Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Duck Drover]

Duck Drover you're wrong on Marek's might want to research more. From reputable sources.

I thought that if a flock had Marek's the exposed birds would need to be destroyed and no birds brought in but apparently this person is hatching eggs and vaccinating chicks so they will be carriers without showing symptoms while also selling hatching eggs. I also thought that anyone with a case of Marek's was required to disclose that if they chose to close their flock and sell eggs but that does not seem to be the case. Marek's is not treatable and it can live on a person's property for years so any chickens brought in that are not vaccinated can get sick and die. One of the reasons I don't vaccinate is so I don't carry hidden diseases that are so damaging to any flock that is exposed. I will do more research on Marek's but I admit it makes me paranoid to think that someone buying chickens from me could infect my flock by bringing their bird dander here or that it could be transferred on eggs. It sounds like it will kill a bird pretty quickly as long as the bird is not vaccinated so I am glad that I made the choice not to vaccinate because that will help identify it my birds were exposed to it.

 

[Bleenie]

I do believe they were red mites, they were small and his read end almost looked sandy until I looked closer and saw it was millions of bugs and big poo/old blood. I treated him with Ivomec topically and they were gone by the next morning.

edited by staff

Alot of "Sandiness" in the "Crotch" area is Red Northern Mites, and easy to get rid of !!!
Did you use Eprinex Topica,l or Ivomectrin injectible or ?
I am so tired after all that went on today...but it is nice that you cared for the bird, and let's all help each other out here...............OK ?
EVERYONE ???????????????????????

I have the best garden going in...but I have an inkling that Broodytood is gonna rival my garden !!!!!!!!!!!!
Good to see her back !              

I use Ivomec pour on, applied to the base of the neck. His infestation was so bad that I did a 1/2cc rather than my normal preventative 1/4cc I use on my other LF birds. I treat every 6months and haven't had a parasite problem in years.
I actually started using it after I got a BLRW too that I could NOT get rid of lice on with anything else. Everyone else in the coop would be spotless and that guy would have nits all over him. Was the weirdest thing but the Ivomec worked within hours and he never got em again.

Does anyone here have experience with chicken joint problems or possible arthritis in a chicken? This guy is still very slow moving, I'm sure partly because he's not well yet, but also I really noticed today that his left leg seems to be "catchy" or something. The dog went by his pen and he jumped and moved but his leg moved weirdly and he looked painful.

 

[BGMatt]

I thought that if a flock had Marek's the exposed birds would need to be destroyed and no birds brought in but apparently this person is hatching eggs and vaccinating chicks so they will be carriers without showing symptoms while also selling hatching eggs. I also thought that anyone with a case of Marek's was required to disclose that if they chose to close their flock and sell eggs but that does not seem to be the case. Marek's is not treatable and it can live on a person's property for years so any chickens brought in that are not vaccinated can get sick and die. One of the reasons I don't vaccinate is so I don't carry hidden diseases that are so damaging to any flock that is exposed. I will do more research on Marek's but I admit it makes me paranoid to think that someone buying chickens from me could infect my flock by bringing their bird dander here or that it could be transferred on eggs. It sounds like it will kill a bird pretty quickly as long as the bird is not vaccinated so I am glad that I made the choice not to vaccinate because that will help identify it my birds were exposed to it.

Marek's is basically everywhere, especially thanks to wild birds transmitting it. If your birds are not affected it means they aren't susceptible to the strain on your property, which is normal, and why most experts and a handful of vets recommend breeding for resistance rather than vaccinating. There are several main strains of Marek's Disease across the US, generally birds from one region will be mostly immune to the local strain, but birds from outside that region are more at risk. The main thing I was correcting is how constant the virus is, and the idea that if someone has had Marek's that somehow means they need to close the flock, or depopulate or something like that. If you lose birds to Marek's it just means that those individual birds are susceptible to the version you have on your property.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

We have a couple of weeks (probably a month) before chicks are able to go outside. The run area for them has really long grass. I'm 5'10" and it comes to halfway up my calf. Should we mow it before putting them in there? Everything I have read says they'll have it down in no time but I worry about them getting lost in the grass (it is enclosed).

When we put our girls out last spring the grass in their run was about twice as high as yours is. They did just fine! At first they stuck pretty close to their coop, but as time went on they ranged further away, and ate the grasses until the entire run - about 25 x 40 feet - is completely denuded of grass. No one got lost for long. If it makes you feel better go ahead and mow. But you'll probably be introducing your girls to the wide-wide-world gradually, and by the time they're out there for good they'll have already make their own little trails in your jungle.

 

[Rainier]

This was taken a month ago, since the sun has been out the grass has grown, a lot! The large bushy thingy is starting to get leaves so I'll hopefully know what it is soon. We are gather up all of the old, dead branches to burn but then I thought about leaving them because there are so many bugs crawling around on them.

Thoughts?

 

[MargaretYakoda]

This isn't true. It's "DIRTY" runs that cause it, and mud will exacerbate it. We have a lot of mud in our pasture in the winter, and NEVER had a case of bumblefoot, but then it's kept clean by the rain. All our birds are pastured, even in winter.

People should NOT keep chickens in close confinement unless they plan on keeping pens really clean. Chickens, will, if given the opportunity, go to clean areas, which is why pasture is good for them. The problem with pasturing, is overhead predators. But then I prefer a coupl of losses that way, than from disease.

Any person who is selling unhealthy chickens should be ashamed of him/herself. I'm glad there are enough people on here who do look after their birds. And who ask questions when they need information. It's what we are all about - sharing!

Thanks for the clarification on mud vs filth. Good point.
Also, I TOTALLY agree with every other point here.

 

[ReiMiraa]

What I do for my birds. I go to Costco buy the largest DOG breed flea and tick drops, especially the formula that KILLS EGGS. put 1-2 drops on saddle (against skin) one on neck and one on vent. lasts over 4 months and kills all the eggs on the feather shaft.

be careful not to apply too much, i only hit the other locations because the lice make an instant retreat to other areas.

if the bird is really infested. wash it in a Dog flea and tick bath soap, then i add conditioner to add moisture to skin and feathers. afterwards i still put a drop under vent and on the back.

i just do this to some birds that are easier to handle, cant hit them all, but it helps kill the cycle of clean bird dustbaths in a dust that an infested bird used.....

 

[Chickielady]

Well just Maybe yer openin stuff dat belongs to somebody else. Maybe ya rustled the belongins of otherz!!!!

I thought about it, then decided NAW !!!!

 

[Chickielady]

Duck Drover you're wrong on Marek's might want to research more. From reputable sources.

Hen to egg would she be thinking of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum ?
Depends on the symptoms she has, but MG is transmitted hen to chick via the egg.
MG presents itself around here every so often it seems in waves, where we see alot of it.
Other years we do not seem to have any issues of it at all.
Spread mostly by migrating fowl, I am guessing, but it can & is passed to the chicks via the hen, in the embryo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_gallisepticum

 

[Chickielady]

Did you find the ten thousand dollars in pennies you had stashed?

;-)

Diane~

Funny you mentioned that !
I had an antique Marble collection (don't laugh, some are worth alot of $$!)
AND my USA Pennies savings book (rare and old)
AND my USA Nickles savings book, both I had when I was in grade school.
SOMEDAY maybe I'll have all the right marbles !!!