WILL MY SERVICE ROOSTER SPREAD DISEASES?

[yomama]

I FOUND OUT AVIAN VETS
DO NOT WORK ON CHICKENS.




I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING EMAIL FROM A FELLOW DOG CLUB MEMBER.

[[[Just so you know............ For reasons of my, and my pet's health ,
the chicken/rooster is not allowed in my house, in or out of the bag,
crate, or any other container. Plus, in consideration for the insured
health of my grooming clients, and my own animals, I do not want him
going to "the bathroom" in my yard anywhere that they might walk their
dogs. I know you think he is healthy, but I, honestly, am not so sure.]]]

MY QUESTION IS..... DOES THIS PERSON HAVE ANY LIGITIMATE
CONCERNS?
3 YEARS AGO I GAVE HER 5 OF MELVINS' HATCH
MATES. I BOUGHT THE EGGS ON EBAY AND HATCHED THEM.
HE WAS TEXAS LAID AND MAINE BORN. OF THE 17 THAT HATCHED....
HE PICKED ME. HE IS THE SMARTEST ANIMAL I HAVE EVER OWNED.
I RECENTLY LOST MY 87 Y.O. MOTHER AND THIS BIRD CRIED
ALONG WITH ME. HE IS SO SENSITIVE TO MY NEEDS.

THANK YOU FOR ANY FEEDBACK ANYONE MAY HAVE.

First, I just got to say that I am surprised your avian vet does not treat chickens. We have a great avian vet out here, and not only does she treat chickens, she treats ducks, peacocks, etc. The anatomy is pretty much the same, in most regards, so I find it odd your avian vet doesn't treat them.

Anyway, I agree, this person sounds like a jerk. People like that are just looking for trouble and are usually very hard to convince otherwise, as another poster stated. I'm not following how this person comes into contact with Melvin. Is this person at a facility where you take Melvin? I guess if you have to deal with this person, maybe chicken diapers? I don't know. Sounds like this person is pretty ignorant in regards to chickens and how some diseases are species specific and so on.

This person reminds me of a lady I encountered at my avian vet. I had taken my EE, Blondie in, suspicous of a vent infection. I had Blondie in a cat crate. I did not feel she was contagious to any other patients in the lobby, nor did she have access to them. There was a lady in the lobby that had a small parrot, the breed escapes me right now. Of course, this little guy is crawling all over her shoulder and lap. She starts talking to me about my "bird". Once she finds out its a chicken, and that she is ill, she gets all weird and agitated. Never mind the fact that their were other birds in the lobby, with open wire cages that could of been contagious. She decides that she and her bird were going to wait in the car. When the tech came out to get her, I "announced" that I must of scared her off with my chicken's cooties. lol! The tech giggled. I couldn't believe how stupid some people are. Then, believe it or not, when she came back in, she had the nerve to start talking to me about how she used to have chickens, and how much fun they were! She was weird. Btw, my Blondie ended up having a kidney infection, so as I thought, not contagious. (the head tech there even asked me if I would be interested in applying to work there, lol!)

 

[AquaEyes]

I think it might be more about the client-base of the vet. My DYHA Sammy's vet specializes in birds and exotics. While poultry are obviously birds, under veterinary practice, they are more often treated by people familiar with agricultural species. When most of your clients bring in birds worth hundreds or thousands of dollars each, you will take a different approach to treatment than for a flock of chickens. Additionally, considering how much hardier chickens tend to be, owing to their long history of selection by people and often living in less-than-pretty conditions, I would be VERY concerned if I saw chickens in the vet's waiting room while I was bringing in Sammy. There are lots of things chickens can shrug off that will be much more serious if caught by parrots, finches or softbills.

 

[yomama]

I think it might be more about the client-base of the vet. My DYHA Sammy's vet specializes in birds and exotics. While poultry are obviously birds, under veterinary practice, they are more often treated by people familiar with agricultural species. When most of your clients bring in birds worth hundreds or thousands of dollars each, you will take a different approach to treatment than for a flock of chickens. Additionally, considering how much hardier chickens tend to be, owing to their long history of selection by people and often living in less-than-pretty conditions, I would be VERY concerned if I saw chickens in the vet's waiting room while I was bringing in Sammy. There are lots of things chickens can shrug off that will be much more serious if caught by parrots, finches or softbills.

I guess it might have to do with the client base. This Avian vet that I take my chickens to is the only Avian only vet clinic in the state of Or. All she treats is birds, and birds only. She is well known here and very good. Just because someone has a bird worth thousands of dollars, does not mean it is any better than my beloved pet chicken. I live in a rural, agricultural area, with many "farm" vets. Trust me, hardly any know anything about chickens. Chickens just aren't treated as much as regular pets. Not too many people even take them to the vet. I don't think that chickens are able to shrug off illnesses that much easier than other birds, people just don't usually treat them. They just cull them, so as not to contaminate the flock. I don't do that. I find it somewhat rude to say that you would be very concerned if you saw chickens in your vets lobby, while bringing in your bird. Its like saying someone is bothered by my mixed breed mutt being in the same office as their prize winning show dog.

