Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

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.


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...

Thank you! You are so kind!

Now, I don't do politics at all, so not sure what an illegal invader is exactly as it pertains to politics, but I sure know what it is out here in the country...and it can get yer rearend shot.

You know? I tried the wood ashes on old Jake last year for the horrible flea infestation that a friendly stray dog brought upon us~never had a problem until then~and they didn't even make a dent in it. Nothing did. I tried every natural remedy that I knew and some that were down right kill or cure on that dog, like a kerosene bath, but none worked. I finally resorted to the chemicals and they didn't really work either...not all the way, but they seemed to get things under control more. This year they are still pretty bad but not as bad as last year. I think, if we are still hear next year, we might have them kicked in the can. I've been using a combination of the chemical flea control and sulfur powder and that seems to keep them down to a dull roar.

I just checked all the Gnarly Bunch tonight and they are doing so great...no mites or lice for a long, long time now and the scale mites are under control. Raggedy Ann is molting hard and heavy and she might look as raggedy as last year real soon. Got 4 eggs out of those 8 old hens yesterday, and that's with half of them in molt. Toby's spurs are getting quite long again, after applying the castor oil, and everyone's skin and scales look supple and healthy. Good check up tonight!

Bertha is needing culled for old age but I'm steeling myself for it...she's always been my favorite and I'll be really sad to not see her anymore.

But...Hope is on the horizon. No, really...my young WR named Hope puts me much in mind of Bertha and will eventually reach her great size and already has her calm and regal demeanor. She's a sweety and the next generation of great WRs...so Bertha will live on in a way.

 

[Triple Willow]

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.

The older chickens had a good hole dug out but when I went to feed this afternoon and dust everything down they had it filled in completely! They do a whole lot of scratching and digging around. The younger ones don't have a dusting hole. One of the dogs has a huge dust pile that she lays in so that one will be simple enough. The other won't be so easy. He likes to lay around way up under the deck and in other out of the way places. I'll have to deal with him differently. He's an odd creature. lol I have plans to get some ashes this week. There might be some left in the wood stove at the shop where my boyfriend does his work or there are several BBQ joints in town. I know a couple of the owners pretty well and I'm sure they'd be glad to get rid of some ashes. Within the next couple days EVERYBODY will have a well doctored up dusting hole! I don't know where I got into those tiny ticks. I hope I got enough DE on me to kill them! LOL I hope the shower/scrubbing/soaking got them all off. I believe a little witch hazel and tea tree oil will make me feel better too. It has been a bad summer for ticks, mosquitos, gnats, flies, fleas, etc! I hate to say it but we need a hard freeze this winter. Dang ticks that you can barely even see are just plain freaky! The first time I saw one was a couple tears ago. I was sitting on the loveseat reading and kept feeling something tickle my arm. I tried to brush whatever it was off my arm, didn't work - I scratched my arm, still there - I slapped my arm real hard, still there. Finally I looked at it real close and there was one of these tiny tiny ticks, but not as tiny as these today!
I have read part of Bee's post about the Gnarly Bunch. I'll have to go read it all as I had planned to. The part I did get read was pretty sad and yes very informative. I'm sure there is a whole lot of great information in it!
Thanks much for the info!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thank you! You are so kind!

Now, I don't do politics at all, so not sure what an illegal invader is exactly as it pertains to politics, but I sure know what it is out here in the country...and it can get yer rearend shot.

You know? I tried the wood ashes on old Jake last year for the horrible flea infestation that a friendly stray dog brought upon us~never had a problem until then~and they didn't even make a dent in it. Nothing did. I tried every natural remedy that I knew and some that were down right kill or cure on that dog, like a kerosene bath, but none worked. I finally resorted to the chemicals and they didn't really work either...not all the way, but they seemed to get things under control more. This year they are still pretty bad but not as bad as last year. I think, if we are still hear next year, we might have them kicked in the can. I've been using a combination of the chemical flea control and sulfur powder and that seems to keep them down to a dull roar.

