"Gregory Gray, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, calls the new [#birdflu] detections in cows across multiple states a “worrisome” development because it may signal this bird flu strain is spreading directly between cattle, instead of via birds, and has mutated in ways that could allow it to better infect people.
Three U.S. states—Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico—on 25 March reported cows sickened with what scientists are presuming is the same H5N1 strain of influenza that has killed hundreds of millions of #poultry and wild birds.
#Hawks#Poultry#Chickens
To add to my bad start to the day (starlink is being installed even as I write :( ) a SparrowHawk has swooped down the garden while I was actually stood there.So I am wondering what size chicken is unsafe .My sebrights etc are in a protected run,but in the back are pekin sz birds, a bantam Scots grey ,dumpy ,Auracuna ,an Ayam cemani and bantam x all smaller than my Rhode Island red.I I provided covered eating areas but I cant cover the garden which birds need moving?
#Poultry#Eggs#Smallholding#Chickens
One of my breeding projects has been successful ! I wanted to try to breed "ornamental" hens that laid a pretty blue or green small egg.and looked pretty itself but was a usable size..They are japanese bantram x so dont dig up gardens ,I use them as pest control ,they dont like wandering.So anyone could keep a few and not have to buy shop eggs with all the cruelty that goes with that and they can replace pesticides etc,Just need them to breed true now :)
#Poultry#ShetlandIslands#Chickens#History#Rarebreeds#Scotland
Another of my old chickens which I have reordered .'Shetland Tappits quite possibly the worlds most endangered breed with just a few hundred birds in existence ,most on Sheltand ,some on sky and soon some in Caithness .In theory spanish galleons from the Armada washed ashore on shetland with some blue laying birds (probably Auracunas) which interbred with local birds. (my cockerals on the right https://greenfirefarms.com/shetland_hen.html
#birds#Poultry#Livestock#Rarebreeds One of the turkey breeds I have choosen its a UK heirloom breed on the rare breeds watch list.I used to have a hen turkey called Chrissy at my last place but when we were forced out of the house she went to a friend (for breeding not eating ) https://www.rbst.org.uk/pied-crollwitzer
They are good egg layers and quite small for turkeys so they need less space.Chrissy was very tame she would fly across the garden and perch on my shoulder
#chickens#poultry#livestock#crofting#farming https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/ayam-cemani/
I got a tiny black auracuana cross cockeral chick in this summers hatchlings so I am getting an Ayam Cemani hen to breed with him ,In the past I have managed to create birds that looked exactly like crows and laid olive eggs but they were huge ,crow sized and all had nasty temperaments and couldnt go in with birds smaller than themselves ,hes got a lovely nature so I am hoping my new crow hens might be nicer and smaller
"The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said the storm, which made landfall in Taylor County at Category 3 strength before crossing other areas of rural North Florida, had its biggest impact on such things as #cattle and #poultry operations, followed by #FieldCrops."
Got my first Stealth broody of the year ,my little Scots Dumpy bantam went AWOL a few days back ,I knew for certain she hadnt been eaten shes very wick and she was with another chicken and the cat in the front garden so nothing could have got her (cats afraid of the chickens) I stayed out this morning to watch and sure enough she suddenly appeared ,no idea from where so shes def in my garden somewhere .She disapeared just as magically in the seconds it took to let the cockerals out #Chickens
#Scots#Scotland#Livestock#Chickens#Poultry#Allotments
This is Flora last year when I managed to persuade her to nest in a coop .Shes a Scots Dumpy ,which for a while was Scotlands national symbol and is the reason its symbol is a thistle ,Dumpys were carried by the Scots army to warn of anyone approaching,the Romans tried to sneak up under cover of darkness,the birds sounded the alarm ,the Romans ended up driven into a thistle patch and roundly beaten :) https://www.raising-chickens.org/Scots-Dumpy-Chicken.html