Chicken house surprise...

[Silvercreek Farmer]

A neighbor let me look inside one of his chicken houses, and despite what I have seen and heard in movies about chicken houses, the birds were clean, well feathered, standing up, beaked, and not piled up on top of each other. They looked well care for for sure. I couldn't inspect all 14,000 of them individually, but I was pleasantly surprised. He did tell me that if the power went out they would all die, the smell was a little strong, and I am sure they could not exist without their medicated feed, but it was not the horror scene depicted in so many expose' movies. Please don't take this as a judgement one way or another, just an observation...

[Farmerwilly2]

Good job. Now if I can get you to go shop at a Walmart maybe another urban myth could be laid to rest.

[ladycat]

I don't know who your neighbor is contracted with but they would take a dim view of unauthorized persons peeking inside the chicken house.

And I'm sure there are "clean" chickens, but there are plenty of "not clean" chickens, too.

[MO_cows]

Thank you for sharing your observations.

Like with most issues, the truth generally lies somewhere in the middle. The marketers would have you believe that poultry houses are happy places and the birds are treated like pets. On the other hand, the animal rights groups have done a great job of convincing people that any commercial poultry operation is gonna be a house of horrors. But like you saw for yourself, the truth was in between. I'm sure that there are some bad operators out there that did create the "house of horrors" situation to be publicized. The majority of people are going to provide adequate care and then some, because it is in their own self interest to do so, and also because they take the moral responsibility for living things in their care seriously.

[julieq]

Originally Posted by ladycat

I don't know who your neighbor is contracted with but they would take a dim view of unauthorized persons peeking inside the chicken house.

And I'm sure there are "clean" chickens, but there are plenty of "not clean" chickens, too.

Exactly. Would have thought biosecurity would have been an issue.

I was never near their facility to see it up close, but our 150 acres in Alabama was right across the road from a large chicken raising facility. When they heard I wanted backyard hens they had fits and threatened lawsuit, etc. due to biosecurity concerns with their flock (?!)

Since we had 150 acres without restrictions, DH informed them to go ahead and sue us as we not only were getting chickens, but also turkeys, ducks and geese (which we did). They backed off.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Originally Posted by julieq

Exactly. Would have thought biosecurity would have been an issue.

I was never near their facility to see it up close, but our 150 acres in Alabama was right across the road from a large chicken raising facility. When they heard I wanted backyard hens they had fits and threatened lawsuit, etc. due to biosecurity concerns with their flock (?!)

Since we had 150 acres without restrictions, DH informed them to go ahead and sue us as we not only were getting chickens, but also turkeys, ducks and geese (which we did). They backed off.

Old school operator just asked me if I had been in an area of the county where LT had been present, which I had not, but I did tell him we have a small laying flock, but that didn't seem to concern him. I didn't go inside, just looked in the door; however, it did have negative pressure at the door due to the exaust fan which I guess could have pulled something airborne in the house.

[Rusty'sDog]

The original post tells me something: the man is an irresponsible operator.
If a power outage is going to kill 14,000 birds, why does he not have a backup generator?

I once worked on a 27,000 hen egg farm. They were not concerned by electrical failure, extreme weather, or drought...they had it all covered...nothing was left to chance.

[julieq]

Originally Posted by Silvercreek Farmer

Old school operator just asked me if I had been in an area of the county where LT had been present, which I had not, but I did tell him we have a small laying flock, but that didn't seem to concern him. I didn't go inside, just looked in the door; however, it did have negative pressure at the door due to the exaust fan which I guess could have pulled something airborne in the house.

OK, I give up. What's LT?

It would have been interesting to see and you're fortunate as it's probably something the rest of us won't see in our lifetimes.

Heck, if the chickens are THAT low in immunity that they would catch something from you looking in the door, maybe they ought to rethink their 'chicken husbandry'!

[julieq]

Originally Posted by Rusty'sDog

The original post tells me something: the man is an irresponsible operator.
If a power outage is going to kill 14,000 birds, why does he not have a backup generator?

I once worked on a 27,000 hen egg farm. They were not concerned by electrical failure, extreme weather, or drought...they had it all covered...nothing was left to chance.

Good point. A good sized generator doesn't cost THAT much. Why take the risk?

