Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

Anybody have a good solution for Ants in the chicken run? I see my chicks eat a couple but man if those things bite them like they bite me, it would drive my chicken mind crazy!!

For ants I use food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in the coop and run, but only when the ants are a problem. Have to re-do it after the stuff gets wet. Usually don't have to do it often. The ants get discouraged and forage elsewhere after a heavy dose or two of it. I just sprinkle (okay, dump) a bunch of it along the ant trails and around the feeders. It can be irritating to the lungs, so I only use it during ant invasions. It is much better than using harsh chemicals. Plus the chickens like to dust with it. It helps them keep mites and lice away.

I also use DE in the nest boxes. When I change the nest material I sprinkle a little DE in the bottom of the nest box, add the nest material, then sprinkle a little DE on top of the nest filler.

You don't need much of the stuff. I bought a 50 lb. bag of it a few years ago and it seems like a lifetime supply. The 50 lb. bag only cost a few dollars more than a 10 lb. bag so it seemed like a deal. I split it into 5 gallon buckets when I brought it home so I wouldn't have an open bag spilling in the shed. Darn stuff is fluffy. It filled about 5 buckets. I've only used one bucket in the last two years. And I have about 50 chickens, in five different pens. Your mileage may vary.

Good luck!

 

[FeatherPugs]

Rain again last night - a bunch of rain. Canopy came in today so we are working on getting it up tomorrow. Lots of extra wet around. Anyhow it brought out the mosquitos by the gazillions again. Remember mosquitos carry fowl pox - bone up just in case you don't know much about it. We've had it a couple of times over the last 6 or so years so I'm always on the lookout. Nothing stops it but you can beef up your water, etc for your chickens. Nothing to panic about but just be aware. Off to do chicken chores! Stay safe everyone.

 

[SonoranChick]

We are getting a big storm system moving through our mountains at the moment...seems to be merging with another storm and we are getting TONS of rain!! Luckily the chickies made a good choice and went to the most protected area. We are certainly enjoying the drop in temps! And that fresh smell the desert rain brings

 

[cavemanrich]

Rain again last night - a bunch of rain. Canopy came in today so we are working on getting it up tomorrow. Lots of extra wet around. Anyhow it brought out the mosquitos by the gazillions again. Remember mosquitos carry fowl pox - bone up just in case you don't know much about it. We've had it a couple of times over the last 6 or so years so I'm always on the lookout. Nothing stops it but you can beef up your water, etc for your chickens. Nothing to panic about but just be aware. Off to do chicken chores! Stay safe everyone.

Just curious, What do you do to the chicken drinking water??? I deal with mosquitoes all summer long.

 

[FeatherPugs]

Just curious, What do you do to the chicken drinking water??? I deal with mosquitoes all summer long.

If I have an outbreak and see the spots on the chicken's waddles, etc. I put a tetracycline antibiotic in their drinking water. Follow up with a vitamin supplement (Roosters?) in the water. I do this about weekly until the outbreak passes. AND make sure you clean up the chicken debris - feathers and such plus sanitizing waters and coop - I like to use Oxine. This year I am out of my OLD, OLD bottle of tetra - so I am going to try another way of treatment if I get an outbreak. Iodine solutions in their water. I am told by many big productions that they do this instead of the tetra. Then follow-up with vitamins. The chickens tend to go off their feed so giving them the vitamin boost helps with the weight loss, etc. Prevention is everything we already do - just boosted up to crazy. Good biosecurity, clean and sanitize more often. Keep the feather debris off the ground as much as possible - especially if you have "other" birds in your yard or run. Hope this answers your questions. One good thing is the chickens become immune usually once they get fowl pox. Another, which I have never followed up on as I imagine the cost is high, you can get a shot for your birds if you end up with an outbreak.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Miss Frizzle having a bad hair day with the humidity we're having right now.

 

[BlueBaby]

It's pretty windy and dusty here right now, so this will be a quick post. I've had 3 chicks hatch out now, and more are due to hatch maybe within the next 24 hours.

 

[Junochick]

It's pretty windy and dusty here right now, so this will be a quick post. I've had 3 chicks hatch out now, and more are due to hatch maybe within the next 24 hours.

Globe az is getting hit hard with storms second red cell is on us. I hope you don't get hit hard with the weather tonight. Congrat on the new chicks, be safe

 

[azurbanclucker]

It's pretty windy and dusty here right now, so this will be a quick post. I've had 3 chicks hatch out now, and more are due to hatch maybe within the next 24 hours.

Woo! babies are fun! Keep your head down, it's been nasty on the East side tonight.

 

[FeatherPugs]

@azurbanclucker what breed is Mz Frizzle? - she is cute, cute, cute!
@BlueBaby new chickies! Here's to a great hatch!
Weather this am is cloudy and spitting rain, thank goodness we got the canopy up over part of the chicken yard over the weekend. The chickies have more than the coop to go to and I must say my coop is just tooooooo small! Someday I'll fix that too.