birds are catching on!

[birdguhl]

My 12 year old niece has just told me about two new additions to their family: Veronica and Blackburn!




I am amazed. They have two cats but they have already learned their place. They go out of enclosure with supervision and they are building a fenced area re foxes. They have had lovely eggs.

I think they look amazing BUT I have to wonder whether the circovirus (Pssitacine Beak and Feather Disease) could pose a risk. I have done some quick searching but may have to ask a vet. Does anyone know anything about this?

[OP]

I say they look beautiful. Are they finger trained?

[marleen4]

I love their pen! We have chooks but I've never heard of the illness you are describing, sorry.

[Deleted]

I've had chickens for some years now and parrots even longer, we've never had any problems.

They are lovely birds, still young and probably only just laying. Their comb on their heads and wattles (the bit's under the chin) will get much bigger. The area they are in will be bald of grass in no time if not moved on a daily basis. Ideally there should be 3 hens as they are flock birds and if one dies for any reason you will have one very distraught bird and introducing a new one will cause many fights until the pecking order is established. If one is added now, while still young, there may not be any fighting.

[Captain Howdy]

Yes it does.

"Psittacine beak and feather disease has been documented in more than 40 species of captive and free-ranging Old World psittacine birds (cockatoos, African grey parrots, Eclectus parrots, lovebirds and budgerigars) as well as several species of New World Psittaciformes (Amazon parrots, macaws and pionus). Viruses related to the PBFD virus have been reported in pigeons, Senegal doves, canaries, finches, geese, southern black-backed gulls, ostriches, pigs, chickens and humans."

www.petplace.com/birds/psittacine-beak-and-feather-disease/page1.aspx

www.backyardchickens.com/t/236318/pbfd-in-chickens

[birdguhl]

Thanks for info, Captain Howdy. That is a shame. I am guessing that means that I should not have any direct contact with the hens. I don't know how tame they are or will become. But I do visit the house and I suppose that means there is a chance of taking virus particles there. oh dear. This PBFD is a nightmare. I note from the discussion on the other forum you gave me link to that the virus can live for 5 years outside the body.

[Hezz]

marleen4, I love the use of "chooks"! Chooks are cool, in my house .......... I thought it was a purely Aussie word for "chickens", though. Nice to know it has travelled a little further afield.

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2013 10:11:08 GMT Hezz said:

@marleen, I love the use of "chooks"! Chooks are cool, in my house .......... I thought it was a purely Aussie word for "chickens", though. Nice to know it has travelled a little further afield.

I think "Neighbours" has a lot to do with that Hezz. We call ours Chooks too.

[Captain Howdy]

Jul 24, 2013 7:21:20 GMT birdguhl said:

Thanks for info, Captain Howdy. That is a shame. I am guessing that means that I should not have any direct contact with the hens. I don't know how tame they are or will become. But I do visit the house and I suppose that means there is a chance of taking virus particles there. oh dear. This PBFD is a nightmare. I note from the discussion on the other forum you gave me link to that the virus can live for 5 years outside the body.

I would avoid any contact with any other birds where ever possible on the off chance you are carrying it on your clothing.

It is very resilient and lasts a very long time in the environment.

[BudgiesBuddy]

These look like the domestic hens we have here in villages

[marleen4]

Jul 24, 2013 10:18:28 GMT starlingqueen said:

Jul 24, 2013 10:11:08 GMT Hezz said:

@marleen, I love the use of "chooks"! Chooks are cool, in my house .......... I thought it was a purely Aussie word for "chickens", though. Nice to know it has travelled a little further afield.

I think "Neighbours" has a lot to do with that Hezz. We call ours Chooks too.

I did not even realise this was not a universal word! Chickens to me are young birds, but this must be part of the slang I suppose.
Starlingqueen, where are you from? Sounds like a nice little "local" A-team!

[Deleted]

Jul 26, 2013 20:57:42 GMT marleen4 said:

Jul 24, 2013 10:18:28 GMT starlingqueen said:

I think "Neighbours" has a lot to do with that Hezz. We call ours Chooks too.

I did not even realise this was not a universal word! Chickens to me are young birds, but this must be part of the slang I suppose.
Starlingqueen, where are you from? Sounds like a nice little "local" A-team!

I'm in the UK, England to be exact. South east England to even more exact, on the coast. 

[marleen4]

Forget about "local" then! Never mind. As far as I know Hezz and I are the only regulars from this side of the ocean, but I could easily be wrong. We used to have nev90, but I have not heard from him for a while. His birds appear on a New Zealand trade website from time to time, so he's still in business. Anyone else from Aussi or NZ?

[Deleted]

Jul 26, 2013 23:09:56 GMT marleen4 said:

Forget about "local" then! Never mind. As far as I know Hezz and I are the only regulars from this side of the ocean, but I could easily be wrong. We used to have nev90, but I have not heard from him for a while. His birds appear on a New Zealand trade website from time to time, so he's still in business. Anyone else from Aussi or NZ?

I've got a brother who lives in Ballerat Aus if that counts.

[Learner]

Jul 26, 2013 22:06:05 GMT starlingqueen said:

Jul 26, 2013 20:57:42 GMT marleen4 said:

I did not even realise this was not a universal word! Chickens to me are young birds, but this must be part of the slang I suppose.
Starlingqueen, where are you from? Sounds like a nice little "local" A-team!

I'm in the UK, England to be exact. South east England to even more exact, on the coast. 

You mean there's someone else living in my remote part of the world!!      

It sure is hot around these 'ere parts - rain due tomorrow.

---

Lovely "chooks" - we always called ours "chickens" when I was a kid living in London. Had about 200 of them. Rhode Island Reds and Sussex Whites mainly. (if I remember rightly?)

My job as a 5 year old was putting the fish heads through the hand mincer ready to mix into meal for the winter time feeds. How I hated it when the eyes stared back and wouldn't go down / through the mincer.

Sorry... some memories are perhaps best kept to ones self.