Bio-security? Anyone else scared to touch their chicks?

[RememberTheWay]

Not that I'm scared of my chickens, I love them dearly. But this year has been the hardest years thus far in my chicken keeping and breeding journey. I've learned a lot about bio security, the hard way, I might add, and at this point I think I may be going a little insane.

There are a few breeds that I've wanted for quite some time but honestly just couldn't find the funds to purchase quality stock. Then came Mother's day this year. And I was gifted a few chicks in each breed I've wanted from quality breeding lines. We got day olds but those little chirps came at a pretty penny! 2 true Ameraucana bantams in self blue, 2 mottled Houdans, 3 Serama's, about 6 crested cream legbars, and I got about 30 silkies in chocolate, chocolate mottled, mauve, mauve mottled, chocolate paint, lavender, and black mottled. As well as white, black, and blue. And 4 showgirls chocolate mottled, chocolate, mauve, and black satin. I was thrilled.

Then came the nightmare coccidiosis that seemed to defeat me no matter what I did. Everything under the sun I tried and they just kept dying. Not even sure I'm out of the woods yet, but they aren't dying in such large numbers anymore. Two days with one death instead of a day of 12+ deaths. It mostly ripped through the silkie and bantam Cochin brooder, but the showgirls and silkies seemed to take the hardest hit. It hasn't gotten to my brooder of mothers day chicks. And I'm trying my hardest to keep that from happening.

But now I feel super paranoid. And terrified to touch or interact with them at all. And that is normally something I thoroughly enjoy doing. I like having chickens as pets And I feel sad that I am too scared to involve myself with them for fear they will die too. Not to mention they were so expensive who knows when or if I would be able to replace them? Does anyone else feel completely neurotic about biosecurity? I mean down to teeny tiny little detail? And scared to touch their baby chicks? Am I the only one who does this?

I never was this way prior to coccidiosis 2024. But I'm certain this will leave a lasting scar for the remainder of my chicken raising and will forever alter my management practices. Has anyone else had to learn a terrible lesson the hard way like this? I'd love to hear about it. How did it change you and your farm and management practices? Do you find yourself thinking things through in ways you never imagined prior? Like issues of tracking and cross contamination?

Anyways....hope I'm not alone. And anyone that can throw a prayer this direction for my little babies here, it would be greatly appreciated!

Also would love to hear tips on how you prevent sickness in your chicks/adults and things you used to do but wouldn't dare to now

Photo for attention

 

[Amer]

After illness hit many of my birds years ago, I find myself culling birds with any sign of Mareks or respiratory illness. It is hard, but in order to prevent disease from spreading to the other birds it is the best thing to do. It was a traumatizing experience, that.
Since that happened, I have been very careful about biosecurity, I quarantine new birds or birds I have brought to shows, and if I care for chicks after the rest of the birds I wash my hands.
Also, clothes that I wear in other places that might have birds (wild or domestic) must be cleaned before using them in the coop.
Coccidiosis is not as communicable and it doesn’t stick with the birds for life. It is a protozoan; it has less to do with biosecurity. It is caused by contact with infected litter and feces. In order to control it I try to keep my brooders dry and clean often. Sometimes they still get infected though, and in that case, I change the litter and give Corid in the water. It’s good to keep Corid on hand because coccidiosis is a common infection, and sometimes it just happens.

 

[SourRoses]

Years ago I was properly diagnosed with Germaphobia / OCD... so you can say I was predisposed to be neurotic. Caring for animals actually helps me, something about nature dirt is very different from people dirt, can't explain it.
When I first encountered illness in my chicks / chickens, I attempted to handle it like I do much of life. But I realized that I wasn't failing to meet some standard, on the contrary I was putting too much blame on myself. I can't control what happens, I can only do my very best and let nature take its course. I've since tried to adapt a bit more of a farmer mentality... if they survive what others didn't, they must be stronger and therefore better breeding stock. We still try to help them all, and sometimes they surprise you! I can't tell you how many lovely chicks I held and prayed for and cried over, hoping they would live, only to lose them and feel like I let them down... but I gradually came to accept, this is when the health of the future flock is determined.
As long as some make it, you can breed those and have a stronger next generation, and another after that.

 

[RememberTheWay]

Years ago I was properly diagnosed with Germaphobia / OCD... so you can say I was predisposed to be neurotic. Caring for animals actually helps me, something about nature dirt is very different from people dirt, can't explain it.
When I first encountered illness in my chicks / chickens, I attempted to handle it like I do much of life. But I realized that I wasn't failing to meet some standard, on the contrary I was putting too much blame on myself. I can't control what happens, I can only do my very best and let nature take its course. I've since tried to adapt a bit more of a farmer mentality... if they survive what others didn't, they must be stronger and therefore better breeding stock. We still try to help them all, and sometimes they surprise you! I can't tell you how many lovely chicks I held and prayed for and cried over, hoping they would live, only to lose them and feel like I let them down... but I gradually came to accept, this is when the health of the future flock is determined.
As long as some make it, you can breed those and have a stronger next generation, and another after that.

