2015 HALLOWEEN Hatch-a-Long, Join us IF YOU DARE!

[hippiestink]

Ditto.
That's a lot of work. I hope the mites are gone now.
I love the looks and stories about rough collies. We have one boxer left and she is amazing. I've said that I will take a break from indoor pets after she dies though. We have two barn cats, Barney and Scratchy. They don't bother the chickens but if I put out kitchen scraps they share. We have so much to do around here...

I'm getting anxious. The two shipped eggs are due to hatch tomorrow. Lockdown for the two Brabanters is tomorrow. I've played videos of chicks talking to see if the eggs respond. Slight wiggles. I can hardly wait.

Congrats to everyone on their hatchlings. @Storminthenight :did any of yours hatch?

I love our collies. My in-laws are a collie family, they've only ever had collies. They currently have three collies while we have two. I love Nico and Jaeger, but they're not allowed near the birds anymore!

I feel for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had tons of rain this Summer. I had mites on the chickens, they got on the dogs and in my carpet and on me!!! UHG!!!!! I sprayed nests after cleaning before I put any straw back in, cleaned everything and the only thing that finally got rid of them was using tons of Sevin Dust on everything from nests, coops, under the trees where they dust, on them and yes, my carpet and pets too! What a chore that was and took two weeks.

So far it seems they're much reduced. You should have seen it Monday though, it was disgusting; I'd found where the mites were nesting (in between the joists for the roosts) and when I shifted them to the side the mites and their eggs fell out like dust! I'd have thought it was dust too if they weren't MOVING. I thought I'd gotten rid of the worst of it but it turns out they found a better place to hide. Blasting them with soap and water from a high-pressure hose seems to have killed off most of them, and replacing the roosts has eliminated most of their hiding spots.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I have rough collies, you'd think they would be a lot better with herd and flock animals but you'd be surprised XD

OKAY. Monday I completely deep-cleaned the coop (even scrubbed and sprayed soap and water to get all the dirt and stains out) and sprayed mite killer, Wednesday I rebuilt the roosts and sprayed mite killer again, and today I dusted and washed the coop liner then sprayed mite killer and replaced the liner and the bedding.
IF I STILL HAVE MITES I AM GOING TO THROW A FIT.
Between the yearly molt, mite problems, a really crummy prefab coop, and the weather I haven't gotten any eggs in close to two months. Molt is nearly over so this better work or i'm going to need to build a new coop before the winter instead of in Spring/Summer like I'd planned.

We have never had WORMS or BUGS of any sort, we have always been on preventative schedules. Ivermectin treats internals and externals, however a few studies have shown it to be ineffective on some types of worms so we do add wazine/switched up with safeguard worming in every 6 months. we do the ivermectin every 6 months now instead of every three since I have been ill. not sure on the withdraw period, but we do a week on both since we dont sell eating eggs. We clean our coops out, we put down garden lime which also has a sanitizing effect and smell effect of course, also we put a layer of preth dust down and then the pine shavings and another dusting of preth dust, in nest boxes the dust goes under the shavings so it doesnt get near the eggs.

I have done the ivermectin orally and we have done it drops on the back of the neck, so I am not sure which way is actually better, you will have to do your own research online to see which way you would like to give it, but for mites and stuff its fantastic and they are GONE, I will note, this is also in some of the best dog topical treatments there are, and they sell them for a fortune, vets get away with so much with there pre packaged stuff, that thankfully farmers can buy so cheaply!


DOSAGE Ivomec 1% injectable 50ml dosage is 1cc/ml per quart of water or 4cc/ml per gallon of water. Don't give ANY other water than treated for 2 days. Retreat in 14 days for lice and mites.



http://www.jefferspet.com/products/injectable-ivermectin-for-cattle-and-swine (generic, same thing)

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/ivomec-injection#more-info

http://ultimatefowl.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ivomec

in your fowl, and can be used to help keep external parasites, like Red Mites, down too.