I think it depends on how animals are kept in the lobby as well. I'd be worried about any pet wondering around a lobby, when bringing my pet in. Responsible owners keep their pet confined while waiting in the lobby, as not to risk injury to itself or other animals, or to keep from spreading disease. That is what I had done. My chicken was in a crate, this woman's bird was not. I think it makes much more sense for an avian vet to treat chickens, than a regular vet. Chickens are birds. The anatomy of a chicken is much more different than a cow, horse or dog. Trust me, I have been a tech, working for a small animal clinic, as well as a small/large animal clinic. They never treated chickens. I have farm animals too. I have different vets that I use, depending on the animal. Although my "farm" vets are very good at what they do, they do not know half of what my Avian vet does about chickens.

 

[AquaEyes]

I'm not denying that someone might feel their pet chicken is worth any treatment, but in terms of the mass of clientele, a higher percentage of owners of more expensive birds will be more willing to pay for more expensive treatments, simply due to the monetary value of their birds. My bird's yearly physical costs about $140-$180. Because most owners of chickens consider them more at the utility end of the scale, you won't find as high of a percentage of chicken owners spending this much every year on vet costs. More often, if a chicken can't be treated cheaply, it is, as you said, simply culled.

Chickens are more tolerant of non-perfect conditions than many exotic species, and even some domesticated species. Most husbandry guides advise not mixing chickens with other species for that reason (blackhead is one example of a disease tolerated by chickens but much more serious for other fowl). Additionally, being essentially ground birds, chickens encounter pathogens and parasites that most "cage bird" species wouldn't, since they are adapted to living a more arboreal life. There are many species that require experts to go to great lengths to keep them healthy and disease-free in captivity. If chickens required the same level of care, they wouldn't be considered an economically viable food-species. Domestication acts to select individuals over many generations that are more tolerant of the conditions in which they are reared. Most non-domesticated exotic species are at best only a few generations removed from their wild ancestors, and haven't undergone this degree of selection.

 

[Oregon Blues]

[[[[......If by service rooster you mean he provides some kind of service for the disabled or visits nursing homes to provide entertainment,.....]]]]

Only partially correct.

A service animal is an animal that is specially trained to provide necessary tasks for a disabled person that the disabled person can not do for himself.

The animals that visit hospitals are therapy animals and they also must be specially trained, certified, and insured. They are not there to provide entertainment. They are there to connect emotionally with depressed patients and can often cheer them up.

I can see where the clients at a grooming shop would get very upset if their dog ate or rolled in chicken poop. The dog groomer can not be expected to sit by smiling while his clients remove themselves to another grooming shop where they don't have to watch their dog eat chicken poop.

Chickens can pass coxcidia and giardia to other animals. It's possible that a few other things could be passed, too, but those are the ones that come to mind right off the bat.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

[[[[......If by service rooster you mean he provides some kind of service for the disabled or visits nursing homes to provide entertainment,.....]]]]

I can see where the clients at a grooming shop would get very upset if their dog ate or rolled in chicken poop.  The dog groomer can  not be expected to sit by smiling while his clients remove themselves to another grooming shop where they don't have to watch their dog eat chicken poop.

Chickens can pass coxcidia and giardia to other animals. It's possible that a few other things could be passed, too, but those are the ones that come to mind right off the bat.

x2. If I were bringing my dog to the groomers, I would be a little concerned to see a chicken there. And IMO, this person is not a "jerk". They have a valid concern. Dogs can become infected with cocci, giardia, fleas, mites, lice, worms- not to mention that people who don't own chickens don't really appreciate their dogs eating chicken poo. I love my chickens as much as anyone else on this forum, but I can also admit that I would be offended if you sat next to me at a restaurant and your bird poked his head out and looked at me (but I would feel the same about someones dog or cat too). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and this person could have gone about telling you to leave your roo at home in a nicer way, but they do have every right to ask you not to bring your bird there. Especially to a place of business that doesn't deal with fowl. I'm sorry your pretty boy was snubbed, and I think its amazing you've trained him so well, but some people just don't do birds. No matter how clean you keep them, how well you've trained them or how well behaved they are. Good luck....

 

[Zinnia-Hen]

Quote: Okay, I realize this is off topic, but where in Oregon. If it's in the Portland area, it may be helpful in the future.

 

[Carols Clucks]

I am not sure why you would want to risk such a valuable rooster to the dogs of the general public?

 

[Trefoil]

This person is a jerk. Stay away from them for your own peace of mind and safety. If their concerns were as stated, they would have just asked you and explained why. You say that you gave this jerk some chicks, its a perfect example of letting no good dead go unpunished. A chicken, or dog for that matter, can't give what it hasn't got. And as a house chicken, where would your buddy get exposed? My experience with farm vets is that they don't care about chickens, I had one laugh at me when I called. A dog groomer should be very conscious of hygiene to keep the dogs from passing on disease, anything that stops that would certainly stop them from getting anything from a chicken. Either this idiot felt like being snarky to someone and you got picked or they're too stupid to live. Stay away from them, it might be contagious.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Just because someone doesn't want a chicken in their house does not make them a "Jerk". Sorry folks, but I wouldn't want a chicken in my house either.