I just checked all the Gnarly Bunch tonight and they are doing so great...no mites or lice for a long, long time now and the scale mites are under control. Raggedy Ann is molting hard and heavy and she might look as raggedy as last year real soon. Got 4 eggs out of those 8 old hens yesterday, and that's with half of them in molt. Toby's spurs are getting quite long again, after applying the castor oil, and everyone's skin and scales look supple and healthy. Good check up tonight!

Bertha is needing culled for old age but I'm steeling myself for it...she's always been my favorite and I'll be really sad to not see her anymore.

But...Hope is on the horizon. No, really...my young WR named Hope puts me much in mind of Bertha and will eventually reach her great size and already has her calm and regal demeanor. She's a sweety and the next generation of great WRs...so Bertha will live on in a way.

awe that's nice to hear Bee on Old Bertha living on through the others.
Speaking of creepy crawly critters I put some sulfur on mines roost tonight just as a precaution. When I went out to shut their back gate to the run they had walked all over their roost and really had it all stirred up on those boards. Couldn't hardly even tell I had put it on them. Wondering IF they did some rolling in the stuff

from the way it looked. One of them was fluffing up her feathers and preening like so I can help but wonder. The roosting boards are REALLY empty now with me only having 17 birds now. Groceries have went wayyyy down to. Not having to give them much at all now in food. They were all equally divided on the two boards on the ends of each one of them.

 

[Triple Willow]

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.

I wouldn't want to offend all city people because they are not all bad but my experience with them has been pretty much like yours. They move out here and the first thing they do is turn their dogs loose. Which ones don't get ran over real quick usually terrorize the neighbors. Oh but to hear them tell it their doggie wouldn't hurt a fly, much less kill somebody's chickens! I had one neighbor that moved in take his kids on a tour of our place I guess. They cut through from back in the field and came out just outside our yard. I wonder who all got on the hot wire and the look on all their faces said that they met the bully of a horse. LOL Daddy was in a hurry to get the kids out of the field and they never did that again, and I didn't have to say a word. City people! hehehe But they turned out to be okay neighbors. This one neighbor (with the dog) moved out here a long time ago and still doesn't know how to act. Their dogs have always ran the neighborhood, their kids and grandkids trespass all the time and you wouldn't believe what grandma and grandpa have done. Well I am getting old and crabby and it's about time the bunch straightened up! lol I forgot about some "no trespassing" signs I was going to put up where their grandkids play around an old pond on our land. You wouldn't believe all their grandkids have done. One time they were riding their bicycles on another neighbor's big back porch - without permission to even be on the place! lol I'm dang glad they aren't any closer to me than they are!

 

[RoseMarie1]

I wouldn't want to offend all city people because they are not all bad but my experience with them has been pretty much like yours. They move out here and the first thing they do is turn their dogs loose. Which ones don't get ran over real quick usually terrorize the neighbors. Oh but to hear them tell it their doggie wouldn't hurt a fly, much less kill somebody's chickens! I had one neighbor that moved in take his kids on a tour of our place I guess. They cut through from back in the field and came out just outside our yard. I wonder who all got on the hot wire and the look on all their faces said that they met the bully of a horse. LOL Daddy was in a hurry to get the kids out of the field and they never did that again, and I didn't have to say a word. City people! hehehe But they turned out to be okay neighbors. This one neighbor (with the dog) moved out here a long time ago and still doesn't know how to act. Their dogs have always ran the neighborhood, their kids and grandkids trespass all the time and you wouldn't believe what grandma and grandpa have done. Well I am getting old and crabby and it's about time the bunch straightened up! lol I forgot about some "no trespassing" signs I was going to put up where their grandkids play around an old pond on our land. You wouldn't believe all their grandkids have done. One time they were riding their bicycles on another neighbor's big back porch - without permission to even be on the place! lol I'm dang glad they aren't any closer to me than they are!

man kind it's like they moved to the country to go hog wild! That's crazy you can't do things in the city like that what makes them think they can do it in the country? Just crazy! I've noticed on the road coming out to our house there have been no trespassing signs put up at several homes so I figure the SAME thing must be happening around there to from the looks of all of them putting up signs.

