Okay, Henny Penny's butt looked better today--I said turn around so I can look at your butt and she did! No clumps or dirtiness, but I almost think there are missing feathers (just first thing this morning, not light enough to see very well and now I'm at work til 5). I know that Jewel was pecking at the dirtiness last night, so wonder if maybe feathers came out. But, at any rate, the skin was not red or raw, just normal flesh pale skin looking and I smelled nothing out of the ordinary. I can't find my tube of safeguard, so will drop ivermectin on them tonight. I won't be able to do a thorough cleaning until Saturday afternoon. (DH is home from hospital but very weak and so I have to do all his chores as well as mine, then all my normal stuff, too-amazing how much time he spent on the yard without me knowing!) I usually use a scrub brush inside the coop and pinesol, then a final spray of liquid sevin all over, let dry and replace bedding/roosts/etc. What should I do that I'm not thinking of? I don't want to get all done and then remember to dust the crevices or something. Entire thing needs a good coat of paint, but that's for a long weekend. It's a chicken tractor, so I'll move it to a clear spot, then clean & dust, then move it more so any washed off yuck isn't where they'll be living in it. Also, can the pine needles cause problems? I have their coop in about 1 acre of yard that I keep mowed, but there are pines along the fence and they love burrowing into the pine straw. I have a metal canister that I burn wood scraps so then put the ash into their dust bath spot(s). I wonder if I shouldn't put peat moss/sand/de/sevin dust into a cat pan and leave it in the coop with them so they'd be dusting in it for sure? I am watching for vent gleet, but I really don't think that's it.
