Well I think I've finally figured out my spring order of chicks.

[sumi]

It's easier if you are not too attached. I didn't plan on getting chickens, they sort of came to me and I didn't think I'd fall in love with the funny little creatures and how much personality they have! I got completely caught out. I don't slaughter my chickens and I don't eat chicken meat or products, expect the odd egg from my hens. With my pigs though, I decided before I bought them that they are for slaughter and I did my best not to grow attached to them. Which was hard! Same with chickens I just didn't expect them to have such personality and be so darn adorable. Yes, Pigs! I allow myself to love my chickens and enjoy them as pets and I do care about all my animals, to some extend, but I try to be practical. Like with the pics. You simply have to be!

 

[missnu01]

I knew I would like the chickens and I wasn't 100% that I could eat one. But I could. So it all works out in the end. They are a fun creature though. I like to watch them when they are going about doing all their chicken business.

 

[sumi]

They are funny! We had some hilarious moments with our flocks over the years. Every now and then we'd get a chicken that would get under our skins. At the moment it's our RIR hen. She adores me and every time I go outside she runs up to me, chatting away. I wish I knew what she's saying.
When the time came for us to start slaughtering our pigs I stalled and stalled. It just felt wrong! But after the first one it got easier and over the years I got used to it. I really liked knowing what went into our meat and how the animal lived and died (humanely) as apposed to wondering.

 

[missnu01]

I have hard that pigs are easy to get attached to as well and hard when it comes slaughter time if you spend a lot of time with them. That is mostly what keeps me back from trying my hand at pig farming.

 

[sumi]

Have you read Sy Montgomery's book "The Good Good Pig"? That made me feel guilty about slaughtering mine! They are great animals and they are intelligent and funny and they are unfortunately nice to eat too... Especially home reared. If you can manage to keep your distance emotionally I'd highly recommend raising a few porkers.

 

[cochins1088]

All of my chickens are pets. Like Sumi said, I didn't think I'd fall in love with them, but I did. I know each chicken individually and I have 30 of them. There are some that I love more then others, but I could never kill any of them. With my first hatch 4 years ago, there were so many roosters that I had to look into procressing. I of course didn't have the heart, so I spent months finding each and every one of them a good home. On the pig topic, I would love to get a couple of pigs (they are delicous) but I know I'd get attached. My friend has a pot belly pig that lives in her house. The pig is potty trained and incredibly smart.

Reading this thread reminds me that Mareks disease is a great threat. I plan on showing some of my chickens for the first time this year, which I imagine will put them at risk. Do either of you know if adults can be vaccinated for Mareks? Or does it have to be within the first few days of life? Also, can they be vaccinated twice? I have no idea if my original flock was vaccinated.

I sure hope that your chicks get better.

 

[missnu01]

Adults can be vaccinated for Marek's but they say that most adult birds have already come into contact with Marek's and survived to tell the tale, so the vaccine is usually moot, but yes you can give your adults a vaccine every year if you want to. Some people do...But statistically any bird that makes it to adulthood has already been around the virus, and will either get it or become resistant...It usually only affects chicks and younger birds...At least this is what I have gathered from all my research on the subject so far. That is why you vaccinate day olds, because they haven't actually been around the virus---yet...so they can build a resistance to the disease without actually having been exposed to a threatening case of the disease. I am going to cull the 2 that are experiencing issues right now...then all chickens I get will be adults or vaccinated chicks...but there I run into issue. I want to hatch my own chicks next year from the chickens I am getting this year...So I would need to vaccinate all the new chickys myself? Can you buy the vaccine at feed stores? Anyway, giving the vaccination to an adult bird won't hurt, but very likely won't help either.`Through my reading it says the virus usually claims it's tole between 5 and 25 weeks...so as birds get older there is less worry...because there is a very great likelihood that the bird has already built an immunity to the disease. But if you bring in new chicks, it is likely they will get sick...so any young chicks you have at home that aren't vaccinated would be at risk, not so much your other adult birds. I mean I have 12 chickens...2 of which are ailing with the virus now, but all the adult chickens are just fine, because they are probably where the younger chicks got the Marek's. Marek's is much more common than I think some people realize...pretty much if you have chickens you are carrying mareks disease even if none of the chickens are of have been sick. I had no idea how common...but for real. It is better to assume that you have it and vaccinate every baby chick that you get from there on out. It is kind of like the chicken pox...except has a pretty high mortality rate. Also the vaccine takes 2 weeks to start working...so after I get my day olds it is still going to be hit and miss which ones make it, simply because I can't filter the air that the chickens breathe, and I know that Marek's is on my property, and the neighbors have chickens...anywhere there are adult chickens there is marek's. It truly is that prevalent...So I have to somehow build a purified air chick bubble for 2 weeks, and the danger zone won't pass until they are 25 weeks of age...this is going to be tough...but even culling my whole flock and starting over isn't a guarantee because there is always wind, and chicken transport trucks, and people, and animals that are going to be forever tracking this nasty all around the world...So best course of action?---I think vaccinating all chicks is the first step, and hoping for the best. And really if the death rate stays steady then I guess I am alright with that. I had 7 chicks...2 are sick...so if for every 7 chicks 2 die I think I'll be alright...Nothing you can do about it...that is the kicker for me. The disease is there and it won't go away.

 

[gryeyes]

I don't need any more chickens. Nope. But for "some" reason, I keep sidling over the hatchery sites and considering which breeds i'd like to add to my very mixed flock.... Or maybe a pullet surprise? Or some sexed bantams fro MPC?

Aaauugghh! Hold me back!

 

[missnu01]

I am so excited I can't stand it. I am going to order the Cackle hatchery surprise so then I won't even know what I am getting...even when they get here I won't know what is what until they are grown...it's super exciting. I am just hoping that they can make it past all the issues facing the chickens of today..Lol.
In the cackle hatchery surprise you can get geese and ducks and turkeys too, so that adds to the suspense even more.

I am ordering from the 2/4/13 murray mcmurray, and then I am going to order a mid april hatching surprise box. Can't wait...absolutely can't.

 

[missnu01]

I don't need any more chickens. Nope. But for "some" reason, I keep sidling over the hatchery sites and considering which breeds i'd like to add to my very mixed flock.... Or maybe a pullet surprise? Or some sexed bantams fro MPC?

Aaauugghh! Hold me back!

Just make up some reason to thin down your flock a bit and then get some more...Lol. I have to build a couple more coops as well.