Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

My mealworms...
I raise mealworms. Well, I moved them into the little's old coop. There are lots of tasty things inside my mealworms tanks. Today, I went to feed them. And there were a TON of ants. I am very sad. I had a couple colonies that I caught just in time, along with one I sifted out. The others have to be sifted tomorrow. It was really gross. The chickens may get a bonus, as I don't think I'll be able to save all those worms, so I'd feel better if the chooks got them. Ants are a really big problem here.

 

[BY Bob]

Here's the funny thing you have all been waiting for.
I really hope this thread wins because this is a very funny thread and here's who I'd like to thank:
Release the Kellies!
Looks like the two Kellies want to go outside.
View attachment 3642889
Yes, you deserve all the freedom in the world.
View attachment 3642890
And there they go.
View attachment 3642891
Grandma does not want to be a Kelly.
View attachment 3642892
At least she got out. Does she still deserve the Kelly title?
View attachment 3642893

I love when I release them and they run off excited.

 

[notabitail]

Grab her while roosting. I do all my worming etc while they are roosted if possible.

Worm them? Won't they just come up and grab the worm from your hand? Mine do.
(Okay, okay. I know what you mean.)

 

[BY Bob]

I don’t know the dosage, sorry, I would be searching BYC for it.

Can you tell me how you’re thinking of worming if there’s nobody ill with an overload of worms? Or is there somebody ill? I don’t mean to start a fight, and on one hand I sort of understand the theory of worming on some schedule, in that it is done as a precautionary measure. I’ve noticed with small flock owners, horse folks want to do it, I assume because of the experience with horses? Is the theory with chickens that it reduces the available cysts on the ground?

With chickens, I’ve heard (reiterated by the vets Butters and Popcorn saw), they can carry a low load of worms all the time, without ever an overload and illness developing. That it’s usually some circumstance of stress or other that allows the worm fauna to get out of control in an individual bird, and then one would treat. So on this hand it seems like one is cleaning out the gutters on a set schedule even though chickens’ “gutters”may never need cleaning (yes I was working on the coop gutter today). And chickens would likely pick up some worm cysts again as soon as they’re out in the yard, and be back to carrying a low load.

I lean towards not doing it unless someone gets sick, but I know others on here do it periodically.

I only do it when they have symptoms and I can document their presence via testing.

My vet however believes in regular worming.

To me, because worms can develop resistance to anti-worm drugs, I believe we should restrict their use to when they are actually needed.

Regular worming seems to be something left over from large poultry farms.

 

[BY Bob]

Heyyy! I’ve started understanding what we are doing. My grade is slowly going up.
I have a unit test on Monday however, and I’m not happy. (Sorry for sneaking again.) I’ve still not buried Madame. It’s a little weird having a Guinea hen in my freezer…

 

[BY Bob]

Gone the next morning

Still, it is frightening. Winter is coming.

 

[BY Bob]

Worm them? Won't they just come up and grab the worm from your hand? Mine do.
(Okay, okay. I know what you mean.)

I saw what you did there.

 

[BY Bob]

My mealworms...
I raise mealworms. Well, I moved them into the little's old coop. There are lots of tasty things inside my mealworms tanks. Today, I went to feed them. And there were a TON of ants. I am very sad. I had a couple colonies that I caught just in time, along with one I sifted out. The others have to be sifted tomorrow. It was really gross. The chickens may get a bonus, as I don't think I'll be able to save all those worms, so I'd feel better if the chooks got them. Ants are a really big problem here.

That's awful. I'm so sorry that happened to you.

 

[notabitail]

That's awful. I'm so sorry that happened to you.

Thank you. I need that Aurora to come and terrify those ants. There's no way they'll stay under her penetrating glare.
I feel bad for the worms as it's not a swift chicken taking care of them.

 

[notabitail]

I saw what you did there.

They should make the wormer in the shape of a mealworm.