Hi from New Hampshire!

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feathermaid said:
As far as I know, oil is used to treat scaly leg mites, you have to rub it on the legs upwards to get under the scales so the oil suffocates the mites, but I wouldn't put it on their feathers. Lice and some mites live on the chicken, and red mites live in the coop and only come out at night to feed. Luckily, I haven't had the pleasure of dealing with those parasites yet, but I'm prepared!
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From what I have read, the mites we have are the Northern (some word I can't remember) mites... the description was that you could feel them crawling up your arms after handling the chickens, and THAT is how I knew we had mites to begin with. It was my arms the first day, and I immediately washed my arms all the way up to my shoulders with dish soap to relieve it. The next day I was in the coop doing stuff and could feel them on my legs... and then after I put my chicken shoes the next day, as soon as I put them on. Before I even went outside.

I've been washing everything ever since, bathing in coconut oil with Tea Tree oil, Peppermint, Lavendar, Clove Bud Oil mixed in, dousing myself head to toe in Neem Oil (probably not healthy, but I wanted to sleep), spraying vinegar (I read vinegar will kill them, too, and tested on a random spider in my bathroom. Seems acidity will work!) All the bed stuff just got done cooking in the dryer for 2 hours on high.

The ladies do seem a bit happier after the DE application. It apparently helped something. I know the friend who kept my chickens for the week I was getting my ducks in a row had a DE dustbath. Apparently it was preventing him from noticing.

I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow... I intend to win this particular battle.
 
NH Chicken Mama said:
Their dog poops on my property already :lau What's a little poop between neighbors? :gig:gig:gig
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It's one thing to have it in the yard. It's an entirely different matter when it's all over your steps, porch, deck, walkways and driveway.
Not to mention if anyone enjoys landscape plantings or vegetable gardening, they will be quickly decimated if not fenced off from the chickens.
 
DobieLover said:
It's one thing to have it in the yard. It's an entirely different matter when it's all over your steps, porch, deck, walkways and driveway.
Not to mention if anyone enjoys landscape plantings or vegetable gardening, they will be quickly decimated if not fenced off from the chickens.
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Lol I have to reinforce my garden for next year already...

I'm hoping 5 acres for us will do it, and a little direction for them if necessary in the form of portable fenced runs. These designs I have to work out, though, because it's all woods and hilly.

There's about 100 yards between the ladies' coop, and the neighbors' yard, with a stand of woods between, and my veggie garden to distract them, first - I'm hoping 4 (possibly up to 6 next year) won't wreak too much havoc, but I'l keep an eye on the 4 for now to assess!
 
NH Chicken Mama said:
My neighbors have already expressed their love for animals and want to see our chickens in their yard! And are also super excited about our goat plans! Exact words: bring on ALL the animals!
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She has had animals in the past and love them all too. I still keep them from wandering though. I would love mini horses and a goat, but I settled for a husband. I'm thinking I got the raw end of the deal!!!!
 
Mybackyardpeepers said:
She has had animals in the past and love them all too. I still keep them from wandering though. I would love mini horses and a goat, but I settled for a husband. I'm thinking I got the raw end of the deal!!!!
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haha good. Yes, I'm *hoping* that I don't have to do too much corralling. As it stands, they're only straying about 20 ft away from their coop. And they'll return to it, like they realized they had wandered out of their comfort zone. I'm sure that will extend in the future, but it's kind of funny... like the toddler who realizes that you've either gone out of their line of sight or maybe someone got in between them and mommy! :gig

I luckily have a husband who also wants all the animals - he is the dog person, I am a cat person. He wants pigs, I wanted chickens. We both want goats. The oldest child wants a horse, the youngest says that she does, but I tend to think that she is following her sister's lead. Although she does choose to play with our Schleich horses a lot...

Maybe someone would swap a husband for a mini horse? :yesss::lau
 

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