Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[appps]

Congrats on getting top spot up there fancy

 

[RodneyRooster]

Hi Rodney, what is and where do you get hydrated lime ?

...

Correct me if wrong but hydrated and so safe lime is the one you put on your garden. Builders lime is not safe to use as it will burn.[/quote

Im pretty sure the one I use is the one used in mixing concrete, so the 'builders lime'. It definitely says hydrated on it. To my knowledge any hydrated lime is good but as appps mentioned if its not hydrated it is harmful. Hydrated lime can still burn/irritate their feet if they walk directly on it and it gets wet. So just make sure its turned over well in ur flooring or that ur coop doesnt get wet in the inside

 

[appps]

Okay so this is what happens when you assume LOL I assumed hydrated lime was the garden one because you were talking about using it in pens but no that is dolomite lime (duh sorry). Personally I wouldnt use the hydrated unless its for painting the coop.
Quote: You can make a wash of Hydrated Lime and paint the pen. Outside it will wash off in rain, so be prepared to reapply regularly to the outside. Once a year on average inside if applied thickly.

A recipe for White Wash for pens etc =

12 cups of Hydrated Lime
4 cups of Salt
2 Tablespoons of Alum
9 litres of water (1 bucket)

Mix well before starting application and mix often while applying to keep the solution well mixed = just slap it on using a large paint brush – pretend you are a famous painter perhaps

Quote:

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Caution

Do not apply hydrated lime areas where pets or people can stir up the dust, or where pets walk or lie down. Wear eye and respiratory protection gear, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and waterproof gloves and boots when using hydrated lime. Use a dry rag or brush to wipe off dust from any exposed skin. Wash any exposed skin immediately after application and dry thoroughly. Wash the clothing you were wearing separately from other clothing.


Quote: Hydrated Lime

Both calcitic lime and dolomitic lime can be processed into hydrated lime, also known as slaked lime. Ground limestone is heated in an oven to produce burnt lime. Burnt lime is then mixed with water to produce hydrated lime, which is essentially calcium hydroxide. Hydrated lime is more concentrated than limestone and it neutralizes soil acidity more quickly, but it is also difficult to work with because it is somewhat caustic.

 

[appps]

Well crap crap crap. Got up this morning and the incubator was at 38.3 argh!

I had to take the eggs out and put them in an egg carton which I wrapped in a blanket.

Im tryin to adjust the calibration to bring it down but it just wants to go in the opposite direction. Got as high as 38.9 I think Ive got it sorted now, it seems to be coming down without wanting to keep turning the heat back on.

How long do you reakon the eggs will be okay out? How long would a broody stay off maximum? Mine only ever goes off for about 5 minutes.

This really is a crap incubator :-( (janoel) It sat happily with a -0.6 calibration for days but now that makes it closer to 40 degrees. Ive turned it down to -0.4

Edited to add - Got them back in. Its sitting round 37.7 - 37.8 at the moment with the calibration turned down to -0.3 thinking I better watch that doesnt end up getting too low after a little while. They were still warm to touch when I put them back after about 10 minutes.

 

[satay]

Well crap crap crap.  Got up this morning and the incubator was at 38.3  argh!   No idea for how long.  I opened the lid for a few minutes to drop the temperature back down, figured its no different to a chicken getting off for a bit for a feed. 

Have adjusted the temp calibration down again but do you think they are likely to be stuffed now?  (on day 3)

All you can do is try mate. I would leave them til day 10 and then candle them. You will know for sure if they are still growing by then.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have another question ????????   

Following on my previous post to RodneyRooster wherein I mentioned size and dominance etc. .... I have noticed on close inspection, since hubby commented on a 'punch-up' in the coop and run this evening, that Molly RIR has little bites or bits out of her comb.    

I immediately blamed Mandy Welsummer for pecking bits off Mollys comb, but am now wondering about that, even though she believes she is boss cocky.   

Molly's comb revealed the tiny bits removed -  no blood - just a slightly reduced sized and 'ragged' comb, due to the disappearance of tiny parts of it.   Her comb is good and red, overall.   

On really close inspection, I noticed two scaly whitish patches on the comb as well .....not something that one would easily see on a daily basis, while they move and bob around the run, coop or garden.  I tried to gently scratch off the scaly bits, but it didn't work.   Her wattles and around her ears are all as they should be.   

