California - Northern

[member 142084]

I prefer natural ways. DE is a good way to rid the coop of pests. Must be food grade, and make sure you don't inhale the dust. You can also put it inthe chickens feed, just wet it. Put it int hier water as well as raw apple cider vinegar.

Will help with pretty much all pests. Regularily clean your nesting barn. Also if I have a chicken die I clear everyone out, clean the coop then bleach the walls and ground with a watered down bleach in a spray bottle. For the sake of bacteria. If one can find and afford it Thymol is better and you can pray that on you chickens.

I lost 4 birds this summer, but it as very hot.

 

[Ali707]

Some have metal roofs or plastic coops. Mine is under the house so its concrete with extra wood. I change the bedding if there are visible bugs, otherwise I deep litter and hope for the best. You could spray the bedding under your roost, that would help if just being proactive.

The handyman is here taking my kitchen apart! He keeps pulling out all this copper piping and muttering. IM not sure if that is good, Im guessing that stuff is not going back in....

Well I am using the Poop board with PDZ in it. It is okay. Not too bad smell wise, but lots of cleaning now that they are going to bed earlier. I don't know if that stuff is a happy place for mites and lice.

I did switch from sand to shavings on the cement floor of the run though. I like it better than sand on that hard surface. I am going to deep litter it and see how it goes. It is cold right now so there are virtually no flies. i won't be able to do the fly test until summer I guess.

 

[ronott1]

I prefer natural ways. DE is a good way to rid the coop of pests. Must be food grade, and make sure you don't inhale the dust. You can also put it inthe chickens feed, just wet it. Put it int hier water as well as raw apple cider vinegar.

Will help with pretty much all pests. Regularily clean your nesting barn. Also if I have a chicken die I clear everyone out, clean the coop then bleach the walls and ground with a watered down bleach in a spray bottle. For the sake of bacteria. If one can find and afford it Thymol is better and you can pray that on you chickens.

I lost 4 birds this summer, but it as very hot.

I am sorry you lost some in the heat!

Thanks for the tips.

Well I am using the Poop board with PDZ in it. It is okay. Not too bad smell wise, but lots of cleaning now that they are going to bed earlier. I don't know if that stuff is a happy place for mites and lice.

I did switch from sand to shavings on the cement floor of the run though. I like it better than sand on that hard surface. I am going to deep litter it and see how it goes. It is cold right now so there are virtually no flies. i won't be able to do the fly test until summer I guess.

I use Food Grade DE under the shavings. I to treat if I find bugs. I have only had mites one time so far, knock on wood.

 

[tommysgirl]

I would use Vetricyn gel spray once or twice a day.

Yes, separate her or the rooster. Hopefully he will take an interest in other hens if separated.

Thanks Vetricyn is on my list now. I will start separating her tomorrow. How much can I up her protein? She already gets a 20% can I give her extra in the form of scrambled eggs and mealworms? I don't want to over protein her.

Haha Ron he is interested already in any one he can find. He is still young, hatched by you on 3/31. This girl shows the marks of Rays overmating from 7 mos ago. She hadn't grown feathers back on her bows when Ozzie became mature so he has aggravated the issue.

It is true that she may not grow back her feathers until she molts? She didn't really molt yet this year at all. She hatched in May of 2012 and she is an Australorp.

My Del Dotty plucked her chest last spring and those never grew back until she molted and then I read that that is how it often works.

 

[ronott1]

Thanks Vetricyn is on my list now. I will start separating her tomorrow. How much can I up her protein? She already gets a 20% can I give her extra in the form of scrambled eggs and mealworms? I don't want to over protein her.

Haha Ron he is interested already in any one he can find. He is still young, hatched by you on 3/31. This girl shows the marks of Rays overmating from 7 mos ago. She hadn't grown feathers back on her bows when Ozzie became mature so he has aggravated the issue.

It is true that she may not grow back her feathers until she molts? She didn't really molt yet this year at all. She hatched in May of 2012 and she is an Australorp.

My Del Dotty plucked her chest last spring and those never grew back until she molted and then I read that that is how it often works.

Yes, Animal Protein is very helpful.

My Australorps molt very easily--even at three years old. She probably did molt already or will molt this Winter. Often you will just see a bunch of black feathers and some white around the neck where the feather stubs grow.

I spray vetricyn gel on my cuts now. It is amazing stuff and reminds me of Phisohex--a great product that was disocntinued years ago.

 

[member 142084]

Quote:
Yeah me too :/ We live in one of those pockets that swelter like the desert. Yes we have oak trees, grass, brush... amazes me. *sigh*. Remember those few freak hot days the beginning of June? It was sad. The then next on other hot days. It seems to be when we get over 108. ANd when I was not home -_- Lost my best size and quality breeding hen. I would do misters, but the hoses get to hot. And the pressure just leaks driving my bill sky high.

