INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[SallyinIndiana]

we use generic frontline on our birds, cats, and goats. It works well. I think there is one kind out there that says not for cats so I have to check and make sure every time i get some that I get the kind that can be used on dogs but also has the same ingredients as the cat one. The over 100 pound dog package that was mentioned above is the cheapest way to get the most frontline. Another thing to consider is timing of the purchase, the stuff is much cheaper come October - January.

 

[iamfivewire]

new diggs for the spoiled chickies:

 

[iamfivewire]

7'0" × 15'6"
spent 6+ hours scraping out "stuff" & then a good powerwashing (& then with bleach) . a couple more sterilizing procedures to go .
eventually we'll add a wall in the middle & have areas for 2 different flock groups

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I have decided to start setting eggs for fall chicks, so that I will have started pullets in the spring. Does anyone else do this. I read a really good article about it in Chickens magazine and it sounds like a great idea.

Its kinda rough unless you have a coop, extra devoted to them. Think of them as grown when you plan, in other words. Building a new coop in january is not a fun job and its not a good change for teenage birds from a brooder. I do it pretty much every year, and it sure helps my winter egg supply.

Quote: Ohh yes! I feed hummingbirds, and love to watch them. They become very familiar to the pet humans they have

I have admired and tried to encourage the monarchs since I was a little kid.

Quote: Pigs can be pretty easy but in rainy nasty weather, ugh.. you are probably going to get muddy. They will run up to greet you, and are excited to see you~ splashing mud all over you as well. It takes a person prepared ahead of time to "pig sit". Not for everyone. They don't "stink" if kept on fermented food like normal feedlot raised hogs do. Ideal hog keeping is concrete and also a really expensive setup. Since I plan to continue keeping and breeding, best case is nipple waterers and a platform area for feeding. (someday..) The larger the pasture, the cleaner the pigs will stay. Big hogs want mud because pigs cant sweat, and they are strong enough to dump a very large water tank to make it. trust me

I was raising pairs the last few times, and watched my 2 latest hogs work together and dump a 60 gallon water tank. Now, I give my guys a quick misting a couple times a day, and they love it. Winter is no problem, they leave the tank alone. That's my only complaint, they are otherwise awesome to keep and really fun, playful and friendly.. Not everyone will feel comfortable with that large an animal rubbing against your leg, however! Some of the sounds they make are intimidating also, if you don't know what they mean. Happy pigs whimper, frustrated pigs will whine, squeal and growl. A woofaa woofa sound is not good, he is mad or frightened... even large hogs can be startled.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

new diggs for the spoiled chickies:

7'0" × 15'6"
spent 6+ hours scraping out "stuff" & then a good powerwashing (& then with bleach) . a couple more sterilizing procedures to go .
eventually we'll add a wall in the middle & have areas for 2 different flock groups

Wow its gorgeous, love the barn colors! Thats going to make an awesome coop with plenty of light.

 

[kittydoc]

Polish breeders use the spray version to control crest mites, which are common in Polish and some other crested breeds. Those with large flocks actually spray small amounts on the skin at the base of the skull and at the vent. Those of us with smaller flocks mostly spray out a small amount into a little container, such as a shot glass, and pull it up with the syringe, then continue as Kittydoc suggests. I don't trust my spraying ability! This seems to be the only product that really works on crest mites.

Good to know! I didn't realize they were prone to mites in their crests because I don't have any crested breeds. I agree that using a syringe would be safer. I would not want to get any foreign chemical in a chicken's eyes! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Weirdest hatch ever on my Silver Appleyard eggs. I decided to leave the eggs go, and let nature decide if they hatch. Will still assist if they are stuck, of course but humidity is holding very well. Another one is pipped, so will check in the morning. I noticed yesterday when I candled that one of the ducklings still clearly had yolk to absorb, so I am guessing that's part of why? I need to message the breeder and ask if he has ever had that experience with this at hatch. They were set 7/14 and most duck eggs are 25-28 day incubation. I will wait a few days and candle again, ugh. I set eggs once a week, its strange that the hatch is staggered.
The ducklings are unusual, very quiet and docile. Looks like a pair so far, the autosexing isn't 100% but they are clearly different colors. Will post pics soon.

 

[kittydoc]

Quote:
I think the "not for cats" has to do with people trying to "guess" at how much dog stuff to use on a cat. The cat product has EXACTLY the same amount of fipronil and methoprene as the Frontline Plus for dogs. It's just easy to overdo it on cats if you (a) have no idea what you're really doing (which the average bear doesn't), and (b) since you don't know how many "drops" are in the dog size you have, you really don't know how many drops to put on a cat unless your veterinarian has told you, and (c) it's easy to overdo the drops since you have to squeeze to get it out of their little plastic receptacles.

