Michigan - Page 5033  

well by forage I meant-

 

an entire fenced area of half my yard. Yes they will fly away if it is not covered. Yes they will fly to the top of the neighbors houses 

 

Yes a group of them will be spotted walking down the side street five blocks away...

 

BUT, once their wings are clipped, they wont fly over a six foot fence. They will however, hide in various places of vegetation making their quail noises (the rooster crow is very annoying) and you wont know from which bush it is coming from....

I use mousetraps, but they are inside a rabbit cage that the birds can't get into- but the mice can.  All i have to do then is open the door  to the cage in the mornings, and dispose of the bodies!  Maybe you could rig up a similar system, build a "mouse box" with a hole and a hinged door............? Probably depends on how young your little ones are, if they can still fit into itty-bitty spaces themselves!

Careful poisoning mice.  Hens will eat dead mice they find laying around and though you may never know it... those same hens are laying your eggs.  Other animals can also get them and in mammals the residual poison can cause nasty side effects. 

 

RB - To kill the ones you've already got, I'd just make some little covered boxes, with tiny doors and set traps inside them.  The chickens won't be able to move the boxes, but the mice can get in to the traps and then you can just lift the boxes to get them out and reset.  To keep them out in the long term, make sure there's no food in there for them.  (Easier said than done.) 

Happy weekend everyone!  I'm having a blast watching the olympics with my kids.....they were 'swimming' on the bed this morning and doing 'flips' last night during the men's gymnastics.  I'm kind of bummed tha I have to miss the womens' gymnastics replay tonight since I'll be at work, but maybe we'll be really slow and I'll get out at a reasonable time.

 

After all of this incubator talk, and your incredible offer Olive, one (with a turner) popped up on CL yesterday.  I'm picking it up in about an hour.    This is the only one I've seen all summer, and it's about 5min from my house.  Now to read as much as I can in the incubating section and try to figure out how all of this works.

 

DH built a little coop for the chicks yesterday, and then we fenced off part of the big run, so they big girls can get used to the little girls an we can hopefully integrate them in September or so, in the coop we're going to build.  THAT way, I can use the current coop and run as a grow-out pen.    The chicks aren't going out there until they've finished their 10 days of Tylan though.  No way am I risking getting my big girls sick just to get the babies out of the basement a few days sooner.  There have been no sneezes for 3 days now though! 

 

 

Oh, chick injury question.  One of the new chicks was attacked or stepped on or something when it was a few days old, according to the lady we got them from, and has no comb.  (I'm pretty sure it's  roo, too.)  It'll never get a comb, right?  Poor thing is soooo ugly without it.

Very good point, however, we have used the non-poisonous traps for 2 years and they NEVER touched them. I don't know if we have smart mice or what lol.

don't you love it when they try to help...when my grand son was about 2or3 he wanted to help mommy with the laundry and put bleach in the machine.....to this day (he is 24) I don't think she buys bleach

 

as for the cocci, I understand most birds have it as it is in the ground ect.... but it is hard to know when to treat if they show no sign of blood, and when they do it may be to late...I think that is why a lot of farmers treat every spring regardless

CONGRATULATIONS!!!.I hope this is a real sign that he is getting better

did you also give the one for Kentucky Fried chicken spice? I thought I got that here, also thought I wrote it down... can't find it and my jar is empty

I would not use pellets...poison......we had mice in the basement once.... when we cleaned it out I found D-con every were, in old shirt pockets, in the cat litter even under and old rug.....they will move it and chickens could get a hold of it......if at all possible set traps up high or in a box or behind things chicks can not get at.....do not keep food in the coop, (it will stay cleaner as the chicks will be out were the food is) you may however have a bird as in sparrow problem,coming in to eat the feed, need to put bird netting all around ,then they fly in the door if that is open for hens to come in and out,,,can't win there but please do not take the chance of poisoning them

x2

 

 

 

QUESTION,,,one of my hens is sick,, But I know what the problem is ...so she is 4yrs, plus. and last night she had been in the nest box a long time and when I picked her up there was raw egg so now I know one that has been laying soft and shell-less eggs, I soaked her bottom in epsomsalts,hot water,she is still not looking herself today so I thought I should give her some antibiotics, I have Tetracyclie on hand do you think that would work?I also noticed a small scab (bumble) on the bottom of her foot, treating that to,

They do have a trap that the mice can get in but not out,,,I have not tried them but have seen them at menards That might be a good option

BYFM-

 

my knee still hurts. Can i blame you for it? 

I have been lurking. This thread is so difficult to keep up with! I finally got my brooder cabinets done....inspired by hillbilly hens. Eggs are in the incubator, but only have 12 out of 60 developing. Hot weather during shipment zapped them I think. In my " grand plan" I also thought I would have the coop and run done by now... Ha ha. Hoping to work on the coop next week. I learn a lot from your stories! Hope to have pictures of my own to share soon.

Welcome farm project