Lost my chickens

[StoneHeartFarm]

Dr Dan,

Okay, so if I'm getting this right, people who are "in harms way" (Vets, zookeepers, dog catchers, etc) get one or 2 shots over a short period and then a booster every couple of years, pretty much like my dog or cat.

On the other hand, people who have NOT been immunized and are exposed get more needles than a porcupine.

Burn everything. Got it! Burn the pants, shirt, gloves and soak the shoes in disinfectant. Is the rabies virus quite as catching as Hoof and Mouth? It seems like a lot of the same type of precautions I'm seeing in England.


DocHeb, are you telling me that people get paid to lay in a machine and have all their blood sucked out and stuffed back in? That can't be good for ya. I'd think as a regular occupation that would be more dangerous than getting between my inlaws and the dinner table. (I know somebody's gotta do it, but wow!) This must work something like kidney dialysis?

SHF

 

[DocHeb]

When I was in med school some of the students were doing plasmaphoresis for money. You'd get $25 a pop, and you could do it twice a week. We were so broke it seemed worthwhile. There are numerous other "products" you can extract from plasma besides Rabies Immune Globulin. It is done just like dialysis.

Just to get back to the original thread - please be careful around any carnivorous animal or bats (herbivores are little risk). The worst risk will be from animals killed for unusual behavior. Most U.S. cases of human rabies since 1980 have been associated with contact only, not bites.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

I still don't think that can be good for ya. Don't you need some of that stuff they're taking out? Seems like it would wear out your immune system always making it work overtime.

SHF

 

[uppermich]

I've lost my birds five different times in the last 8 or 9 years. The first time predator was unknown, to bobcat twice (not necessarily the same cat as one was trapped on my property after the 1st attack), an owl and last month to what I think may have been a mink. I'd love to get birds again, but I've decided that if you're in the territory of predators, you need an "Alcatraz" chicken coop.

Pat (Techno-Tractor Mom)

 

[ERNIEB]

A few years ago, here in South Texas, they started dropping vaccine from airplanes for coyotes and other varmits. I found one, it looked kinda like a fig newton. I guess it works, since we have not had a serious rabies outbreak.
I recall hearing that the planes were specially equiped to do this, and that they came from Canada. So I guess Canada has been doing it longer.
The bad news is that the coyote population is steadily increasing. When it gets dry, and food is scarce, they can get pretty bold.

Ernie

 

[RichZ]

Re: Survivors!!!

Pete, how about an update on the flock. Any other survivors? How's the single hen and her chicks? Did you ever get lab results back on whether the fox had rabies?

Rich

 

[Boondox]

Re: Survivors!!!

The chicks are pretty big now. Momma takes them out in the field every day to scratch and peck. They can't negotiate the ramp back into the coop, but can fly back inside pretty well. Biggest danger to the little ones are my three barn cats, but so far the hen has them scared to approach too closely.

The RIR and barred rock chicks we bought after the massacre are pretty big. They long ago outgrew the brooder box, and have been moved into a portable pen inside the garage. Not sure when to introduce them to the remains of the adult flock. The little brahma banties are incredibly tame! They love to be carried, and struggle not to be returned to the pen.

Results on the fox were negative, but she was lactating so there are some starved kits out there somewhere.

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[RichZ]

Re: Survivors!!!

Pete, the state labs only test for rabies, which as you said was negative. However, that fox displayed extremely unusual behavior, especially for a mother with kits. A nursing mother fox (and most mammals) usually tries to conserve energy because producing milk takes alot out of them. Massacaring a flock of chickens is remarkably bizzarre for a mother fox with babies (as well as for any fox). I'd bet anything that, although she didn't have rabies, she was infected with something else that caused that behavior. There are several viruses and bacteria that will cause inappropriate behavior like that. All fatal, and all a horrible death. Fortunately they are not easily transmitable to humans, but your dogs could have been at risk. You actually did a merciful thing for the fox, and her kits may have already been dead, since they would have caught anything she had through her milk. I'm never in favor of killing any animal, and would do anything to avoid it, but you did the right thing!

Rich

 

[Joesgoats]

Re: Survivors!!!

We lived in England for 10 years and found that foxes there made a habit of aimlessly killing as many of a flock as they could get hold of--never ate anything that we could tell. Just wrung necks and left! At least in those days we could be pretty sure they didn't have rabies.

We lost several chickens and a rabbit to foxes that way and smallholder friend of ours had the same experience.

So far in our current place the only thing that has attacked them is a fisher. Maybe the electric fence keeps the others away.

Good luck with your new flock!

Joe

 

[JayinNH]

Re: Survivors!!!

Pete,
Good to hear all is well. We just added 10 more to our flock. The babies grow fast and watch out for each other. I also watch out for the young ones with a itchy finger for the foxes and such.Good luck
Jason