- Thread starter
- #41
Chickie'sMoma :
good luck! she looks like a pretty little mix! has she laid any eggs for you yet?
I've had her less than 24 hours, so no.
I don't think she's old enough, in any case... as mentioned, she has NO comb at all yet, and the feathering looks like it may be her first adult "coat".
good luck! she looks like a pretty little mix! has she laid any eggs for you yet?
I've had her less than 24 hours, so no.
Chickie'sMoma :
if she is willing to let you pick her up and look her over for bugs, try and give her a bath to make sure any bugs are cleaned off. use some dish soap (Dawn is usually mentioned) and some cider vinegar to help wash it out along with warm water, not hot. then towel and blow dry.
She actually seems to like being handled, which is perfect for a first backyard/pet chicken. Very sweet and friendly. I don't see any obvious lice, although the dark feathering could be hiding a few. (Cassie, my pigeon, was CRAWLING with feather lice when found, but s/he is pure white, which made them really easy to spot!) Thanks for the bathing tips! We're having a sunny day and unseasonably warm weather, so I may go ahead and give her a real bath this afternoon.
if she is willing to let you pick her up and look her over for bugs, try and give her a bath to make sure any bugs are cleaned off. use some dish soap (Dawn is usually mentioned) and some cider vinegar to help wash it out along with warm water, not hot. then towel and blow dry.
She actually seems to like being handled, which is perfect for a first backyard/pet chicken. Very sweet and friendly. I don't see any obvious lice, although the dark feathering could be hiding a few. (Cassie, my pigeon, was CRAWLING with feather lice when found, but s/he is pure white, which made them really easy to spot!) Thanks for the bathing tips! We're having a sunny day and unseasonably warm weather, so I may go ahead and give her a real bath this afternoon.
Chickie'sMoma :
i make a poultry spray using some good, high proof rum and some Bay essential oil and some other good bug repellent type of oils. this makes a sort of Bay Rum alcohol spray that helps to keep the lice off them and will help keep the mites from taking over their feathers (won't fully kill the mites-just keeps them maintained). i put it in a small spray bottle that has an atomizer spritz top to sort of mist the vent, under the wings, near the crook of the legs, and over their back. since she has a beard and muff you might want to check for the mites in there too.
eta: i only use this once a week to every other week on my birds.
I have a bottle like that for Cassie - it came with "ionized" water in it, I just refill it with tap (we're on well water so no worries about additives) as needed. I like the idea of making an essential oils mix, though. I do have some commercial lice spray that quickly cleared up Cassie's infestation, but would want to double-check that the active ingredients are safe for chickens.
i make a poultry spray using some good, high proof rum and some Bay essential oil and some other good bug repellent type of oils. this makes a sort of Bay Rum alcohol spray that helps to keep the lice off them and will help keep the mites from taking over their feathers (won't fully kill the mites-just keeps them maintained). i put it in a small spray bottle that has an atomizer spritz top to sort of mist the vent, under the wings, near the crook of the legs, and over their back. since she has a beard and muff you might want to check for the mites in there too.
eta: i only use this once a week to every other week on my birds.
I have a bottle like that for Cassie - it came with "ionized" water in it, I just refill it with tap (we're on well water so no worries about additives) as needed. I like the idea of making an essential oils mix, though. I do have some commercial lice spray that quickly cleared up Cassie's infestation, but would want to double-check that the active ingredients are safe for chickens.