It IS okay to use on cats (Frontline Plus and equivalents). The label dose for cats and kittens OVER 8 weeks old is 0.50 (half) a milliliter or centiliter (CC) every 4 weeks. If you have the little tuberculin, 1 cc syringes, that usually come with a 25 gauge needle, fill to the 0.5 ml/cc point and apply all of it at the back of the neck directly on the skin, after parting the coat (a bit higher than where the shoulder blades start). You don't have to spread it out in multiple spots for kitties. If you have kittens that are underweight, sick, or less than 8 weeks old, and they really need it, use one drop per pound. I generally tell people NOT to use it on kittens less than 3-4 pounds (use a permethrin shampoo instead). If the kitten is 3-4 pounds use half as much (0.25 ml) and save the rest to repeat in 4 weeks. After that, they should be big enough for a full dose if healthy. A heavy flea infestation can kill a kitten (less likely with a puppy, but can happen with them as well if it's a toy/small breed). An overdose of any pesticide can make an animal sick. Also, if the cat gets a mouthful of fipronil, it will foam at the mouth like crazy because it apparently tastes really nasty. Don't apply it to multiple cats at once--lock one up at a time until it dries in about an hour or two. It usually is not harmful when ingested by an adult cat, but you need to watch them for the day if it happens (happened to me the very first time I used it, right after it came out, and I had to call their customer service line!). I had a cat that could spin her head around almost backwards, and I saw her licking it. She turned out fine, but she was a healthy, good sized cat. I kept wiping her mouth for a good 20 minutes before she stopped salivating.

Hope this helps those of you (many) who also have kitties. You just have to be careful! Also, if you have a really fat cat, I'd add a bit more. If your cat is a 15 pounder or heavier, you might consider adding an extra tenth or two of a cc (total 0.6-0.7 ml). A 20 pounder might need close to a full cc (0.8-ish). There is probably a weight range on the back of the box (I don't recall offhand since I'm retired). Check the back of a cat box to see how much 0.5 cc is intended to treat. Unfortunately, the online stores don't often show images of the back of the box.

Also, if you are going to bathe a cat, do it at least 2 days before or 2 days after applying Frontline or you'll strip off too much of the skin fats that help distribute it.

 

[kittydoc]

Being able to leave the farm overnight has become a problem for us. The chickens aren't even the bigger problem as we have several friends (including some on here) that live close enough to stop by to feed and water. Our dogs are the bigger issue because my spouse insists on no kennels, so we need someone that can stay the night. Plus it's nice to know someone is there if anything goes wrong with the house. All our local nieces and nephews are now off to college or older and we lost our built in slaves help. We have a very few friends that can dog sit, except they tend to take vacations the same time we do (or would like to). It really is something people need to consider before they decide they want a farm. We were going to get a pig this year, but I have no idea how we could get someone to care for the farm if we added that to the list of things we need done. If you have someone who can do that for you, treat them like gold!

We let milkweed grow and flower on the property edges. Saw our first monarch this year!

What a great idea. May have to try this if I find some eggs. What time of year should you start looking?

Thank you for this. I've had to fight mites and lice on and off for the last couple of years. I get rid of them (lots of spraying and dusting, ugh) and they are gone for a year or a couple months, then there they are again. We get a lot of wild birds around the barn and pens. I have a feeling that is where the re-infections come from. I'm definitely going to try frontline next time.

I also wonder whether wild birds pick them up and take them around with them. Poultry lice could hop on then hop off onto other birds, I suppose. Definitely mites because I don't think they are as picky (won't swear to it though). We have fewer wild birds since we have put up poultry netting, but we do get sparrows coming to grab a snack since the netting does not cover every square inch of space (vertical and horizontal), plus we used a cheaper 2" netting. We are going to add a section to the small area that isn't covered, even though none of those birds had poultry lice at all (they are younger birds, too).

 

[kittydoc]

@Indyshent I totally agree with @jchny2000 that you should get your mole checked out ASAP. Melanoma can kill you. My sister was fortunate to have caught her own at Stage 0 (I didn't know there was a Stage 0) but she's a physician. She had to get a blood test for a cancer marker done every 6 months for a while then every year, after it was removed and left a pretty ugly scar. I am pretty sure her 5 years are up, but she is now a believer in high SPF products.

I get a full skin check from a dermatologist every year because I have pale, freckly, rapidly reddening skin just like my sister. It's better to have it removed and find out it was just "dysplastic" rather than full-blown melanoma. I have had dysplastic moles and so did my sister before one finally turned into melanoma.

It is a terrible way to die. Please don't wait too long. If you tell them how weird and discolored it is, a dermatologist WILL get you in ASAP. Here's hoping it's nothing, but I also hope you act on it seriously. We all care about each other (well most of care about most of the others, anyway! LOL!), so please please please take care of yourself.