Deep litter method

[Windy Bay Farm]

You can find them there.  I'd only use them when you need to...if you don't have a problem, don't fix it.  The best prevention for external parasites is establishing a healthy environment for the chickens.  You can dust the roosts, nests and the dusting spots whenever you like...I'd not dust the chickens with it unless you have to. 

Is it ok to just use the sulfur or pyrethrin dust or both ? And how often should one dust the roosts, etc ?

 

[Beekissed]

I don't think there would be a problem to mix them, but you wouldn't need both..just the pyrethrin would accomplish pretty much what you need.

A couple of times a year should do it unless you seem to have a bad overload of red northern fowl mites. Then I'd probably be a bit more aggressive with treating the wood.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I don't think there would be a problem to mix them, but you wouldn't need both..just the pyrethrin would accomplish pretty much what you need. 

A couple of times a year should do it unless you seem to have a bad overload of red northern fowl mites.  Then I'd probably be a bit more aggressive with treating the wood. 

So far, so good with no parasites but I'd rather just have something on hand as a preventative before any issues ever start. Thanks for the info !

 

[RoseMarie1]

Piling in more DL while the wire is down repairing their pen. Needed some new posts.


You can't even see one of the stumps in there I got it soooo deep! lol The DL under their roosts needs some more in it. It's getting really thin now. One piece of wire left to put up on the walls and then the wire on the roof of it. Working on another section of it now replacing posts.



This will be all spread out in the other section to when I get the wire down to put it in there. We had to close it off to keep the chickens in while we worked on their pen.



My DL is coming from here. As you can see it's starting to fall again and I will be able to rake up more shortly.
This path is very long. This is one section of it and the pic below is the other end of it.


My chickens love to hang out in this area.

 

[Beekissed]

You are so very lucky to have bedding materials such as that! Free! And it's such a pretty color, I might add.

 

[gryeyes]

You are so very lucky to have bedding materials such as that! Free!  And it's such a pretty color, I might add. 

I am stunned to discover I can suffer from coop bedding envy.

 

[Beekissed]

I am stunned to discover I can suffer from coop bedding envy.

Me too! I raked up some really ugly brown leaves today and had also bought some pine shavings this past week...and it's all quite ugly compared to that pretty bedding there.

 

[RoseMarie1]

You are so very lucky to have bedding materials such as that! Free! And it's such a pretty color, I might add.

Thank you Bee. You want me to ship you a trash bag or two full?

I know it's blessing big time because I used to not get all of this here. The trees and things have really grown over the years and I don't want none of them cut down if can help it. When we first moved here there was 3 trees on our place. I called it the dessert because where we lived before had lots of trees. We planted pine trees like there was no tomorrow. A nice man called us one day and asked if we wanted them, said someone had ordered them and didn't come and get them. We were blown away by the generosity of him doing that! We planted all of them by hand and there was a herd of them. I was fertilizing them when it would rain and my mother in law was rolling laughing at me when I told her one day when I was visiting her, oh it's raining I gotta go and fertilize my pines. Rose I have never heard of anyone fertilizing pines before. Yep I sure did so they would GROW FAST cuz I needed some shade!

 

[niqueie]

Thanks so much for your input. I really appreciate it. I'm feeling very green around here and trying to take in all that I can. I am aiming for raising the chickens the most natural way possible. I really admire all the info and understanding that so many of you have. I am so glad you are willing to share it with the rest of us newbies.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Me too! I raked up some really ugly brown leaves today and had also bought some pine shavings this past week...and it's all quite ugly compared to that pretty bedding there.

hey that's all this is Bee, leaves and straw.