Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Yes, the food grade (amorphous) DE works to kill bugs as long as the ambient humidity is around 65% or less. I have it mixed in the sand in the floor of my coop.

 

[desertmarcy]

That is a great thing to do! It must have horrible to find the aftermath of that bobcat attack, I can't even imagine.

The worst thing was, that was the second bobcat that killed a bunch of pullets. This was several years ago, I was raising hatchery pullets for layers and had 42 of them in a pen. The first one dug UNDER that pen, something I didn't think a bobcat would do, and hauled off 17 pullets through the hole. Took 4 nights of continuous baiting of the trap right in front of the hole before it was hungry enough to come back, and it managed to kill an 18th one through the wire before it got caught in the trap. Then I took the remaining pullets and moved them into my poultry house which was still under construction. I thought they'd be okay since I had the hallway gated off, but I hadn't yet put wire in the "Vee" shapes where the flat chain link fencing met the slanted roof. Plus the end pen didn't have a roof or wire over it yet, so was open. The second cat came over the fence at the end, went UNDER a chain link fence, the up and over two more chain link fences to reach the pen where I had housed the remaining pullets. So I was still recovering mentally from the first attack, then the rest of the birds got killed. It took me 5 minutes to figure out how the cat got in and I could tell by the scuff marks, it had a puzzle trying to figure out how to get back out. Yes, I think I started with 42 pullets. Minus 18, the second cat killed 24. I caught that cat that very night after I set the trap right in front of the spot I thought it came in

Do not underestimate the determination of a bobcat. And the path of destruction they will leave if they get in a pen with confined birds.

 

[desertmarcy]

Agh, that's sad..
One day when our westfalia is fixed we would lve to come down & lend a hand or 3/4?! Depending on who we have with us when we go camping there.. It is my first spot on the lst of where we want to go with the westie.. No hils to climb, only like 70 horse power..

Embarising to say the least, going up a hill sucks.. We could have teenagers work to coops, feeding or whatever you have on your list that day,, man power... Between all of us..

Any time! There is always pen cleaning maintenance, never ending chore.

 

[desertmarcy]

TY so much for the info. My hubby wants to get one. We do not process a lot yet but I have a feeling we will be next year. selling them for $5 does not cover the cost to raise one.

That's for sure! It's like me trying to sell nice started pullets, people don't realize the true costs of breeding and raising your own chickens. Well first, you are the one maintaining the roosters year around, paying for the electricity to run the incubators/brooders, bedding for the brooders if not for pens, all the feed they eat, not to mention your own time should be worth something. I get to the point I'd rather butcher them for meat than sell at a loss. To me, selling them dirt cheap devalues the birds. I know not everybody feels that way.

little chiken, the FMP plucker is pricey, you will have to use it a lot to justify the cost. You can build your own, I've seen where they sell kits, if your husband is handy.

 

[City farm]

BYC SEED EXCHANGE
July 4th 7:30 pm till ?
Knights of Pyths
1606 East Apache Boulvard
Tempe

Bring your favorite dish to share & your own drinks..
Play a game of pool, darts cards & other board games..
We do fireworks, please make sure they are legal.. Usually we do them around 8:30 9 pm..
Bring yor family, kids, neighbors and invite your friends..

We did order the Velcro for roosters.. I will be talking to Pastrymama ths week to get her take on using it..
. See ya all there

 

[carnivore]

Hey Carnivore! Thanks for the lesson, but having grown up near Lompoc (DE capital of the world) I know exactly what it is. I also have a pool LOL! My question was more about whether the food grade DE will also kill bugs. It is a different color than your standard pool DE and appears to be finer ground. I was hoping the answer is yes. Also since I am fairly new to chickens I wanted to be sure that I shouldn't be using regular DE around my coop to kill crickets, as that could be harmful.

NO kidding! I went to high school in Lompoc (and Cabrillo when I was living at Vandenberg). Joined the Navy a couple years later and never went back, but my mom and little sister still live there. On the "unauthorized" school holidays, frequently went to Jalama Beach or Gaviota, and drove past the Johns-Manville plant many times.

And the answer is yes. food grade DE is specifically for internal parasites, and also used for external parasites.

 

[a little chiken]

That's for sure! It's like me trying to sell nice started pullets, people don't realize the true costs of breeding and raising your own chickens. Well first, you are the one maintaining the roosters year around, paying for the electricity to run the incubators/brooders, bedding for the brooders if not for pens, all the feed they eat, not to mention your own time should be worth something. I get to the point I'd rather butcher them for meat than sell at a loss. To me, selling them dirt cheap devalues the birds. I know not everybody feels that way.

little chiken, the FMP plucker is pricey, you will have to use it a lot to justify the cost. You can build your own, I've seen where they sell kits, if your husband is handy.

we actually plan on building one. He is super handy having built houses in the past and he is a mechanic. I am a very very lucky lady!!! we got more goats and he is building me a milk stand tomorrow.

.


edited to say we need it to process ducks too.

 

[carnivore]

we actually plan on building one. He is super handy having built houses in the past and he is a mechanic. I am a very very lucky lady!!! we got more goats and he is building me a milk stand tomorrow.

.


edited to say we need it to process ducks too.

Check out the Whizbang plucker, I have the instruction book and will loan it to you. I am going to buy the shaft and bottom plate, will build the rest.

 

[a little chiken]

Check out the Whizbang plucker, I have the instruction book and will loan it to you. I am going to buy the shaft and bottom plate, will build the rest.

Mark was wanting to do that one. That would be awesome, we would love to borrow the book.

Ty. BTW did you get moved yet?

 

[carnivore]

Mark was wanting to do that one. That would be awesome, we would love to borrow the book.

Ty. BTW did you get moved yet?

not yet. still have a renter in there. gradually moving my stuff in, and surveying for greenhouse, aquaponics, wood shop, and chicken pens. Want to get the new pens built before I move the chickens, so I have 2 houses right now, will be moving gradually. If the renter doesn't find a place soon, may keep her as a roomie, new place is big enough.

LOL! Got a good price on the new place, and it might even come with a woman!