Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[bruceh]

it is ok bee. we all know your reputation. in fact your nick name from me is bee-the- bad -azz.and frugal - but - true. however bee you are as honest as they come and that is a true quality. you are loved

 

[bruceh]

speaking of wasps. funny true story to loosen the mood. it would only happen to me. i was working with soda. stacking the boxes up. it was a very hot day and i was all sweaty and nasty, as i was picking some of the last boxes on ground level. a wasp crawled up my pants leg from behind. this wasp stung me right in the crack of my butt on the right cheek. now picture a grown man whimpering and screaming obscenities with the neighbors 15 year old daughter watching me work.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

speaking of wasps. funny true story to loosen the mood. it would only happen to me. i was working with soda. stacking the boxes up. it was a very hot day and i was all sweaty and nasty, as i was picking some of the last boxes on ground level. a wasp crawled up my pants leg from behind. this wasp stung me right in the crack of my butt on the right cheek. now picture a grown man whimpering and screaming obscenities with the neighbors 15 year old daughter watching me work.

That is too funny!

 

[Beekissed]

it is ok bee. we all know your reputation. in fact your nick name from me is bee-the- bad -azz.and frugal - but - true. however bee you are as honest as they come and that is a true quality. you are loved

Awww, thanks, Bruce...but I can be a complete idiot at times and am trying to do better in that regard. When it comes to honesty, I can be honest about that as well. I need work, am always wanting to improve and am always learning how to be a human being...just a decent human being. Some days are harder than others, for some reason.



On the subject of bees...it always works for us to settle down outside the nest site and just watch where they are coming in and out. We start there, wait until full dark and spray their entrance hole....spray it wayyyyyy back in there. The next day we watch it to see how many are still coming out or if they are coming in and out in another area of the building.

I know this sounds ironic but~ if it isn't a honey bee~ wasps and hornet type bees are the one creature on this earth that I dearly despise. Can't stand 'em. Will go to any lengths to drive them to extinction, see no purpose for their existence and will use poisons like a pro to get them gone from my life.

I know, I know..there's a purpose for all God's creatures, but I've yet to see any good in a nasty ol' wasp, yellow jacket or hornet.

Yeah, I was stung as a child....a lot.

 

[Attila the Hen]

Bee
As I said in another message to you. I hold you in high regard and I know who you really are... a loving and beautiful person. No big deal.

 

[al6517]

WASP RESPONSE !!!!!

Wait and watch as Bee said where they come and go, the late evening is the best time to get them just before or at dusk. use a wasp spray that shoots a thin strong concentrated stream, Ortho has the best preasure in their can's and it will shoot 20' + with good accuracy. You will need the long distance as a red wasp is the most hated of all, their nasty LiL bastar** and will chase you farther and faster than other wasp's. It may take some time a few days maybe, but stay after them, sometimes during the day when their out looking for or go wherever they go, there may not be as many around and your birds are gone and out and about. You want to soak the nest and anything they have to land on and around to get to it, if the poisen sticks to them in any way they will die. Wear heavy clothing for the few minutes your out doing it, even in the summer heat, long pants, regular shoes, hat, jacket with the collar up, stuff like that. Don't walk out there with a can of spray with shorts a T-shirt and flip flops, if your that stupid you deserve to be stung !!!. After you spray them don't hang around go indoors and wait for a good while till they settle back down, if not they will find you and commence to getting in yer face.

 

[thedragonlady]

I have a similar situation with my 2 year old BOs. One egg from 4 girls a day IF I am lucky. Have tried making nutritional changes and still hasn't really helped. A couple days ago I saw a pile of those long thin worms in someone's droppings. (This is the second time in a year). I treated with Piperazine (that's all I can find around here) Three girls have been on the nest at one time today--something I havent' seen before, but still only one egg. They are not eggbound and they all seem a bit more chipper after the worming. Will need to do it again according to directions. I know you and others don't believe in worming --even when you see a pile of the things? I am hoping it is worms that are the reason for low egg production. It's been cool and very wet for awhile. Any comments from an old timer would be appreciated and yes I know BOs don't have the best reputation for production. They are pets--won't cull, but I am teachable.
thank you!

Surely you have a TSC around there by now! I used to live north of Roswell just over the Cherokee Co. line. Get Safeguard goat wormer. 4 drops of this well shaken med down everybody's throat will stop that. That red clay just grows parasites, especially this year with all the rain.Repeat in 10 days.Your buffs should be laying up a storm unless they are molting.Mine are molting and laying.

 

[thedragonlady]

Well, I have a disaster that I need advice on. My bantam house has been taken over by red wasps. I've been stung twice with the last sting being worse than the first. My neck is so swore from the sting I can hardly move it. I don't know what to do about the wasps. I can't see where the nest is and I couldn't get to it even if I knew where it was (I would be swarmed by wasps before I could get to it). The bantam house is three stories tall so it isn't a simple task. Is there any way to kill these wasps without being stung to death? Or should I just sell the bantams and say to hell with it? The hens are temporarily moved into the broody pen but there isn't enough room for all of them. I want an honest opinion. What would you wise old timer's do?

You get TWO six shooters of wasp spray, put on a hat, and long sleeves at night with a flash light. Go get 'em!

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Bee, I enjoy reading you. I like how you call 'em like you see 'em. I like blunt honesty.

Let's face it, very few people can be like Fred, he's so smooth. I think Fred could tell someone they were a stupid, ugly, smelly, idiot and make them feel good about it at the same time.

It takes ALL kinds and I like reading you! You are intelligent and very helpful. THANK YOU BEE! Thanks for this thread!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Actually, I think wasps eat spiders, I know they pack them in with their larvae...maybe that's why the sting is so **** potent. I got hit by one last week, the hand, forearm swelled, even into my elbow..one sting. So be careful. Give me a good old honeybee anytime.