The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[speckledhen]

Ok, what grinds my gears about a good many of the FF people....They know that doing FF can be tricky, and one slip-up can harm, or kill their birds. That seems to be ok with them, but mention using Sevin Dust, or Permethrin dust for mites, and that same group comes unhinged. They only advocates DE Powder. They don't want to expose their birds to the toxins. SERIOUSLY?

Boggles the mind, doesn't it? I would bet money that some have lost birds to this practice and refuse to admit it, to themselves or anyone else.

Oh, I found this interesting discussion of Video Pad and whether it's good to buy it or not. I can still use the version I have to create stuff, then save it on my computer, then upload to YouTube. So, maybe I don't need to buy it:

http://nch.invisionzone.com/topic/14778-consider-purchasing/

 

[getaclue]

The free version actually sounds like it would do the job. If you needed to convert the video file to a different format, I like Any Video Converter. It's free, and easy to use.

 

[speckledhen]

I think Tom has programs for that. There is a way to convert files in Video Pad, too, from the .vpg files of their project to avi or flv, etc. Dang, this computer is bogging down again. I've cleaned and ran programs on it and it still has issues. Gonna go see if Walmart online has a refurbished deal that's better than what I have.

 

[Pyxis]

Ok, what grinds my gears about a good many of the FF people....They know that doing FF can be tricky, and one slip-up can harm, or kill their birds. That seems to be ok with them, but mention using Sevin Dust, or Permethrin dust for mites, and that same group comes unhinged. They only advocates DE Powder. They don't want to expose their birds to the toxins. SERIOUSLY?

That really gets me too. Not to mention DE does squat for active lice and mite infestation, and then there are those people who use it as a wormer, and it does absolutely nothing for worms, and could actually be harmful if the birds eat too much of it when people are stuffing it into them to try to kill worms.

 

[speckledhen]

The only time I ever had to try DE for lice was then I got that first rooster who came to me covered in lice, like brown rice running all over his bum. This was the first year I had chickens and that's what I had in my arsenal at the time. He was all alone, in a metal dog cage with shavings in quarantine. When I found those things all over that poor boy, I removed all the shavings, dusted the heck out of him, got new bedding and dusted that. I think the reason it worked on him was because he was one bird in a metal cage in a tile shower in the basement bathroom, no transference to other birds or bedding or any crevices to hide in.

An entire flock with lice in a wooden coop? No way I'd ever depend on DE to kill all those lice in that situation. I cannot imagine how bad he must have felt, being malnourished, having lice and favus, poor guy. He was a different bird within a month and no hens ever had lice here. He was clean as a whistle when he went to live with them.

As far as worms, how the heck could it ever worm a chicken? It gets wet inside the bird. Plus, birds who have been necropsied and were on DE in their feed had dessicated intestines PLUS worms still. That was enough to tell me that it was not good to pour a bucket into the feed bag, certainly not at 2% or more of the feed! I use DE for what it's good for, but no more. It takes me two years or more to go through a 50# bag of it in the barn. It can be used sparingly to dry out under roost areas or in nests and such, but it obviously cannot be depended upon to kill almost microscopic mites or I would never have had to treat my flocks for them just recently. I am sure part of that is because of the old, arthritic hens who lay on the floor all the time and can't or won't dust bathe. My Zane was crippled and never had them, but he was in a separate cage, no shared bedding with anyone.

 

[1muttsfan]

I can still use the version I have to create stuff, then save it on my computer, then upload to YouTube. So, maybe I don't need to buy it:

That is exactly what I was going to say.
It cracks me up when there's several different discussions are going on at the same time, sometimes it's hard to keep things straight

 

[speckledhen]

That is exactly what I was going to say.
It cracks me up when there's several different discussions are going on at the same time, sometimes it's hard to keep things straight

I know, me, too! I feel like I just went around the block! I was talking here and by PM and round and round she goes, LOL. But, someone said that they always have sales on that program so maybe it will be there if I decide I need to buy it in the future.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, MaryJo has been hanging out with the four Brahma cockerels (9 wks old) most of the day, outside and inside their pen. She was fine until it was roost time and she didn't want to stay in there with them. They weren't so crazy about her sleeping in there, either, so she's back in the cage.
Athena's crop is still not working right. She's had several massages today and I hope by tomorrow, it will be going down. Even gave her a Dulcolax to break it up. The hard molt seems to do that to some of them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I think that people have the DE thing all wrong when it comes to chickens. They think putting it in the feed will worm them. But, if I'm not mistaken, the purpose of putting DE in feed was to kill weevils and bugs that would get in feed if it was kept too long in the heat.

So, if I'm right, it was used to keep the bugs from proliferating in the feed. Never mind that it was probably rancid anyway from being on the shelf too long.

 

[speckledhen]

I think that people have the DE thing all wrong when it comes to chickens. They think putting it in the feed will worm them. But, if I'm not mistaken, the purpose of putting DE in feed was to kill weevils and bugs that would get in feed if it was kept too long in the heat.

So, if I'm right, it was used to keep the bugs from proliferating in the feed. Never mind that it was probably rancid anyway from being on the shelf too long.

Yup, it is a drying agent, plus keeps soft-bodied bugs from setting up housekeeping in the feed. I put a little bit in each open bag, way less than 2%, just to kill any bugs that may already have been in it. Though, if it's buggy, I take it back to the store. That's quite rare at the co-op. Mine is used so fast, it has no time to get old at my house. I don't buy way ahead.