I like hatching and raising chicks but ducks seem so much easier because they have fewer diseases. Now I am considering selling all my chickens and chicks to avoid ever having to deal with diseases and death!

Don't give up yet! We have ducks, and we find they never get sick. Never lost one to illness. The chickens are a bit less sturdy, BUT, we have lost very few to illness. As a previous poster said, good practices go a long way in preventing disease.

Our flock is not vaccinated, or medicated. If any die, we won't worry because the fittest survive, and pass along those good survival traits.

And chickens are fun!

 

[BGMatt]

I have been considering the possibility of allowing my daughter to show in the future and I have been looking into becoming NPIP certified so as a result I have been researching poultry diseases. In all honesty, my reading literally keeps me awake at night. There are so many incurable diseases that have similar symptoms. It sounds like you have to kill anything that shows any sign of illness and then there is still a risk of mortality to the rest of the flock because exposure happens before symptoms are observed. I am becoming paranoid about getting something from the air or soil that will wipe out my entire flock. How often does something like that happen? It sounds like anything that survives exposure will be resistent but high numbers of birds may die. I like hatching and raising chicks but ducks seem so much easier because they have fewer diseases. Now I am considering selling all my chickens and chicks to avoid ever having to deal with diseases and death!

Just want to second what fosterson and Total Colour said. Reading all that stuff can make you paranoid but chickens are hardier then that. You breed for resistance, you have less and less issues as time goes on. I'm also a member of the don't medicate or vaccinate crew, people I know that do those things continue to have health issues in flock year after year. Or just raise ducks and not worry about it!

NPIP in Washington I believe only cares about Pullorum so no biggie there.

To put your mind partially at ease about showing, the birds are at far higher risk of catching something ranging around the yard then at a poultry show.

 

[hallerlake]

I have been considering the possibility of allowing my daughter to show in the future and I have been looking into becoming NPIP certified so as a result I have been researching poultry diseases. In all honesty, my reading literally keeps me awake at night. There are so many incurable diseases that have similar symptoms. It sounds like you have to kill anything that shows any sign of illness and then there is still a risk of mortality to the rest of the flock because exposure happens before symptoms are observed. I am becoming paranoid about getting something from the air or soil that will wipe out my entire flock. How often does something like that happen? It sounds like anything that survives exposure will be resistent but high numbers of birds may die. I like hatching and raising chicks but ducks seem so much easier because they have fewer diseases. Now I am considering selling all my chickens and chicks to avoid ever having to deal with diseases and death!

I have hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Up until now, I've only had reactions when I cleaned the coop. I get someone else to do it. Yesterday, I had a reaction after the poultry show for the first time. That means no more poultry shows for me. I'm seriously bummed.

It's just a matter of time until I have to get rid of the chickens.

 

[fosterson]

I have hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Up until now, I've only had reactions when I cleaned the coop. I get someone else to do it. Yesterday, I had a reaction after the poultry show for the first time. That means no more poultry shows for me. I'm seriously bummed.

It's just a matter of time until I have to get rid of the chickens.

Oh man. That's awful.

 

[Zgoatlady]

I have hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Up until now, I've only had reactions when I cleaned the coop. I get someone else to do it. Yesterday, I had a reaction after the poultry show for the first time. That means no more poultry shows for me. I'm seriously bummed.

It's just a matter of time until I have to get rid of the chickens.

I can't be around the chickens much or I pay for it. I'm very lucky to have my husband he takes care of my girls. Last weekend I was just redoing a small fence by the coop and got so sick. Thought I was getting the flu, nope chickens.. I take singular so as to keep things t bay. When I got my Gold Laced Orpington rooster I got.scratched not good. That's why I don't show, going to them about kills me.