Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Samuel Shirley]

Look awesome.

 

[Pathfinders]

Been PM'ing Bob a couple of times. And something came to mind. Feather mites, does anyone have experience with them? It seems to me that most people I know in Northern Kentucky with poultry has, to some extent, feather mites.


Is this a problem that is bad in other areas, and how do you deal with the issue?

My father always suggested dipping birds in Permethrin until the primaries had moisture on the inside of the shaft.

FWIW, I have never seen feather mites on my birds, and since I am not far from you, wonder that you've heard people have them. Are you sure they're not confusing them with Northern Fowl Mites, which we do have in abundance here?

 

[cybercat]

Dust baths work great as a preventive for all types of mite and lice. Here is a well known recipe for making your own. 1 part dirt, 1 part sand and 1 part wood ash.

 

[thedragonlady]

5 LF Buff Rocks at 9 1/2 weeks....thus far (in my amateur SOP opinion) pleased with color, type and size...nice temperaments too!
Lots of feathers in the coop/run....juvenile molt in process

Love your gold nuggets ! That cockerel wants to know just who laid that very porous egg.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote:
Except what do you use if you have white birds? My Light Sussex would turn grey if I used wood ash. Anyone got a substitute for wood ash?
Thanks,
Karen

 

[Extra Java]

I have white Java and when they bathe in pure wood ash, it actually puts a nice shine on them and cleans them up nice.

You might want to give it a try.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Quote:
WOW, they just keep getting more beautiful! I'm so glad you were able to get those lovely birds! Regarding ash, isn't it just as bad to breathe in as DE? I'm wondering if we're just over doing it with caution and dust. Dusting is a natural way to get clean for many many animals, including horses, chinchillas, rabbits, etc... Has anyone had problems with lung cancer in their chickens? Even WE can take a little bit of that stuff, our body works it out of the lungs with the sticky icky stuff we call phlem Just saying, LOL.... and wondering?

 

[cbnovick]

Love your gold nuggets ! That cockerel wants to know just who laid that very porous egg.

 

[cbnovick]

Good looking buffs.

w

Thanks...
Tom has done the most challenging work with these over the last several years...now just some fine tuning and preservation of his line

 

[lualshannon]

5 LF Buff Rocks at 9 1/2 weeks....thus far (in my amateur SOP opinion) pleased with color, type and size...nice temperaments too!
Lots of feathers in the coop/run....juvenile molt in process

They are very pretty! I love their color and those big fat yellow feet!