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LE...alth.htm/RK=0/RS=gUIxDpUJfje8mw34smjLTvT.QiM-


edit add : adding from MIKE:



If you have a herding breed dog, you may want to test for the MDR-1 gene mutation before exposing to Ivermectin. Washington State University does the test: http://vcpl.vetmed.wsu.edu

 

[CaseyV]

I was also wondering how @storminthenight got on with the hatch. I will be doing my 14 day candle on Tuesday. I had 18 eggs shipped. When I did the 7 day candle there seemed to be alot of clears. She sent:
7 bcm
3 ccl
3 blrw
3 am
2 barnvelders

I was wondering about your eggs. Y'all try to stay dry over there today. 4-7 inches of rain today-tomorrow. I might have to tie my boat up to my house.

 

[hippiestink]

Unfortunately we can't get a lot of livestock meds without an Rx here, or I'd get it. Our local livestock vet is about an hour away and he just suggested cleaning out the coop with bleach and using an insecticide spray regularly or DE. The insecticide seems to be working now that I can get down there regularly and the rain has let up.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Unfortunately we can't get a lot of livestock meds without an Rx here, or I'd get it. Our local livestock vet is about an hour away and he just suggested cleaning out the coop with bleach and using an insecticide spray regularly or DE. The insecticide seems to be working now that I can get down there regularly and the rain has let up.

oh thats right! I keep forgetting where your at!! I wonder if charcoal would work for you! do you have access to alot of it?

EDIT to add, at least as a preventative once you rid of them?

 

[CaseyV]

I didn't realize they were mean! I just put some of my AW in the listing for sale. They are horrid little creatures! They lay regularly but too mean lol!

I had 8 LOs originally, I hatched 10 waited until old enough to add to the originals. I went through all the steps.. Build a small pen in the big coop. Over 2 months later they would still attack the littles. I said forget this and sold them. My DH wanted me to get rid of a flock of my orpingtons anyways because he said no one needs 3 different colors of the same breed lol. I may keep these 3 I have now to put in with the flock I'm building just for eating eggs.

 

[chicapee]

I was wondering about your eggs. Y'all try to stay dry over there today. 4-7 inches of rain today-tomorrow. I might have to tie my boat up to my house.

We really need the rain. But not all at once. It isn't too bad at the mo, just a light drizzle. I sold my first 2 pullets last night. It was sad, they were from my first hatch. They were my first culls not sop. But will be great layers. I am just wondering whether to message the buyer to check on them or not. It is hard to let go. Lol.

 

[Honora]

I love our collies. My in-laws are a collie family, they've only ever had collies. They currently have three collies while we have two. I love Nico and Jaeger, but they're not allowed near the birds anymore!

So far it seems they're much reduced. You should have seen it Monday though, it was disgusting; I'd found where the mites were nesting (in between the joists for the roosts) and when I shifted them to the side the mites and their eggs fell out like dust! I'd have thought it was dust too if they weren't MOVING. I thought I'd gotten rid of the worst of it but it turns out they found a better place to hide. Blasting them with soap and water from a high-pressure hose seems to have killed off most of them, and replacing the roosts has eliminated most of their hiding spots.

We have been battling mites as well, what a nightmare! I feel your pain. Now that the chicks have hatched, we moved the hens out of the broody coop which had the worst mite problem. I know there are still a few of them on the hens in the other coop though.

I haven't seen any on the chicks but I want to treat them as well, what can you use on chicks for mites?

 

[CaseyV]

We really need the rain. But not all at once. It isn't too bad at the mo, just a light drizzle. I sold my first 2 pullets last night. It was sad, they were from my first hatch. They were my first culls not sop. But will be great layers. I am just wondering whether to message the buyer to check on them or not. It is hard to let go. Lol.

I agree on the rain. My truck looks like a duster. Aww, how is the clb boy doing? His brothers are starting crow.. Well try anyway.

 

[chicapee]

We have been battling mites as well, what a nightmare!  I feel your pain.  Now that the chicks have hatched, we moved the hens out of the broody coop which had the worst mite problem.  I know there are still a few of them on the hens in the other coop though.

I haven't seen any on the chicks but I want to treat them as well, what can you use on chicks for mites?

I use a preventative mixture in their dust baths. I mix sand, garden soil, de and a sprinkling of sevins dust added once a month. I also put de under coop litter. I use the deep litter method in my coops and runs, and sprinkle de before I add another layer of litter. No lice or mites yet. Touch wood.