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Another ting that can easily occur is a bacterial lung infection.  Seems like Mareks but is not.  Oxine or Sulmet will treat this.  It can be brought on by stress, dust, a breeze, anything that might put them down.  Oxine when mixed with water will keep the waters free of bio-film.  regular chlorine can do the same thing but you must be very cautious when using it in drinking water. 

It is getting to be that time of year when they need to be wormed as well.  I am still trying to find an easy method for that!  If anyone knows of a water soluble product that gets all types of worms, please let me know of it and how it works for you and where to buy it!

This is my first year with chickens.  We got our girls in late summer and they've been so much fun.  I plan to let my  two buff orp's sit on a few eggs in mid-March.  Do you have to worm every spring?  I have a small flock (12 hens and 1 roo).  And would I worm my broody's too?

Also, we just moved to the country last spring.  I grew up on a dairy farm, so being out here is like being home.  However, we never had a dog on our farm cause we lived right by a highway so they didn't last long if when we tried it.  My hubby has always wanted a black lab.  So in the summer, he went and got a male black lab.  He is a good dog, for the most part.  He's still a puppy, but he doesn't run away, he loves playing with the kids, and follows them around wherever they go.  My issue is that he is constantly trying to get at the chickens and rabbits.  I know he's just a puppy still, but I'm wondering if he will grow out of that, or is there something I can do to make him stop.  He is constantly running at the chicken run, head first to try to get to them, or jumping at the rabbits and scaring my poor mamma and her babies.  We can hardly open the hutch to see the babies w/out Bear freaking the mamma out.

HELP!!

That's my biggest worry about getting a dog. I hope someone can answer this for you 'cause I'd like to know too!

A lab and chickens, might be a challenge. It is highly instictive in the breed to go after feathers...

The good news is that its still a puppy and now is the time for some serious training.

Its all about training, I got an adult mix dog that on her first day here was seen strutting across the lawn with a fat hen in her mouth.

I yelled for her to DROP IT, she did. Granted, she clearly had some training before being dumped off in rural Iowa, but I have done the same with German shepherds I have raised .

So Now, if there is a day old peep between her and me she will give it a wide berth so as not to disturb it.

Seriously, " train, don't complain " is a moto all of us dog owners should employ........

Good luck !

But HOW did you train it?  I can't be in the yard 24/7 to make sue he leaves them alone.  I like that my laying hens are in a pen.  It's only the guineas that would free range. 

My brother told me the other day that if the dog does kill a chicken to tie it to his neck for about a week until it's so stinky he hates it.  That is supposed to cure hime of wanting to kill them.  Has anyone ever heard that before? 

Honestly I think if I let a few of them in the yard that he would chase them for awhile to play with them.  But I'm not sure I want to try that experiment yet.  Especially with the kiddos around.  ;-)

Thanks.

I have had dogs before and have given this a great deal of thought though I haven't put it into practice with my flock. I've had to teach dogs how to act around horses and it would have to be similar. I think you have to stick to the basics. Sit, stay, drop it, no/leave it. If he will follow those commands no matter what the situation, you should be OK. It may be a while before you can trust him unattended though. Under no circumstances should he be allowed to "play chase". That will stress the birds and teach them to act nervous around him. If they run everytime they see him it will instigate the predator reaction in him.

I would like to know more about worming too.  When?  How often? and What do I use?  Are the eggs safe to use?  Also, what about treating for mites, etc and when do I do that?  Thanks for any information you can give me!

I've used the Ivermec Pour on and I think it works great. Lasts forever and doesn't affect eating eggs. have to do them one at a time though

Originally Posted by karimw 

I've used the Ivermec Pour on and I think it works great. Lasts forever and doesn't affect eating eggs. have to do them one at a time though

And does this do the inside too?  As a wormer?