I know the cow dairies in this area have generators so they can continue milking 24/7 during the frequent power outages. Hmmm, maybe I could write off a large diesel generator as a goat 'expenditure' so I don't have to milk by hand if the power goes out...

[stormwalker]

Originally Posted by Silvercreek Farmer

I am sure they could not exist without their medicated feed, but it was not the horror scene depicted in so many ...

I couldn't even get unmedicated chick grower feed at my store. I went with unmedicated turkey grower.

[Wendy]

The original post tells me something: the man is an irresponsible operator.
If a power outage is going to kill 14,000 birds, why does he not have a backup generator?

I once worked on a 27,000 hen egg farm. They were not concerned by electrical failure, extreme weather, or drought...they had it all covered...nothing was left to chance.

I grew up on a farm with 30,000 layers. Ours was not like most people think. Yes, the birds were caged, but they were well cared for. In the earlier years dad did not have a generator. If the power went out, we had doors down the whole side of the building that would be opened for ventilation. Dad took very good care of the chickens as that is how he made his money. We gathered the eggs by hand. I miss the days of gathering 20,000 plus eggs a day! Now I get a couple of dozen off of my flock.

[RebelDigger]

I was raised on a chicken egg production farm. We had three houses, each was 100 yards long with upper and lower cages on both sides. Total of 19,000 chickens, give or take, White Leghorns. Back then there was not much in the way of technology for germs but, Mom was as anal about cleanliness as the Surgeon General. We spent about as much time cleaning as we did picking up eggs and processing them We never had a problem with anybody getting sick and back then as part of the contract with the coop we could have as many eggs for our own use as we wanted so family and friends never had to buy eggs.

The only issue we ever had was an outbreak of Marek's one year. After the flock was cleared out, we had to clean everything with bleach, including spraying down every square inch of wood and wire down those rows. I remember being very impatient about the whole deal cause once a year after the flock was gone and we had cleaned the houses out ready for the new flock we actually got to go on vacation and that year we were going to Disney World.

[tinknal]

Originally Posted by Rusty'sDog

The original post tells me something: the man is an irresponsible operator.
If a power outage is going to kill 14,000 birds, why does he not have a backup generator?

I once worked on a 27,000 hen egg farm. They were not concerned by electrical failure, extreme weather, or drought...they had it all covered...nothing was left to chance.

Where in the OP did it say that the owner does not have a backup generator?

[jwal10]

Was this an egg or meat operation? I don't get how people here can say "most never get the chance to see an operation" but then be so adamant that they are bad places. I have seen many operations, both chicken and turkey, things were tidy, did not smell bad and the animals looked very healthy. I have seen many, many backyard flocks that were in a lot worse conditions. Even people here have had a situation that they would not want "everybody" to see their operation at a certain point. Why are people so quick to paint the industry with such a broad stroke and say they are all bad. I don't chose to eat "factory birds" only because of the meds and what is added after slaughter, not because of how they are raised....James

[fishhead]

It depends on the operator evidently. There have been some pretty incriminating videos taken by animal rights people. They didn't stage them.

I've worked in turkey egg barns catching, innoculating, banding, shipping, picking eggs. The manure was a couple of feet thick by spring and the ammonia was pretty strong.

I prefer to eat birds and eggs from birds that are allowed to roam on clean grass.

[julieq]

Originally Posted by stormwalker

I couldn't even get unmedicated chick grower feed at my store. I went with unmedicated turkey grower.

We can't find unmedicated chick feed here either, so we purchase laying pellets and grind them up for the chicks. We've been doing that for a couple of years and it works fine.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Originally Posted by Rusty'sDog

The original post tells me something: the man is an irresponsible operator.
If a power outage is going to kill 14,000 birds, why does he not have a backup generator?

I once worked on a 27,000 hen egg farm. They were not concerned by electrical failure, extreme weather, or drought...they had it all covered...nothing was left to chance.

Ah, you jump to conclusions, what I was referring to is if the backup generator failed...

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Originally Posted by julieq

OK, I give up. What's LT?

It would have been interesting to see and you're fortunate as it's probably something the rest of us won't see in our lifetimes.

Heck, if the chickens are THAT low in immunity that they would catch something from you looking in the door, maybe they ought to rethink their 'chicken husbandry'!

