California - Northern

[Lynn Manes]

That's fantastic Rae. Have fun raising your meal worm colony and watching your flock enjoy the fruits of your labor. When I want my flock to head back into the coop, I entice them with meal worms. Unfortunately, we just lost our entire colony of meal worms due to too must humidity in the box, a mistake I made; but we'll be starting a new colony in a couple of days-not however with as many as you started with. Our flocks are small- 6 chickens, 6 ducks, 3 geese and right now about 20 quail. So my birds all got used to the big red bag of dried meal worms we buy at TSC, and they now recognize that bag. My little Cortinix quail get to excited that they all crowd to the pen door and so many times, inevitably one or two fall out trying to be sure they are first in line for the yummy treats. Thankfully they are easily picked up and placed back in the pen to enjoy those worms. We did not throw the dead ones away, bc the fowl love them and the beetles anyway. Once our new colony grows enough to feed the birds, I'll have to be sure to keep one of those red bags. Is so funny to learn about these little things that make them all so happy

Lynn, I'm sorry you lost your worm farm... that's one good thing for me is up here its really dry... so I don't have to worry about humidity... it is so much fun watching them,I've fed them the freeze dried ones and they liked them BUT not like they love these live ones! lol I think my one hen that looks like she'll lay first, squatted for me.... so I'm really excited thinking I should get an egg soon... good grief, they are 23 weeks old... Rae

Oh sorry, I was interrupted by a phone call and forgot to wish you luck with your hen. I hope she lays for you today. It's exciting when that first egg appears

 

[Lynn Manes]

It is a cell phone and all I have. Did you mean a computer or laptop??

You can go to the bottom of the page and you will see a toggle for mobile/ desktop.

Try hitting desktop you will find the avatar part under my byc I think?

Thanks. That's what ronott1 told me to try, too. I found it, but haven't had time to get back to it yet; plus I can't find the pic I wanted to use, and I think it's on another sd card I just took out after I replaced it in my phone bc it was full

 

[Honora]

Turns out my broody is infested with mites. Any suggestions on how to treat considering the fact that she is broody? Her eggs are due to hatch on the 16th.

 

[ronott1]

Turns out my broody is infested with mites. Any suggestions on how to treat considering the fact that she is broody? Her eggs are due to hatch on the 16th.

Do you think you can move her? If the nest box is made from wood, the mites will be living in the corners and cracks. It will need to be treated.

See if you can move her and the eggs to a pet kennel then use a liquid insecticide for the nest box. The same spray can be used to treat her--for mites you can spray once near the vent and once under each wing. Repeat after 10 days.

Ivermectin can be used to treat her for mites too but it is not always effective due to resistance.

 

[TheKeeper]

New zebra doves babies - my first full nest (2 chicks) this year. All the other hatchlings have been singletons.

 

[Granny368W]

Hi Rae. We live in a dry area too. We're in South Central California where summer temps are upward of 113°. But we kept the mealworms inside. I know I created the humidity by throwing in those unwashed, and probably too many, carrot scrapings. Won't do that ever again.

oh, yeah....I only put those baby Carrots in...not Shredded or scraps and they love them.... I bought so many worms that I had to buy bigger (deeper) drawers... So tomorrow I'll be changing them over to their new home...

 

[Granny368W]

Do you think you can move her? If the nest box is made from wood, the mites will be living in the corners and cracks. It will need to be treated.

See if you can move her and the eggs to a pet kennel then use a liquid insecticide for the nest box. The same spray can be used to treat her--for mites you can spray once near the vent and once under each wing. Repeat after 10 days.

Ivermectin can be used to treat her for mites too but it is not always effective due to resistance.

Ron, what kind of liquid insecticide do you recommend? I probably should Kee it on hand or incase we get mites... Exactly where do mites come from or how do they get mites? Rae

 

[ronott1]

Ron, what kind of liquid insecticide do you recommend? I probably should Kee it on hand or incase we get mites... Exactly where do mites come from or how do they get mites? Rae

Permectrin Concentrate is easy to find. I bought some from TSC. There is also Elektor--a Spinosad concentrate that has been approved for poultry. It is expensive though.

 

[TheKeeper]

Ron, what kind of liquid insecticide do you recommend? I probably should Kee it on hand or incase we get mites... Exactly where do mites come from or how do they get mites? Rae

I like spinosad for mites. I found the spray at Lowe's, Captain Jack's Dead Bug.
Permectrin II also works (permethrin, a manufactured pyrethrin) but more slowly I've found. It's great for flies and lice and fleas, safe to spray directly onto animals as well as coop & run & plants.

 

[Lynn Manes]

Hi Rae. We live in a dry area too. We're in South Central California where summer temps are upward of 113°. But we kept the mealworms inside. I know I created the humidity by throwing in those unwashed, and probably too many, carrot scrapings. Won't do that ever again.

oh, yeah....I only put those baby Carrots in...not Shredded or scraps and they love them.... I bought so many worms that I had to buy bigger (deeper) drawers... So tomorrow I'll be changing them over to their new home...

Good luck to you. Keep us informed on how it's going, ok? Have a great weekend. Climbing back up in the 90's here this weekend. I sure wish we had a Fall season here. I hate these temps. And to think this was why I left New England to live in California; but I was a whole lot younger then and loved the hot temps. Now the old body can't handle it as well. And of course we have tons of outside work to get done this weekend too