INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

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I find my free ranging flock eating wild birds.. This is mostly the excess roosters. They catch them and will kill them, and that's one of the main reasons I watch close for worms also. Until the tree fell and smashed my secure run and coop roof, We didn't have issues with wild birds or predators. I haven't seen lice on the birds yet this year, but had problems with my older wyandotte rooster last year, he wouldn't dust bathe like the rest. He felt it was more important to stand guard, lol. They have a truck cap that stays dusty-dry year around they bathe under, and I add sevin dust to the dirt every week.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

So guys.. CHICKENFEST?
Its almost fall. As promised I am opening it for discussion. Do we try to plan an event, or wait to see what happens with AI? We have some funds accumulated by our shirt fundraising sales. It can be as simple as just getting together a few hours, or having games, speakers.. lets think about it. Indiana board of animal health's Dr Lossie offered come to have Q and A. Prior discussion was egg swaps but no live birds. From what I recently saw, many poultry exhibitions are now being planned. Lets post our thoughts.

 

[browncow15]

II 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.

I think @SallyinIndiana might have been referring to flea medications other than Frontline. I don't know if you can get some of the other brands over the counter or in generics now, they were prescription only when I was in practice. Using Advantix instead of Advantage on a cat will cause a toxic reaction! and most likely kill your kitty. Both of those flea medications have different active ingredients than Frontline so if you are buying generics make sure you know what ingredient(s) you are looking for.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
Yes, every time I go to order new doses, I first look at the ingredients in the cat name brand frontline plus. I write those down and the % active too. Then I match them up to the dog generic 89 - 132 pound flea control. The one I did NOT get last time was called Max instead of plus. I can't say for sure that it would have hurt the cat but I feel safer if the active ingredients match the kitty frontline plus.

 

[Indyshent]

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.

The chocolate muscovy is still broody (and mad at me), but nothing she's laid has developed. About a dozen eggs, and every last one infertile, from the look of things. I don't think she's going to let me stick live chicks under her, but I might have luck with other eggs. Not sure if she would notice different eggs and cast them out though.

Regarding Appleyards, I hadn't known they were autosexing. Why aren't they more popular then? They seem like really pretty dual-purpose duckies

 

[jenaman]

Happy Friday everyone!! To insulate or not to insulate the coop? I have received lots of free 3/4" foam board insulation that will be in between finished plywood so it would not be exposed. I have tons of windows to put in the coop so there will be plenty of ventation so it would not be too hot in the summer. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Broody muscovy will take eggs, but not chicken chicks in my experience. Some of my girls hatched mutt chicks, and they were running around the yard looking for a mommy! Some of my girls snuck eggs in the scovy nests. I have also had scovys adopt goslings and other ducklings.

I asked the breeder about the autosexing, he said about 5% females may be darker so they are not 100% accurate. To me thats fine, just as good as hatchery sexing, or better! 2 more finally pipped today, will post pics once all are hatched.

Happy Friday everyone!! To insulate or not to insulate the coop? I have received lots of free 3/4" foam board insulation that will be in between finished plywood so it would not be exposed. I have tons of windows to put in the coop so there will be plenty of ventilation so it would not be too hot in the summer. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Happy friday to you!! Yep I would if its free. Be sure that you still have ventilation at the roof line however. I drilled holes under the eaves of my shed and at the peak so they had good air flow. Too much moisture/ammonia buildup can bring on respiratory issues.

 

[Madison1]

LOOKING FOR 1-3 NEW HAMPSHIRE ROOSTERS

Hi it's my first time posting to the indiana group! I'm located in southeast indiana and lost all three of my NH Roos to a predator. Hope to find a couple close by. Will need to be breeding age by January

Thanks!

 

[Mother2Hens]

Hello everyone! I have been dealing with family illness and a family member's surgery, but everyone is fine now! I resisted looking at our thread while I caught up on my work. I was so behind with my graphic design work, and I knew better than to even take a peek at what's been going on with our thread. I've hated missing out, though!

Hope everyone and their chickens/animals have been doing well! My nine hens have had a good summer despite some intensely hot and humid days. Bonbon and her "baby" Screech (who is almost a year old and who originated from one of @ellymayRans 's magic hatching eggs) are still sleeping in their own little coop. Last week, I was surprised to see them sleeping in a nesting box in the big coop. They spent one other night before deciding that they preferred the peace and quiet of their little coop. Much less drama!

 

[kittydoc]

I think @SallyinIndiana might have been referring to flea medications other than Frontline. I don't know if you can get some of the other brands over the counter or in generics now, they were prescription only when I was in practice. Using Advantix instead of Advantage on a cat will cause a toxic reaction! and most likely kill your kitty. Both of those flea medications have different active ingredients than Frontline so if you are buying generics make sure you know what ingredient(s) you are looking for.

You are correct about Advantix being a no-no for cats, but I was talking only about Frontline and other products containing fipronil with or without methoprene. I used to see occasional bad reactions, and heard of deaths, even in cats and kittens given the correct Advantage product labeled for them. I don't recommend Advantage for cats and to my knowledge there is no off-label use of it in poultry either.

All the dog topicals, regardless of brand, say not to use them in cats. I was just trying to clarify that for Frontline and Frontline Plus and their generics, you can if you carefully alter the dose. I think there is a third version of Frontline that, like Advantix, may not be safe for cats at all.