I will use some olive oil on her comb tomorrow, to try and remove the whitish scaly stuff.   Meantime, I have been delving around on-line, about fowl pox. Have seen images that show blackened areas, and some with white scaly bits.   All extreme photographs of the problem.  And explanations about it all. The small scale patches are not blisters, and do not appear to have been so on Molly.   The rest of her body is in good shape.   

Molly is apparently healthy and is laying well  --- none of my chickens ( I believe ) have lice or mites ... they occasionally preen after sun / dust / mud bathing !!!  But do not peck at themselves or scratch their bodies or heads - certainly  NOT continuously.   It is in fact, rare.  

Frankly, knowing Mandy Welsummers prediliction for being boss, it's my first guess that she has removed the tiny pieces from Molly's comb.  .... but I doubt she is responsible for the two small scaly whitish bits.

Any thoughts on it - or what I can use on the whitish bits  to prevent the spread of whatever it might be ???

Much appreciated, in anticipation.

Cheers ....

from the paranoid chook owner - Anniebee.    

.       

Two things come to mind, favus or fowl pox. More likely to be favus.
Favus is fungal and might respond to an anti fungal cream used for tinea or athletes foot. Fowl pox on the other hand is viral and will run its course. Plain old iodine is also recommended for both conditions.

 

[satay]

Bit of sad news from here. I went out with a friend yesterday morning for a few hours and when I came back to check the chicks on the grass. 2 Belgians were gone. I could see a little bit of the grass was pushed down beside the back of their cage. I suspect a snake took them.. Nothing else would have been able to get in the little gap and they could not get out there . Filled up the gap now. On a nicer note another little Belgian hatched yesterday from the Christmas lot.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hi Fancychooklady, have been looking online at spinosad usage for chickens and garden spray with spinosad in it has been mentioned a few times. Would something like this work if applied topically to the back of neck?

If using 'comfortis' tablets what amount would be good to use? Have you or anyone tried it?

Any recommendations on treating the surrounding soil in the coop/run area? Have had chooks in it for past 4 years (although none for last week and a half). The coop under going renovations is an old aviary that we converted years ago. It is corrugated sheeting and has lots of cracks, holes and crevices! Am going to concrete in gaps between concrete flooring slabs and gaps at base of walls as well as surface spray area.

Would eucalyptus oil be advisable to mix with oil and apply to perches? Any more suggestion and advise is much appreciated

Spinosad has been available in Aus for 10 years or more but only in the garden department . It is readily available in the USA and UK for use in the poultry industry. Knowing the correct ratio to mix , as it is off label here makes me hesitant to spray the birds direct. However I use it in the coop and even spray the floor with it. Be sure to remove all food and water dishes when spraying. The product I use is called ' success ' .
I wouldn't use the comfortis for chickens , I was only using it as an example of how spinosad is being used in pest control and its many applications.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Bit of sad news from here. I went out with a friend yesterday morning for a few hours and when I came back to check the chicks on the grass. 2 Belgians were gone. I could see a little bit of the grass was pushed down beside the back of their cage. I suspect a snake took them.. Nothing else would have been able to get in the little gap and they could not get out there . Filled up the gap now. On a nicer note another little Belgian hatched yesterday from the Christmas lot.

: sorry.

 

[sjturner79]

Well crap crap crap.  Got up this morning and the incubator was at 38.3  argh!  

I had to take the eggs out and put them in an egg carton which I wrapped in a blanket. 

Im tryin to adjust the calibration to bring it down but it just wants to go in the opposite direction.  Got as high as 38.9   I think Ive got it sorted now, it seems to be coming down without wanting to keep turning the heat back on.

How long do you reakon the eggs will be okay out?  How long would a broody stay off maximum?  Mine only ever goes off for about 5 minutes.

This really is a crap incubator :-(  (janoel) It sat happily with a -0.6 calibration for days but now that makes it closer to 40 degrees.  Ive turned it down to -0.4

Edited to add - Got them back in.  Its sitting round 37.7 - 37.8 at the moment with the calibration turned down to -0.3  thinking I better watch that doesnt end up getting too low after a little while.  They were still warm to touch when I put them back after about 10 minutes.

Hopefully you didn't cook them. As for time out- my broody spent about 2 hours a day off the nest and let the eggs get cool to touch for the first 18 days and got 100% hatch