Took 2 chickens to the vet this am....the one with the bad eye and the roo who has it the worst. Waste of time, I knew more about fowl pox than the vet. He did give me some more eye ointment. Suggested I contact the Rural Developement Center on Monday....they have a poultry division and they should be knowledgeable on the subject.
Cleaned my coop today and everything in it!! It is cleaner than my bedroom! Dumped out all their feed---washed all feeders and waters in soap and water and bleach. Bleached the floor. Went on a mad killing spree with my fly swatter!!!!!!!!! It made me feel better, even if it did not kill a lot of flies. I did spray some fly spray around while I had my chickens locked out.
Put out DE then fresh bedding. Went back to pine chips...had been using a forage blend but I think the flies liked it.
My chickens free ranged all afternoon.....they are spoiled rotten....most of them want to stay in the run or the coop, and I have to keep running them out.
Forgot to add that I also put out fly bait/lures in milk jugs and hung 8 fly strips, trying to get them under control....I think it is probably from biting flies more than mosquitoes...hunch.....
Interested in talking with the guy Monday. We are very lucky to have a part of the University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station here and the Rural Development Center...both are great resources in varying areas of agriculture, ranging from turf grass development, blueberries, pecans, switch grass, peanuts, entymology, fisheries, dairy, cotton, etc. I just need the chicken man...
Edited by chichichickapea - 8/18/12 at 8:01pm