Recent content by PeterNaomiGray

  1. PeterNaomiGray

    Chicken roosts problem

    Those are good rules of thumb, except that the ventilation is overkill in a dry climate with cold winters. We have up to 16 chickens, 4 ducks, in a 10×10×8 ft insulated coop, with 20 sf of closable ceiling vent, 6 nesting boxes. About 26 linear feet of roost. Unlimited free range area. This...
  2. PeterNaomiGray

    Chicken roosts problem

    You can't have too much roosting space. They'll cluster together when they feel like it. The dowels you're using look about right for the bird size you have. I've tried many roost materials from 2×4s to tree branches - the best all around for comfort, foot health, etc. seems to be 2×2 stock...
  3. PeterNaomiGray

    How to treat bumblefoot

    We've never seen one get that bad, but for moderate cases, a week or two in a neoprene chicken bootie seems to be the most reliable treatment. We don't always remember, but it's worth the trouble of checking all their feet at least every couple weeks, and keep an eye out for any limping...
  4. PeterNaomiGray

    Due to the pandemic...

    I would order chick/starter feed immediately, and if you don't have it for a few days, feed whole grains, peanut butter, and scrambled egg. Don't give too much protein or calcium. Common sense about nutrition - they're pretty sturdy and adaptable, should be fine with a week or two of...
  5. PeterNaomiGray

    Question about nipple watering stations

    For chicks and ducklings from one day old, we've used a little hanging nipple/dripper waterer for years. For compactness, I used a little round plastic apple juice bottle. I drilled a hole in the cap, about 10 mm or 3/8" diameter, screwed in the nipple, and poked a tiny pinhole in the bottom of...
  6. PeterNaomiGray

    sulfur powder against lice/mites?

    Hello. I'm not sure which poultry dust you're referring to, but we've found sulfur powder to be very effective against mites when I put a soup ladle scoop or so in each of 8 or 10 dustbath pits around the yard, maybe 3 times per year. We've never mixed it in the feed, and from what I understand...
  7. PeterNaomiGray

    Will sulfur hurt my ducks or geese?

    What I meant was that when you described SO2 as toxic and H2S as harmless, you had it backward. I stand by that, and if "H2S is harmless" is exactly as you meant it, that's simply wrong. Hydrogen sulfide was even used (briefly) as a poison gas weapon in WWI.
  8. PeterNaomiGray

    Will sulfur hurt my ducks or geese?

    Trivia note: humans can smell H2S at 0.5 parts per _billion, which is several hundred thousand times lower than a lethal dose. No doubt, that's to warn us away from places where enough H2S might build up, to be dangerous. Yes, I'm quite familiar with H2S as an indicator of problems in well...
  9. PeterNaomiGray

    Will sulfur hurt my ducks or geese?

    I don't mean to quibble, but there's no difference between farm and industrial when it's exactly the same molecule, and one more time: it's all about quantity or concentration. Hydrogen sulfide is H2S is hydrogen sulfide, no matter where it occurs or why. When you deal with it in water...
  10. PeterNaomiGray

    Will sulfur hurt my ducks or geese?

    Agreed on most of that, except that you have it backward about SO2 vs. H2S. It's all about concentration, but hydrogen sulfide is far from harmless: it's hundreds or thousands of times more lethal than sulfur dioxide. I used to work with huge quantities of both. Several workers in that plant...
  11. PeterNaomiGray

    Will sulfur hurt my ducks or geese?

    Sorry it took so long to reply...and I'll be brief (on the road with smartphone) Your comment "sulfur dioxide, ew!"is a good example of not getting it about compounds and elements, or about concentrations and toxicity. SO2 is generated by numerous natural and human processes, it's reactive and...
  12. PeterNaomiGray

    Will sulfur hurt my ducks or geese?

    I think we agree on the basic points, including the long-established value of elemental sulfur in gardening, and its low toxicity. I'm glad you get it about the difference between elements and compounds, which many people on these discussion boards really don't understand. Many have a similar...
  13. PeterNaomiGray

    Will sulfur hurt my ducks or geese?

    This is when it's good to remember the old saying "the dose makes the poison." Like you, I can't imagine why (or even how) someone would feed 10% sulfur to chickens. I've probably used 20 pounds of powdered sulfur in the past two years, along with at least a ton of feed, plus all their forage...
  14. PeterNaomiGray

    Chicken Breed Focus - Welsummer

    They're definitely hens. Enjoy! Our Welsummers have been very sweet and friendly.
  15. PeterNaomiGray

    Chicken Breed Focus - Welsummer

    We've had a pair of Welsummers (hen Coco and roo Leo) for 3 years. They're very sweet, lovable and beautiful. If you look up info about the wild Red Jungle Fowl, their plumage is almost the same as the Welsummer, right down to the fine gold feather filaments on the hen, and the fluffy grey patch...
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