 

[chrissyr]

Originally Posted by chrissyr

@juststruttin - Could you post more info on your meat bird crosses? Ron mentioned something about it and I'd like a little more info. I'm trying the Bresse, but I'd like to check out more meat types if you don't mind.


Hi Chrissy,

I am breeding both purebred Bresse and Sulmtalers. I am also planning to breed 4 Freedom Ranger pullets to a Sulmtaler rooster and then taking a Sulmtaler X FR Rooster from that cross to breed back to the Freedom Ranger hens.

I really like Freedom rangers. They are sweet birds and fairly good layers. My hens are also good foragers. I had a purebred FR rooster and my original plan was to breed the FR to the FR however the rooster got too big and his legs started to bow and he had to be culled when he got increasingly uncomfortable. Due to his size and awkwardness, I highly doubt he would have bee able to breed naturally.

I am hoping that crossing the Freedom Ranger hens with a Sulmtaler rooster will produce a solid dual purpose meat bird where the pullets can be used as layers and the Cockerels can be processed around 16 weeks. I am planning to put the birds together this week and if they are still laying next month I will set eggs for the NYD hatch-a-long.

Thank you juststruttin, I would love to hear updates on how they butcher out. Very impressive! Thank you for the info

The Pita Pintas are good meat chickens, too! Correct, Ron?

Mine are only around 10 weeks old so it will be a while before I can personally attest to this. I am keeping all of them for breeding this year and should have some eggs/chicks for sale starting in April. The first PP meat processing should be August or September.

Ah, great to know! thank you PetRock! I will keep an eye open on those. Sounds like there's some great dual purposes around.

1/2 tsp per gallon for 7 days. They need to be exposed to some dirt or the outside first. Wait a couple of weeks. Make sure you give them some B vitamins after treatment--Corid is a Niacin dis rupter and will make them deficient.

Thanks Ron. Now you say B vitamins- I have poultry multi vitamin. Will that work? Or should I use something different? Not sure if I'd use human stuff, I'm leary of that.

 

[ronott1]

Thank you juststruttin, I would love to hear updates on how they butcher out. Very impressive! Thank you for the info

Ah, great to know! thank you PetRock! I will keep an eye open on those. Sounds like there's some great dual purposes around.

Thanks Ron. Now you say B vitamins- I have poultry multi vitamin. Will that work? Or should I use something different? Not sure if I'd use human stuff, I'm leary of that.

they should have B vitamins in them. Look at the label.

Pita Pintas are worth watching!

 

[Happy Chooks]

So Ivomec given orally kills mites? I think I got one on me last night when I grabbed a chicken that didn't go into the coop at night...gross.

Noooooo, not given orally. It's a topical - you put it directly on their skin between their wings.

Its not a bad idea to spray the coop ( or at least the roosts and wood parts) every month That way you can jsut use a spray bottle and do it fast, rather then scrub and have to get in every cranny and take hours. Be careful of it around cats, and if you raise bugs.

I've never sprayed my coops, but I do use food grade DE under my shavings and in my nest boxes as a preventative. (it doesn't work when you already have an infestation though) I have honey bees, so I have to be careful with sprays.

Do you know how much Ivomec to use on the skin per bird? Thank you.

1/2 cc for a fully grown chicken, 1/4 cc for bantams or juvenile birds. You must get it on the skin, not the feathers. I'd also dust them with poultry dust (or Sevin garden dust) and clean the coop out well.

Quote: Probably Valbazen? Another great wormer, but it doesn't help liz with the lice. Ivomec will kill lice too. I swap back and forth between the two so they don't develop an immunity to it. I wormed last year with Ivomec and this year with Valbazen.

Thank you - Sigh. I guess now I know all newbies have to be treated regardless... Are the eggs edible during treatment? And should I treat the broody house too?

I've read you should withdraw from the eggs for 14 days.

 

[tommysgirl]

Ron awhile back you mentioned that you wanted to place/split an order with Ururch Poultry I would be interested but only if I have a broody at the time you want to place the order and if the turn around is fairly quick. Tom and I have a deal where every broody who wants to be a mama badly enough will be allowed to but other than that we have agreed to a chicken moratorium. Getting 5 or so chicks to break a broody fits within those parameters

Now if I have two broodies I may want to throw some SPW into the mix.

I want to try Mottled Javas. I have read mixed reviews but is sounds like those who are patient with their slow maturation are rewarded with a great all around homestead bird so I am game.

It is entirely up to you. I know I am not making it easy but if you are willing to wait and Mr. Uruch can ship chicks promptly when my hen (s) need them I will be happy to split an order.