 

[Beekissed]

It's a story I've heard so often that it has become less of a stereotype and more of just plain ol' reality. This is what happens to the country when the city moves into it...they complain of the smells of livestock, the look of livestock pens and coops, the fences that are placed to keep livestock in..and other things OUT, including their dogs.

They want to feed the deer and other wildlife, which is a big no-no if you want them to stay healthy. They tend to hate hunters or anyone else who kills their own food or raises animals for food. They get their own livestock and keep them for pets..the "pets" always seem sick or dying because they simply do not know the first thing about keeping an animal alive and they treat them like humans.

And they call us "dumb hicks"....that always mystifies me.

 

[Triple Willow]

man kind it's like they moved to the country to go hog wild! That's crazy you can't do things in the city like that what makes them think they can do it in the country? Just crazy! I've noticed on the road coming out to our house there have been no trespassing signs put up at several homes so I figure the SAME thing must be happening around there to from the looks of all of them putting up signs.  

I use to buy new signs and put them up every few years but I haven't done that in a while. We use to have a problem with people coming on our land hunting - like they owned it! I don't put up with that! I really don't care to be shot in my yard or have a window shot out or a dog or livestock shot and by golly, this is MY land to hunt on! The last few times that happened I just got out a shotgun and start shooting (NOT at them) and they decide to go elsewhere for some reason. lol If I hear any bull going on (very rare), just start shooting and they think we're a little nuts and stay away. lol A woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do! LOL Now my one neighbor, I think he is a little nuts. I hear shots up there that sound like a machine gun, no kidding! LOL

 

[Triple Willow]

It's a story I've heard so often that it has become less of a stereotype and more of just plain ol' reality.  This is what happens to the country when the city moves into it...they complain of the smells of livestock, the look of livestock pens and coops, the fences that are placed to keep livestock in..and other things OUT, including their dogs. 

They want to feed the deer and other wildlife, which is a big no-no if you want them to stay healthy.  They tend to hate hunters or anyone else who kills their own food or raises animals for food.  They get their own livestock and keep them for pets..the "pets" always seem sick or dying because they simply do not know the first thing about keeping an animal alive and they treat them like humans. 

And they call us "dumb hicks"....that always mystifies me. 

True true very true! lol A few weeks ago when me and my nephew were killing roosters we started out doing it out toward the front yard. I said this ain't gonna work, some tree hugger is liable to drive by and call the law on us! LOL We moved out of sight to protect their sensitive emotions. LOL They move out here and want to pretend they are in a subdivision and want everybody to follow their self-made HOA rules, crazy! lol

 

[Triple Willow]

It's a story I've heard so often that it has become less of a stereotype and more of just plain ol' reality.  This is what happens to the country when the city moves into it...they complain of the smells of livestock, the look of livestock pens and coops, the fences that are placed to keep livestock in..and other things OUT, including their dogs. 

They want to feed the deer and other wildlife, which is a big no-no if you want them to stay healthy.  They tend to hate hunters or anyone else who kills their own food or raises animals for food.  They get their own livestock and keep them for pets..the "pets" always seem sick or dying because they simply do not know the first thing about keeping an animal alive and they treat them like humans. 

And they call us "dumb hicks"....that always mystifies me. 

For some reason it has got to where people walk around to the back of our house and knock on the door. I am fixing to put up a gate and a sign telling people to PLEASE USE THE FRONT DOOR. I am afraid that one of these days I am going to walk out my back door and somebody is going to surprise me and ...well that wouldn't be good! LOL If somebody surprises me and scares me I may very well swing if they are within reach. lol Then it will be an "oh crap what have I done?" moment! lol And coming around to the back of the house, they might accidentally see more than they bargained for! hahaha

Times, they are a changin'...

 

[DaveMorey]

I used to live in a place way out in the sticks at the end of a dead end road. I had a log cabin. And the place looked like it had been built in colonial times. My neighbor down the road moved up from NYC and built a giant house that he would invite friends and other city slickers up to vacation at. He used to send them up the road on a "nature walk" and to check out my house. The folks would just walk right into my yard and expect a tour of the place. I started meeting them at the top of my driveway armed to the teeth. After a while folks stopped coming sightseeing at my place. Word must have gotten around that I was some "crazy hick" up there in the woods.