- Mar 27, 2011
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Well, I am a new subscriber and this is my first post. Unfortunately it is snot a post I wanted to make. Be aware everyone that if you live in the midwest where Buffalo Gnats are a problem to protect your checkens as best as you can. I went out yesterday morning to feed mine and found 2 of them dead. I attributed it to the storm we had the night before. When I opened the sliding door to let them outside into their run, they didn't come out which ws the first sign I knew something was wrong. I went in and found them all huddling in the corner and 2 dead in the other corner. I tried to shoo them all outside but they came running back in. I had to go to work but upon returning home, I checked them again and found 4 more dead. I was dumbfoundded as to what was going on. When I went inside to get a few calls returned for work and came back out, just in 30 minutes time, 3 more were dead. Thats when I looked closer and saw that their heads were covered with gnats and they were actually drawing blood. I did some reading and found that the female gnat has to have a blood meal in order to lay her eggs. In the time I researched this and went back out, 4 more were dead and only had one left. I have her in the barn right now away from the gnats so she just may be my lone survivor! So much for looking forward to those farm fresh eggs. I didn't have a single mortality rate from the time they were day old but to lose them all in a matter of hours to gnats is so frustrating! What a hard way to learn a lesson!
