WILL MY SERVICE ROOSTER SPREAD DISEASES?

[Gargoyle]

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.

This issue isn't that the person didn't want it in their house- it was the tone and attitude with which they expressed it that was jerkful.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

This issue isn't that the person didn't want it in their house- it was the tone and attitude with which they expressed it that was jerkful.

X2

 

[yomama]

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.

It's the Avian Medical Center in Lake Oswego. They are a little more expensive than the regular vet, but in my opinion, very well worth it. Very knowledgeable Dr and staff. There is even a tech there that specializes in chickens. She has helped me out over the phone numerous times. With them being so busy all the time, sometimes it's easier to get a tech on the phone to answer questions than the actual Dr.

 

[ChicKat]

I HAVE A 3 Y.O. DUTCH BANTAM SERVICE ROOSTER. MELVIN IS AN ONLY 'HOUSE
CHICKEN'.... LAST JULY WE SPENT $1300.00 TO SAVE HIS LIFE. 3 VETS LATER..
HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH 'LEAD POISONING'....HE WAS NEGATIVE FOR ANY AND
ALL PARASITES...BUT WENT THRU CHILATION THERAPY. I FOUND OUT AVIAN VETS
DO NOT WORK ON CHICKENS.

MELVIN EATS, SLEEPS [UNDER THE COVERS], GOES SHOPPING AND GOES TO
RESTAURANTS WITH ME. HE WALKS ON A LEASH AND POOPS ON COMMAND.

MELVIN LIVES WITH OUR CHIHUAHUAS AND RULES THE CANINES. HE IS ON
FACEBOOK AS MELVIN T. ROO [MELVIN THE ROOSTER] AND ALWAYS LOOKING
FOR NEIGHBORS IN THE GARDENS OF TIME.
HE IS ON MY SHOULDER WATCHING ANIMAL PLANET AS I AM TYPING THIS. YES...HE
KNOWS HOW TO TURN ON THE TV.




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.

Wow.
Welcome to the forum George1948.

Melvin T is quite the awesome rooster. What is the heart pendant around his neck? Quite cool.

If your dog owning friend has concerns, then maybe don't take Melvin over. It's possible that some parasites or diseases could be contracted by dogs from chickens, and if your friends business is dog grooming, then any perception of possible problems could harm his business.

Thanks for sharing the information about Melvin's amazing personality.

 

[chickenzoo]

They could have said it nicer. This person does not seem like a friend...... If this roo is truly a certified animal, then most places of business have to honor that. Dogs eat poo, they lick their butt, they lick other animals butt..... They eat dead stuff. Dogs aren't much cleaner. I can see a concern about coccidia... When my house chicken goes anywhere she wears a diaper, just out of respect for where we are going. I don't know of any disease that chickens can give dogs... I have three hundred chickens, plus other fowl of all kinds.... My six Pyrenees have never gotten sick from any of them....maybe some worms.....that's it...l and they eat all kinds of poo, sleep with the chickens etc... As for blackhead...another bird would have to step in contaminated poo and injest it.
I would tell them it is a shame they do not want your company and that they are ignorant about chickens and misinformed....their dogs are more a threat to him. I would ask what is their main concern and what you could do to ease that concern..... If not you tried and will respect their ignorance.
I had a goose that came down with lead poisioning. He was the only one, and I suspect he got it from where he was raised... They can eat old paint etc... With lead. None of my other animals, dogs, farm critters came down with it. I don't think that would be a problem...

As to the comment about people not treating chickens at the vet..... And the worry of their parrots......The only difference in parrots and chickens is that we don't eat parrots or their eggs. If we did ....parrots would be in the same boat.... And parrots can carry illness that affects people and other parrots too.
Some chickens, especially Silkies can fetch high prices as well. In vet care, I myself have spent $175 on an ill rooster, much more on egg bound hens, injuries..... Etc to my pet chickens. Know many people that do also. There are pet chickens and farm chickens...this is a newer way of thinking. If brought to a vet it is more than likely a PET chicken and probably lives in better conditions then you do.... Or lives with a crazy person with lots of money.. LoL. I've had parrots also, your parrot is no more special then my pet chicken. Anytime you go to a vets office you risk exposure to a SICK animal... If you don't like that, pay for a house visit.


As to the house roo..... He is very special and it is nice to see someone enjoy them like I do.

 

[AquaEyes]

They could have said it nicer. This person does not seem like a friend...... If this roo is truly a certified animal, then most places of business have to honor that. Dogs eat poo, they lick their butt, they lick other animals butt..... They eat dead stuff. Dogs aren't much cleaner. I can see a concern about coccidia... When my house chicken goes anywhere she wears a diaper, just out of respect for where we are going. I don't know of any disease that chickens can give dogs... I have three hundred chickens, plus other fowl of all kinds.... My six Pyrenees have never gotten sick from any of them....maybe some worms.....that's it...l and they eat all kinds of poo, sleep with the chickens etc... As for blackhead...another bird would have to step in contaminated poo and injest it.
I would tell them it is a shame they do not want your company and that they are ignorant about chickens and misinformed....their dogs are more a threat to him. I would ask what is their main concern and what you could do to ease that concern..... If not you tried and will respect their ignorance.
I had a goose that came down with lead poisioning. He was the only one, and I suspect he got it from where he was raised... They can eat old paint etc... With lead. None of my other animals, dogs, farm critters came down with it. I don't think that would be a problem...
As to the comment about people not treating chickens at the vet..... And the worry of their parrots......The only difference in parrots and chickens is that we don't eat parrots or their eggs. If we did ....parrots would be in the same boat.... And parrots can carry illness that affects people and other parrots too.
Some chickens, especially Silkies can fetch high prices as well. In vet care, I myself have spent $175 on an ill rooster, much more on egg bound hens, injuries..... Etc to my pet chickens. Know many people that do also. There are pet chickens and farm chickens...this is a newer way of thinking. If brought to a vet it is more than likely a PET chicken and probably lives in better conditions then you do.... Or lives with a crazy person with lots of money.. LoL. I've had parrots also, your parrot is no more special then my pet chicken. Anytime you go to a vets office you risk exposure to a SICK animal... If you don't like that, pay for a house visit.
As to the house roo..... He is very special and it is nice to see someone enjoy them like I do.

