Speckledhen's Ten Commandments of Good Flock Management

[spook]

Keep in mind that (I sound like I'm giving you a hard time speckledhen) most of the CRD's are passed Transovarian- by egg.
Having your own birds fertilizing your eggs, you will be safe- IF you have a "clean" flock. Hatcheries do not test and from what I "understand"..."we shouldn't take the 'fatalist' approach"

Yes, I quote that, honestly, someone actually said this to me today from a club!

I just don't understand where people come from! Holy Hannah, give me a break. In a "community" like that, you can only take care of your own the way YOU choose and just keep your birds off limit to people that do not want to obide by your desire of healthy birds. ("points mean more then health for many people"- remember that and that was the 2nd quote that heard today..)

 

[seminolewind]

Nothing in this world is perfect. My goal is to cut out as much opportunity for illness as possible. The biggy being chickens and chicks, and so on. There are things beyond my control. There are things that will be overlooked.

 

[speckledhen]

spook is right about transmission through the egg of some diseases, though generally, it's more likely from direct contact, from infected chicks/chickens. We can only do so much because we have to get the birds from somewhere. I do not do Ebay or Eggbid, ever. I only get eggs from a couple of breeds from breeders I'm pretty sure of. If you dont get chicks or eggs from somewhere at some point, your flock will die out eventually.
Kelly, you aren't giving me a hard time. I know you and I have discussed lots of this and you've done major research on this lately. Sometimes, it seems nothing at all is safe, doesn't it?

 

[spook]

Another thing I learned yesterday, it gives me such frustrated gut a grumble, so, knowing that I along with the best of you, my birds have MG, just like hatcheries in the USA.
When it comes show time, as long as my bird is not needing antibiotics, showing illness from the mycoplasmas, ammonia or CRD, then enter them in a show.
Then being asked "are you all set on the mycoplasmas", like its just another day. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr- I understand we cannot change out fate with the wild birds having it, but gosh...
I appreciate your support during and continued complaining about the "system".
Needless to say, put our heads back in the sand, add this to another reason to close your flock or at least know where your birds are coming from, like my favorite line is its not so much beware, but being aware

(In the mean time, I'll sit on your park bench Cyn and be a fatalist!

)

 

[epona4]

Oh boy! Now I'm questioning what I should do this spring!

I was going to order day olds from Meyer. I'd like to eventually have a sustaining flock.

I know everyone has to make up their own mind, but I would be very interested in you opinions and advice.

My current situation is: a pair of Sussex, a trio of BR banties and six 11 week old Leghorns. The Sussex and BRs were our first chickens and they were bought at Ohio National from the same man. The LHs were given to us at a week old. They were from a local school.

The Sussex are the only ones I'm interested in having chicks from. The banties are really more for pleasure than purpose. (I guess that is a purpose) The leghorns...the 2 roos will go in the pot in another 7 weeks or so and the 4 hens will be used for eggs. I'd not been interested in LH to begin with, but they were free. Of course now I regret getting them for various reasons!

What I would like to have is a flock of Delawares, Sussex and Buckeyes. I was planning on ordering from Meyers and then hoping I could eventually get some chicks from them. Now I'm wondering if it would be better for me to try to find eggs and invest in an incubator.

With everything that I have read since getting the various chickens, I'd already decided I would get anything from a show or swap again. Now I'm nervous about ordering from a hatchery.

This is reminding me of when we got our horse. The more I learn the less I realize I know!

 

[spook]

This is reminding me of when we got our horse. The more I learn the less I realize I know!

Well, more then likely you will be alright...and you know the next word already, this has to be your choice. People have traded, swapped and shown birds now for years. No problems.
I guess if I wanted to do as your doing, don't give up, but build another coop/brood house, raise them until you know what they have, you can get testing done, a swab by the state testers. I now have a book on tested hatcheries and private breeders- imagine, club auction- $1. Now I am armed with knowledge that I'm pretty darn dumb at figuring out.

NPIP tested birds only. It is hard for all of us. There is a man that I hatched and raised mine from. I have intent to hatch, raise separately, then after seeing what they show for signs, go from there in 16-20 weeks. In my case if they all need to be culled, I will only be having hurt feelings, no show bird loss.

This post is about how Speckledhen runs her coop. It is commendable and admireable! I will post the question of opinions of closed or open flocks.​

 

[speckledhen]

What is all comes down to is mitigating the risk of bringing in disease. Nothing is perfect. Heck, if we could see germs, we wouldn't bring them in, but unfortunately we cannot. We just have to know what to do to keep a vigorous, healthy flock and practice those techniques to the best of our ability. There really should be no becoming lazy and forgetting, but we are all human. Even the most careful practices may fall short at some point in our chicken-keeping careers. If the worst happens, all we can do is take care of the problem, then batten down the hatches even tighter and keep on keeping on.

spook, you can come sit on my park bench anytime and we'll commiserate about the unfairness of it all.

 

[spook]

This was a great topic, made folks think. Have you thought about what type of trouble we can create next? I've actually been thinking about compiling the information in Open or Closed flocks to offer the Poultry club, just as a different view on these subjects. Like we have said many times, until we are blue in the face, this is personal choice, doesn't make these birds better then another, yet it shows individual choice to keep your flock closed or open.
Like I said, great topic, I've been "ah-thinkin" bout next topic- any suggestions?

 

[gapeachy]

I am sorry but all of this all confusing and depressing....I feel like I do all to prevent diseases and still I can get diseases in my flock....from hatcheries and such....I wanted chickens to enjoy and get eggs for the family and also their manure to compost my garden.....well it has all become so complicated now.....I am forever looking for sickness in my birds instead of enjoying watching them.....how can we be safe from the diseases?.....I heard you can even contaminate your birds by going to another farm and comming home carring germs on your shoes.....gee wizz.....

 

[speckledhen]

We didn't want this to become depressing for anyone, just wanted people to be aware. I started with 10 points and only one is causing rampant discussion. If the other points are followed, you will greatly lower your chance of bringing disease into your flock. Biosecurity, like making people spray their shoes with disinfectant and such, will become second nature to you.

Dont go crazy at a the first sneeze--check the ammonia levels. Go to the least worrisome solution first before you get too upset over something like that.