In our conversation, the farmer lamented the poor hardiness of the chicks provided by the integrator and spoke of the chickens of the past as much more hardy. The farmer is well into his 70's and had raised chickens for more than 35 years and would probably quit, but the houses are probably most of his "retirement" income.

Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Synonyms: LT, ILT, trach, laryngo

Species affected: Chickens and pheasants are affected by LT. Chickens 14 weeks and older are more susceptible than young chickens. Most LT outbreaks occur in mature hens. In recent years, LT has also caused significant respiratory problems in broilers greater than 3 weeks of age, especially during the cooler seasons of the year. This is believed to be due to unwanted spread of LT vaccines between poultry flocks.

Clinical signs: The clinical sign usually first noticed is watery eyes. Affected birds remain quiet because breathing is difficult. Coughing, sneezing, and shaking of the head to dislodge exudate plugs in the windpipe follow. Birds extend their head and neck to facilitate breathing (commonly referred to as "pump handle respiration"). Inhalation produces a wheezing and gurgling sound. Blood-tinged exudates and serum clots are expelled from the trachea of affected birds. Many birds die from asphyxiation due to a blockage of the trachea when the tracheal plug is freed (see Table 1 ).

Transmission: LT is spread by the respiratory route. LT is also spread from flock to flock by contaminated clothing, shoes, tires, etc. Birds that recover should be considered carriers for life. LT may be harbored in speciality poultry such as exhibition birds and game fowl.

Treatment: Incinerate dead birds, administer antibiotics to control secondary infection, and vaccinate the flock. Mass vaccination by spray or drinking water method is not recommended for large commercial or caged flocks. Individual bird administration by the eye-drop route is suggested. Follow manufacturers instructions. In small poultry flocks, use a swab to remove plug from gasping birds, and vaccinate by eye-drop method.

Prevention: Vaccinate replacement birds for outbreak farms. Vaccination for LT is not as successful as for other disease, but is an excellent preventive measure for use in outbreaks and in epidemic areas. Refer to the publication PS-36 (Vaccination of Small Poultry Flocks) for more information on LT vaccinations.

[Homesteader1]

Im not in favor of any caged animal, but it is what it is. I know this after being in the slaughter business for 35 years and processing live stock, your better off raising your own meat and poultry. Trust me on that. That is why I love my homestead. The country is not in good shape and the food cost is going to be sky high, the more people learn now the better off their going to be. Here on the homestead we raise all of our food. The only thing is that we are not off the grid yet. Prepared but not off yet. Keep in mind how many animals are slaughtered every day to supply the stores all over America. These animals are fed growth hormones not to mention the other meds, it's no wonder we have illness and cancers around, after years of eating this stuff. Ok I'll keep quiet, sorry for rambling.

[Harry Chickpea]

Poultry is not fed "growth hormones..." sort of...

A component of the feed is soy. Soy has components that are similar to hormones. BGH for cattle has fallen out of favor because of public backlash.

We have the whole works up around here. Aviagen, poultry houses, packing plants. A couple of the big Aviagen trucks go by our place every day. I've been in the poultry houses, even took some culls after the place was cleared. Bottom line- PETA lies. What started as something that probably was needed has turned into a monster.

One of the telling "documentaries" (laughable because of the bias) was the one (Food, Inc.?) where an active poultry farmer refused entry onto his property or shots of his enclosed houses, so the film crew toddled over to a woman who had been told her farm wasn't up to current standards and refused a contract. The film crew then showed HER farm as representative of the industry. Uhhh, the farm got fired because it wasn't good enough... To me, the whole sequence made me MORE confident in the way things were handled in the industry. Hollywood types carry all sorts of diseases.

There are issues with the birds. They are bred to grow so fast their leg bones barely keep up. The strain on the heart from such rapid growth means a few of them die and the barns have to have the dead birds removed and composted. The market itself limits the percentage of deaths. Too many dead birds or birds with broken legs is unprofitable.

As for the feed - feed is delivered in what look like tanker trucks. Much of the grain and soy is grown locally.

Remember that the end goal of PETA is and always has been to force people to NEVER eat any meat, fish or animal product, and have zero contact with animals. Personally, I would like it if all the PETA folk were shipped to India and force to live as Janists, who are so religiously fanatic that the greatest practitioners starve themselves to death rather than damage a plant or animal.