Thank you for reminding me of this point. I desperately needed to hear it! I do want healthy and disease resistant chicks. I think I am probably doing something similar in that I am putting too much blame on myself and totally delusional in thinking I would be able to control every teeny tiny detail. Funny thing is, had my previous self (before this incredibly hard year of chick brooding) I have read this post and totally not got it at all. Because I never thought about things like I do now that I've had so many losses. Maybe I just need to lighten up and enjoy the journey a little more and stop thinking that I can absolutely control whether they get sick or not. I'm seriously killing myself trying to prevent cross contamination. And I have a LOT of birds. Several flocks, and numerous ages.

Anyways.... Thank you so much for saying that.

 

[RememberTheWay]

After illness hit many of my birds years ago, I find myself culling birds with any sign of Mareks or respiratory illness. It is hard, but in order to prevent disease from spreading to the other birds it is the best thing to do. It was a traumatizing experience, that.
Since that happened, I have been very careful about biosecurity, I quarantine new birds or birds I have brought to shows, and if I care for chicks after the rest of the birds I wash my hands.
Also, clothes that I wear in other places that might have birds (wild or domestic) must be cleaned before using them in the coop.
Coccidiosis is not as communicable and it doesn’t stick with the birds for life. It is a protozoan; it has less to do with biosecurity. It is caused by contact with infected litter and feces. In order to control it I try to keep my brooders dry and clean often. Sometimes they still get infected though, and in that case, I change the litter and give Corid in the water. It’s good to keep Corid on hand because coccidiosis is a common infection, and sometimes it just happens.

This brings up something I was reading the other day about flocks and disease resistance. And I'm not sure how to feel about it now that it's been brought to my attention. So the question is- if we cull all the sick birds are we essentially weakening our flocks instead of breeding in disease resistance to our birds? Just something I've been pondering. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this topic though

 

[Amer]

This brings up something I was reading the other day about flocks and disease resistance. And I'm not sure how to feel about it now that it's been brought to my attention. So the question is- if we cull all the sick birds are we essentially weakening our flocks instead of breeding in disease resistance to our birds? Just something I've been pondering. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this topic though

No, if birds do not show symptoms they have disease resistance. Their weaker siblings will sicken and I cull them. Thus I am breeding for disease resistance and get less every year.
Not breeding for resistance would be wiping out every bird that ever came into contact with sickness.
Plus, I show birds so disease resistance is very important since they come into contact with birds from all over the place.
I read an article on breeding for resistance to Mareks.
A breeder wiped her flock due to Mareks and started over, only for the new birds to get it again. She realized having Mareks would be a reality in her area so she first separated the ages and culled any birds that got sick, keeping only those who did not show symptoms.
The next year she did it again, only there were less that got sick.
In following years she brought all ages together so birds were exposed to adult germs at a young age so they could build resistance. It is rare for any to contract it all but if they do succumb she will cull them.
So now she has a healthy Marek’s resistant flock.

 

[MamaPoult]

Hi! I can most definitely pray for you and your flock! I hope the good Lord helps your dear chicks and yourself heal from this awful experience❤

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Cocci is treatable I deal with that yearly because this state is nothing but rain
Things like mg etc get culled but i havent had that since I stopped buying people birds.

 

[RememberTheWay]

Cocci is treatable I deal with that yearly because this state is nothing but rain
Things like mg etc get culled but i havent had that since I stopped buying people birds.

Cocci certainly is treatable especially if you happen to get a simple strain that amprolium works for. If you are unlucky like me, and also aren't aware that corrid doesn't work for every strain, so you don't have other things in hand, then yes it's treatable but if you don't have the medication and have to order it online then birds die during shipping times. Hard facts to face. I won't ever be in this position again. And previous to this yr I would of thought someone freaking out about coccidiosis was silly. I had never experienced Coccidiosis like this. And contrary to popular belief all Coccidiosis is not the same, unfortunately.

Anyways...where do you buy birds from now then? And what are your goals with your flock? For me buying hatchery stock is out of the question for my breeders. They simply do not select for the qualities I find important. Things like SOP, temperament, friendliness, vigor, disease resistance, production, egg color, etc. most hatcheries don't care what their birds look like as long as they produce and they don't care if they are meaner then snakes. I do. I also want birds that are well balanced within a larger flock, that aren't bullys, and roosters that have vigor without aggression. I look for roosters that also do well with chicks and aren't hard on the hens. The birds especially the cockerels I've gotten from hatcheries have left a lot to be desired in friendliness and have also been mean from very young ages. So what do you do in that situation?

I decided this year that I would no longer buy in birds that I would hatch my own, BUT I still have to obtain all the breeder stock I need to make that happen. After they are obtained and grown out, I will not be purchasing in anymore except for when and if I ever decide to expand again. Which being no stranger to chicken math ......lol

 

[RememberTheWay]

Hi! I can most definitely pray for you and your flock! I hope the good Lord helps your dear chicks and yourself heal from this awful experience❤

Thank you really appreciate that!

Will do for you as well