Maine

[buckabucka]

I bought one of those head lamps with the red light option and I really like it for chicken chores in the dark. Previously, I had colored layers of plastic wrap with red permanent marker and taped it over the white bulb. It actually worked ok, but didn't last.

Today was our slowest egg day of the entire winter: 2 eggs! 53 hens, and 18 of those are pullets. I don't know if last week's frigid weather had a delayed effect, or what, but we had two slow days in a row, which is pretty unusual here.

 

[quailtrail]

Love the red light idea!!!! I'm hoping with one clean the others will be too!!!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Love the red light idea!!!! I'm hoping with one clean the others will be too!!!

Are you saying you're only treating one bird? If one has mites, the others do too. Gotta treat them all.

 

[anyasmifya]

Is it OK to use "pet friendly" salt around chickens, outside in their run? I got some Blizzard Wizzard today at Lowes and it says it's safe to use around pets, but I want to ask before I do. Thanks!

idk. i wouldn't want my chickens to eat it! "pet friendly" probably means ok for dogs and cats to walk on it and lick a bit off of their paws. chickens just might think it's grit or treats and eat too much of it. or drink it in melted puddles. i used some hay for traction around the coop and run.

 

[CoopChick719]

On the mite issue, I've read 1 type is pretty cold hardy so heat & steam works well to clean your coop...not your birds...that wouldn't be pretty! I usually take them off the roost at night w/a helper. DH holds, I put the drops on. I wear a headlamp or hold a small flashlight in my mouth. I also have 2 small solar lights in the coop-- the really cheap stake ones that give off enough light for me to see where I'm walking and who's next on the roost. I put them at floor level each night & stick them in the window or through the pen wire each a.m.

SCG--I'm happy to hear you say that about the eggs. It's been a hot topic in our house. I certainly wouldn't sell any eggs after meds but have eaten them after Frontline with no effects. After worming have given the first few days worth to the dogs then eaten the rest. I did read 1 of the wormers could bother people who are allergic to penicillin so we did feed those ones to the dogs. My sister feeds her dog a special diet with eggs so she got a lot of them too.

 

[lazy gardener]

Dumb question of the week: I only have one girl laying every other day now, but this week am seeing a bit more red in some faces, and their molts are finished for the most part, so the eggs may start up. One of the EE had a habit of climbing in the box to cuddle with the other girl's egg(s). Today was the first day I've seen her do that since she stopped laying in Mid Nov. When I reached in to check for the egg, she was a bit testy with me. She's never done that before! Is there any possibility for a pullet/hen to go broody even though she has yet to start laying again? I know that even if she were to go broody, it would take a while to see how serious she is, but has any one had a chicken actually go broody who's not yet laying???? Even if she were to go broody, I doubt that I'd let her hatch in this nasty weather.

 

[MEMama3]

Well, it turns out I won't be snowblowing the run for the chickens anymore this winter. In fact, I won't be going out there at all. With all that rain we got, my gate is in 1" of solid ice. Bugger!

 

[Cknldy]

Hammer time! Lol, couldn't help it had to say it. I think I'd gently bang around the latches and hinges until the ice gets small enough to break. Or enlist a helper with one of those small bottle torches. My kids laugh at me when the latches are frozen (I use 2 spring latches per door) because I have to get down on my knees to breathe on the lower latches so they'll open. Hey, at least the coveralls keep me dry and warm

 

[MEMama3]

Hammer time! Lol, couldn't help it had to say it. I think I'd gently bang around the latches and hinges until the ice gets small enough to break. Or enlist a helper with one of those small bottle torches. My kids laugh at me when the latches are frozen (I use 2 spring latches per door) because I have to get down on my knees to breathe on the lower latches so they'll open. Hey, at least the coveralls keep me dry and warm

sadly it's not the hinges. The whole bottom was sitting in a rain pond. I like the torch idea, but I don't think the hubby would appreciate me playing with fire right near the dry cedar fence and gate. This is seriously 1" of SOLID ice and I'd have to do the whole area where the gate opens into too.

 

[lazy gardener]

Luckily it's supposed to warm up this weekend. Do you think it'll be enough to thaw things out for you, perhaps with generous addition of Calcium Chloride... or would that be a no-no around poultry? when I get around to building my portable gait, it's going to have a 1' solid piece at grade level with the gate opening above that to prevent the freezing issue and also to deter chickens from making such an easy exit when ever it's opened.