Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

Thanks Danz. After reading your post, I did a google search and it basically had the same information so you were spot on. The only thing is, it said nail polish will not work, yet I get relief from itching for days, that starts immediately upon application so there is something in it that definitely DOES help me. I also wonder if I'm not allergic or overly sensitive, because the article said the itching only lasts 2-3 days and the bites are healed in 2 weeks, but in my experience, the itchings lasts for weeks and you could still see my last batch of bites after a month. I find the same thing with mosquito and flea bites too though - they seem to last much longer than most people's experience so I guess I'm allergic to insect saliva.

 

[Trish44]

Thanks Danz. After reading your post, I did a google search and it basically had the same information so you were spot on. The only thing is, it said nail polish will not work, yet I get relief from itching for days, that starts immediately upon application so there is something in it that definitely DOES help me. I also wonder if I'm not allergic or overly sensitive, because the article said the itching only lasts 2-3 days and the bites are healed in 2 weeks, but in my experience, the itchings lasts for weeks and you could still see my last batch of bites after a month. I find the same thing with mosquito and flea bites too though - they seem to last much longer than most people's experience so I guess I'm allergic to insect saliva.

There is some cream you can get at Walmart called Chiggerex & it is the only thing we have found that will really help chigger bites. It comes in a small jar & is in the section where the antibiotic ointment & that sort of things are.

 

[HEChicken]

There is some cream you can get at Walmart called Chiggerex & it is the only thing we have found that will really help chigger bites. It comes in a small jar & is in the section where the antibiotic ointment & that sort of things are.

Thanks - I'll check that out. Years ago Walgreens sold a product called Chiggerid that was phenomenal for stopping itching instantly. I never had chigger bites then but it worked great on mosquito bites. When the bottle was empty I went back for more and....they don't make it any more.

 

[Trish44]

I don't know if it's because our chickens & guineas range right out in the front yard or what, but we really haven't had the chiggers like we had them before. You watch, I'll say that & then with all of this rain we'll have some big explosion of them. We normally though before I had chickens here had chiggers horrible. I have noticed that they are worse in the wetter summers though & we're having one of those this year in this area.

 

[cherwill]

Tweety, I concur with Cherwill - snake-be-gone would be a great product. I don't want them dead - just not in my coop!

Cherwill, that is wonderful you can go harvest without getting muddy. I am still working on paths in my garden - making progress slowly but surely. I am having a huge problem with chiggers this year though, that almost make me not want to go out there. A month or so ago I got 30-40 bites - all around my waist area - front and back. It was ugly and itchy and uncomfortable and they took weeks to heal. I had just reached the point where they were barely visible pink spots, when I got attacked again and I am back to feeling uncomfortably itchy all the time. I don't understand how these little bugs can crawl on me, all the way up to that level without me ever feeling a thing. Someone recommended covering the bites with clear nail polish to stop the itch and that does seem to work but only temporarily - in a few days the site with the polish on it starts to itch again. I don't know if anyone has any recommendations? I have a ton of work to do in my veggie garden and now is a great time to do it after the all the rain so I don't like that I keep putting it off for fear of being attacked again.

Oooh, I might hate chiggers more than I hate mosquitoes, and I HATE mosquitoes. You mention further down that you read the itching should only last 2-3 days. That's never been my experience. Like with you, they'll itch for a couple of weeks on me. Heck, mosquito bites itch for days to a week on me.

I read about a natural bug repellent in Prevention magazine and decided to give it a try. I've tried the Avon stuff (Skin So Soft, maybe?) and the mouthwash and the electronic do-dads and none of them work well for me. I've been using this for a couple of weeks and it works really well (when I remember to put it on): 8 oz. almond oil, 1/4 t. lemon eucalyptus essential oil, 1/8 t. geranium essential oil, and 1/8 t. lavender essential oil. Later, on a blog somewhere, I read about a similar mixture that used witch hazel instead of almond oil. It's here at Camp Wander: http://campwander.blogspot.com/2013/07/mosquito-repellent-for-campers-fly.html#more I can't vouch for it because I haven't tried it. I don't mind using the oil mixture; it only takes a thin layer anyway. I order most of my supplies of this sort from Vitamin Shoppe. If anyone knows of a cheaper source (they're pretty cheap, though), please let me know. I don't know how well my oil mixture would work for chiggers, but so far it makes mosquitoes and flies leave me alone.

 

[ChickieWickies]

I had a bunch of chicks that insist on sleeping outside and they were soaking wet. I swear I have no idea why these chicks don't want to go in the houses. I even put night lights in them to attract them but they'd rather huddle in a corner.
We actually got a little rain during the night! Yay! Looks like maybe about .3 of an inch. Every bit counts.
I need to get busy today.

Danz, we had some pullets like that. It was the group of three young white Langshans. They are younger than the others and would stay together and away from the others. I went out every night for a week and put them in the coop by hand. They finally got the point and started doing it themselves. Glad you got some of this rain. We need to mow (didn't say that much last year) but the ground is too wet. The gauge said we got 1/2" but I think it's leaking. The whole area around us got 1"-2 1/2" and our ground is still wet this afternoon.

Maidenwolf, I love the sunflower idea. We have an area that would be perfect next to the coop. Now we just have to wait almost a whole year!!!

