Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Tick wars!!!! I haven't seen a tick for a quite few years now and only when the cat would come back from the woods with one that hadn't even got a chance to latch on. The chickens eat everything in sight...I wonder what it would be like around here if they were not on patrol....?

 

[Triple Willow]

Just be careful when using the DE.  You don't want to breathe that stuff in.  It will cut up your nasal passages and most likely your throat/lungs.  When I've had to work with it, I try to cover my mouth/nose with something that can filter it out of the air I'm breathing.

Thanks for the info. I tried not to breathe it and tried not to dust it where any of the chickens or dogs would breathe it - but my nose does feel a tiny bit funny. As long as it doesn't kill me or make me seriously sick I can hack it to get rid of those little blood sucking beasts!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Tick wars!!!! I haven't seen a tick for a quite few years now and only when the cat would come back from the woods with one that hadn't even got a chance to latch on. The chickens eat everything in sight...I wonder what it would be like around here if they were not on patrol....?

lol @ you Bee you'd have a tick city!

Now see WHY you have to get more chickens?

 

[Triple Willow]

Tick wars!!!!  I haven't seen a tick for a quite few years now and only when the cat would come back from the woods with one that hadn't even got a chance to latch on.  The chickens eat everything in sight...I wonder what it would be like around here if they were not on patrol....?

One of my dogs likes to go on his sight seeing trips through the fields so he always brings ticks in! I haven't had my chickens out of their run lately because of one neighbor's chicken killing dog that he let's run loose, two other dogs that came from who knows where and tried to get in the run and my one crazy dog that would snatch one up given the chance. HOWEVER, I am going to have to put my dog where there's no way she can meet up with a chicken then load up the old shotgun and watch for the others while I let my chickens out to do their thang.

 

[Beekissed]

Great solution...clear out the predators in a final way. I've found that when dogs start disappearing in the neighborhood with no explanation, people start keeping their dogs at home.

 

[Triple Willow]

Great solution...clear out the predators in a final way.  I've found that when dogs start disappearing in the neighborhood with no explanation, people start keeping their dogs at home. 

This one neighbor seems to think that his dog has the run of the neighborhood and whatever it does is okay. It has already kill all of one neighbor's chickens. It took a chicken home with it, still alive but badly injured! I told him not long ago that IF it got into my chickens I would shoot it. He said if I did it would be WAR!!! lol So I guess if it come here causing trouble we will have war. Evidently he didn't know who he was talking to...? I didn't raise these chickens so his dog can entertain its self by killing them!!!

 

[Beekissed]

It is a war, of a sort. Each little property is a country and no country and its occupants should cross national lines unless invited and the border guards approve the passport.

Those found raiding into other countries and committing crimes are bound to be shot...any numb skull can understand that. That's how peace is kept...by clear understanding of the rules and the consequences if a trespass is committed.

My advice? If you find the dog on your property after your chickens, take him for a little, private ride where shots cannot be heard and let him simply disappear. And say nothing about it to anyone.

 

[Triple Willow]

It is a war, of a sort.  Each little property is a country and no country and its occupants should cross national lines unless invited and the border guards approve the passport.    Those found raiding into other countries and committing crimes are bound to be shot...any numb skull can understand that.  That's how peace is kept...by clear understanding of the rules and the consequences if a trespass is committed. 

My advice?  If you find the dog on your property after your chickens, take him for a little, private ride where shots cannot be heard and let him simply disappear.  And say nothing about it to anyone. 

I agree. I don't bother anybody and I don't want them bothering me. Anybody ought to get that! I don't even know most of the people who live around here anymore, and that works pretty good!

Your advise would probably work better than some I've got. lol My boyfriend got peed at me because he thought I was arguing with the man. He said, "too much talking!" LOL He said you should have just told him and when the dog comes here shoot it and call him and tell him to come and get his ****** dog out of your yard! lol It wouldn't be good at all for the man to even come around running off at the mouth with boyfriend around, not good at all. That man better think twice then think again! I hope he's got the dog put up but I really doubt it. His dogs have always ran loose and did whatever they wanted to. I'm sure your way of taking care of it is best!

 

[Demosthine]

I'm back in for a rest after tick wars. LOL I mowed a big part of the yard, dusted both chicken pens with DE, dusted one dog a little bit, sprayed both, sprayed dog houses and have a tub of water ran so it can warm up in the sun for probable dog bathes tomorrow or Monday. Now it is getting dark on me, so another day. They were all looking at me like I was crazy. lol

Willow, do you have a good area for them to dust bathe in? Chickens and dogs alike? The two things I have heard recommended time and time again for dealing with lice, mites and ticks are diatomaceous earth and ash wood baths. Personally, I think that is a huge amount of DE for a bath area, especially if a dog is involved, but wood ash should be an easy acquisition. Find any restaurant that cooks fire roasted entrees, like Applebee's or Chili's and take in a bunch of metal pails or trash cans. They are more than likely willing to give you as much as you want for free. As well burned as those ashes usually are, at least from my experience, I am not concerned with fat droppings or such in it. It tends to be all burned off. But I've seen many dogs over the years dust bathing in sandboxes and fire pits. I always thought it was strange, but hey, who am I to judge a dog? It turns out, they were smarter than I was and knew what they were doing.

I'm fairly surprised Bee didn't mention it, in fact, or I just missed it! The point where it all clicked with me was reading Bee's story about her Gnarly Bunch, which is still posted as a Healing Story on the Natural Chicken Keeping's blog. That was by far the saddest and happiest story I've ever read. If you've never read another thing she wrote, this would be my single biggest recommendation. There is an encyclopedia worth of advice in that story alone. It also gives you a very intimate look at Bee's personality.

It is a war, of a sort. Each little property is a country and no country and its occupants should cross national lines unless invited and the border guards approve the passport.

Those found raiding into other countries and committing crimes are bound to be shot...any numb skull can understand that. That's how peace is kept...by clear understanding of the rules and the consequences if a trespass is committed.

My advice? If you find the dog on your property after your chickens, take him for a little, private ride where shots cannot be heard and let him simply disappear. And say nothing about it to anyone.

Apparently you aren't an illegal-invader-advocate! 'Course, I never figured you for that type anyway. Too bad our current government can't figure this concept out. In the end, it will come back to bite them in the rear. But let's not get too much in to politics. That's a nasty argument waiting to happen...

 

[Beekissed]

We've been keeping livestock out in the country for a long time, though the farms are disappearing now and city folks are encroaching...and they have no understanding about boundaries and what makes a good neighbor. Back in the day farm folk understood that a dog that kills livestock better stay at home...tied or penned..or he would simply disappear and they may have to pay for some animals. And everyone understood that...now everyone thinks their dogs are human and, much like their owners, allowed to trespass all over everyone's land at will.

I keep my dog close and my gun closer...none of my neighbors have even seen my dog unless they've come for a visit. Most wouldn't even know I have one as he doesn't bark much and they live a good distance.

If I lived in a neighborhood that people lived close in, I'd invest in an electric fence for the chooks and be done with it. No dog is getting through one of those.