No, there are actually many more differences between parrots and chickens -- differences that have nothing to do with how "special" either may be as a pet, but with regards to their biology, evolutionary history, exposure to pathogens and inherent resistance, etc. True, a house chicken will have very low chances of being exposed to any pathogenic disease, but this is not how most chickens are kept. And, ironically, this is how many parrots are kept -- indoors, less exposure to pathogens in the soil, perched in cages out of contact from their feces, eating a diet with little or no animal protein, etc. All this translates to chickens living in a set of circumstances that put them at different dangers than do parrots, and as a result, chickens have adapted to being exposed to other pathogens.

Again, this isn't about one species being more "special" than another. It's about risks of disease transmission, and in terms of chickens and domestically-reared parrots, there is a potential disease flow that is stronger in one direction (chicken --> parrot) than in the opposite direction. This also applies to turkeys and peafowl, with respect to chickens -- both forums here on BYC contain references to chickens being able to shrug off more than turkeys and peafowl, and to keep that in mind if housing them together. It is something to keep in mind whenever an individual or institution maintains mixed-species collections.

Your examples of pet chickens and house chickens are the exception to the rule about how chickens are kept by and large -- if I was to assume that every chicken I saw was kept that way, I'd be wrong far more often than I'd be right. I don't have any kind of "chicken-prejudice" or else I wouldn't be on BYC. But I respect and acknowledge that they are different from parrots, different from ratites , different from ducks, different from turacos, different from barbets, etc. If I keep my amazon in the house but my chickens outside, does that mean that parrots are "more special" than chickens? No, it means that my amazon can't survive the same conditions that my chickens could. If I treated them as all the same, I would be ignoring their individual species' differences. And one of those differences relates to disease susceptibility.

 

[zazouse]

Melvin is very beautiful and he may ever give a disease to a dog but it is the persons place and he has a right to ask you not to bring Melvin to his place for what ever reason he choses to give you.

I love animals and have lots of them but i have to say if i was in a restaurant eating chicken and Caught Melvin looking at me in there i might loose my appetite.

 

[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.

It's the Avian Medical Center in Lake Oswego. They are a little more expensive than the regular vet, but in my opinion, very well worth it. Very knowledgeable Dr and staff. There is even a tech there that specializes in chickens. She has helped me out over the phone numerous times. With them being so busy all the time, sometimes it's easier to get a tech on the phone to answer questions than the actual Dr.

Thank you so much. :3

 

[chickenzoo]

Yes, I understand that different birds are affected differently.... I have parrots, cranes, swans, ornamental pheasants, turkey, peafowl ducks, geese ,emu,....and hundreds of chickens. I understand that they have different needs and can carry and pass different things amongst them and care should be given. But like I stated... If someone is bringing in a chicken to a vets office, especially a bird vet who usually charges a higher fee, then one could assume it is more than just a farm bird kept in less than standard conditions. If it is wearing a collar, being carried like a baby.... I would also assume the same. And when I mentioned how parrots and chickens are similar, I ment in how we view them and the price and worth we give them as well as their features. If we viewed parrots as a food item, raised them on big farms for meat and eggs... They would be in a sense.... A chicken that could mimic and would have developed tolerance to more illnesses then a caged bird. Only because they are kept in cages, in a house do they have less problems.... Often the same with pet chickens.... and I also know many people that take less care of their parrots. If you bring your bird to a vet, you understand the exposure you are bringing them into. If you dont want that, get a home visit if one is so worried about cross contamination. Anyone deserves to get care for their birds..... Chicken or parrot. People need to understand about them , take the precautions and not get a phobia that they are dirty filthy birds carrying all types of diseases. If someone takes their chicken with them, i would assume it gets better care then just a farm chicken. Pet chickens are becoming more popular, they are being kept in bird cages, indoors etc... I just find it odd that people often do not understand the difference.

 

[yomama]

Yes, I understand that different birds are affected differently.... I have parrots, cranes, swans, ornamental pheasants, turkey, peafowl ducks, geese ,emu,....and hundreds of chickens. I understand that they have different needs and can carry and pass different things amongst them and care should be given. But like I stated... If someone is bringing in a chicken to a vets office, especially a bird vet who usually charges a higher fee, then one could assume it is more than just a farm bird kept in less than standard conditions. If it is wearing a collar, being carried like a baby.... I would also assume the same. And when I mentioned how parrots and chickens are similar, I ment in how we view them and the price and worth we give them as well as their features. If we viewed parrots as a food item, raised them on big farms for meat and eggs... They would be in a sense.... A chicken that could mimic and would have developed tolerance to more illnesses then a caged bird. Only because they are kept in cages, in a house do they have less problems.... Often the same with pet chickens.... and I also know many people that take less care of their parrots. If you bring your bird to a vet, you understand the exposure you are bringing them into. If you dont want that, get a home visit if one is so worried about cross contamination. Anyone deserves to get care for their birds..... Chicken or parrot. People need to understand about them , take the precautions and not get a phobia that they are dirty filthy birds carrying all types of diseases. If someone takes their chicken with them, i would assume it gets better care then just a farm chicken. Pet chickens are becoming more popular, they are being kept in bird cages, indoors etc... I just find it odd that people often do not understand the difference.