Trish, will you have any birds at the fair? We'll be there with 9 of them. Our club is putting on a costume contest for all 4-Hers and their livestock on Sunday at 3 in the arena. It should be a hoot. We're hoping we'll have at least one entry of all the animals represented. So far we have about 30 who said they're doing it. River stay away!!! When those fairgrounds flood, it is usually underwater for days if not weeks!!

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Just went out for dinner and I was talking to the restaurant owner about the chickens and such. Then she asked me if my broody hens will be broody again since they started to sit on eggs. So that got me wondering if a hen went broody, does it mean this particular hen will have the tendency to go broody more so compare to the ones that were never broody before??? Can someone tell me if it is true?

I'm enjoying the nice breeze out by the chicken coop. I always feel that it is a stress reliever when i'm out there with the birds. Something about their clucking, silly little noises that make me relax. The ducks start quacking as soon as they see me walking towards them. I really do enjoy their companionship.

Enjoy your evening.

 

[chicken danz]

Yes Tweety some birds just tend to be broody while others don't. I have found those that stick to being broody... in other words sit until they hatch will keep going broody again.
I wrote a long post and accidentally deleted it. ()&**(^%
ChickieWickies I love the costume thing. I would so dress up like a chicken if it were me!

 

[HEChicken]

Cherwill, thanks for that recipe. I've copied it into the notes on my computer and I'll see how I can do at gathering the supplies.

Tweety, yes, I have found that a hen that goes broody once is more likely to do it again. I a couple of hens who brooded, raised chicks until they were 3-4 weeks old, laid for a week and then went broody again.

I have found a sure-fire method of breaking broodies though. Really think this is the one. Install a snake in your coop! I had 7-8 broody hens prior to the snake's visit and now every one of them has given it up. Just as I have chicks hatching that I was hatching specifically to give to the broody hens to raise!!! I have one hen who has stuck with it so I guess she will get all of the chicks from this hatch. I have two others who just started brooding and are in nest boxes which have feed bags tacked over them for privacy so they may not have even seen the snake and therefore are continuing to brood. However as they've only been broody a week and I have more eggs due to hatch in a week and a half, I think I'll wait on giving them chicks to raise.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, we had some pullets like that. It was the group of three young white Langshans. They are younger than the others and would stay together and away from the others. I went out every night for a week and put them in the coop by hand. They finally got the point and started doing it themselves. Glad you got some of this rain. We need to mow (didn't say that much last year) but the ground is too wet. The gauge said we got 1/2" but I think it's leaking. The whole area around us got 1"-2 1/2" and our ground is still wet this afternoon.

Maidenwolf, I love the sunflower idea. We have an area that would be perfect next to the coop. Now we just have to wait almost a whole year!!!

Trish, will you have any birds at the fair? We'll be there with 9 of them. Our club is putting on a costume contest for all 4-Hers and their livestock on Sunday at 3 in the arena. It should be a hoot. We're hoping we'll have at least one entry of all the animals represented. So far we have about 30 who said they're doing it. River stay away!!! When those fairgrounds flood, it is usually underwater for days if not weeks!!

No, I don't take birds to the fair, it's usually so darned hot there I wouldn't want to stress any out or lose any. This year it looks like it will be an exception because it's supposed to be pretty decent this weekend. I don't know if we will even have time to make it there this weekend. We're going to pick up the wood & supplies for on third hoop coop then my DH is working tomorrow & I'm making a drive to pick up some ducks in the afternoon. Then Sunday we will be working on the hoop coop, at least the major part that I need help with. Yeah when the river comes out it sure makes a mess of the fairgrounds. I remember one flood we had in October one year, the water was so high that people came out in droves just to look at it & they set up bleachers in the street so people could get up there & look at how far across the water went. I thought that was hilarious.

Cherwill, thanks for that recipe. I've copied it into the notes on my computer and I'll see how I can do at gathering the supplies.

Tweety, yes, I have found that a hen that goes broody once is more likely to do it again. I a couple of hens who brooded, raised chicks until they were 3-4 weeks old, laid for a week and then went broody again.

I have found a sure-fire method of breaking broodies though. Really think this is the one. Install a snake in your coop! I had 7-8 broody hens prior to the snake's visit and now every one of them has given it up. Just as I have chicks hatching that I was hatching specifically to give to the broody hens to raise!!! I have one hen who has stuck with it so I guess she will get all of the chicks from this hatch. I have two others who just started brooding and are in nest boxes which have feed bags tacked over them for privacy so they may not have even seen the snake and therefore are continuing to brood. However as they've only been broody a week and I have more eggs due to hatch in a week and a half, I think I'll wait on giving them chicks to raise.

Hey if the real snake worked at breaking broodies I wonder if a rubber one would work? That's an idea, but then I wouldn't want to freak out my birds & have them not want to come into the coop either.

I have found that just keeping repetition with showing the little birds where to go at night eventually they will get the idea & come to the coop to go in. I do still have the 3 that go in with the turkeys, but that really was my fault that I trained them to go in there. The others I have put in there lately, there are about 7 or 8, are finally getting the hang of going up to the main coop. The two little silver laced wyandottes will wait until almost dark to come up & want to be let it. They have been pretty stubborn, but I guess they figured if I was going to catch them anyway & scare them to death after they were half asleep up on top of the hoop coop that they might as well come up there themselves. They found out there was food up there too & that was an incentive for them.