Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[lbrykowski2011]

Where do u get wood ash? That sounds more natural than sevin. I've seen poultry dust at our grainery also, is that better? If i dust the whole flock, what about the eggs? My biggest 2 wks of baking coming up

I use food grade DE around and in their run once a wk and sprinkle a lil in their nesting boxes, is there anything else I can do to prevent this from happening? Thanks again

 

[Elliemae 77]

Good Morning all. Quick question. I'm getting ready to sell one of my english chocolate orpington hens. I'd love to sell her local, but I don't know if there is any interest in the breed around here. Anyway, if I do have to ship her, where do I get the shipping boxes from?

 

[taprock]

Tap, glad you found a hedgehog for Von.  If you need temporary housing just let me know, one more animal around here is nothing.

Thanks, I'll keep it in mind. He seems a quiet little guy, and I have a spot that I think I will not be noticed. I'm thinking I may need to work with him over the next week+ because I don't think he was handled much.

Can you tell me a little about hedgehogs? That is a pet I have never had. I think they are so cute but don't really know much about them.

We have never owned one before but have done lots of research on them before considering. Factors we liked: small, eat small amount, little fur, unique and nocturnal. My son wants something to "watch over him" at night. They live an average of 5 years. Up here in the far north they are ridiculously priced but gr or Detroit area they are more reasonable.

Where do u get wood ash?

Find someone who burns wood and have them save it for you. I have a standing order with my dad to save his. Mites are hard to get rid of this time of year. I HATE mites! I honestly don't know what I did that finally got rid of them in my flock. I had been battling with them for months last year and then they were just gone and I didn't do anything different, it was weird.

 

[1muttsfan]

Neither wood ash nor DE will eliminate mites.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

got my hay in the coop, switched to the deep rubber dishes; i don't like the compressed hay as much but i needed it asap since one of my best hens was getting chilled. (ruffled, not sick but not moving even for corn) Boy what a difference! At least 10 degrees warmer in there this morn and everyone was happy and moving around.



Lost one of my leather gloves in there doing it though. I need another pair and they are pricey; i can't say enough about how much better they are on the hands though when handling the water in the cold. No good at all to have wet fingers! The leathers keep that from happening, and let me spend much more time out there with them than i would otherwise.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

sorry, in a hurry this morning. I copied this from my notes for the lice/ mite issue. Since it's winter i'd do the ivomec or the frontline, since you only need to drip it on the neck and it won't require getting them wet.


Worms and Lice!
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disparas.htm
Lice
http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=472405
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/465712/frontline

Worms
http://healthybirds.umd.edu/Disease/Deworming Birds.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=576036&p=1
GAPEWORM - to check to be sure they have it, hold them in your lap, and take a Q-tip - open their mouth, then gently and slowly push the q-tip back into the back of their mouth, whle rotating it. Do the same when bringing it back out. If they have gapes, you'll see them on the q-tip (they are very small/thin and appear to have TWO heads).

Leg Mites,
easiest is to get "red cote spray", works in a jiffy.

 

[SillyChicken]

Good Morning all. Quick question. I'm getting ready to sell one of my english chocolate orpington hens. I'd love to sell her local, but I don't know if there is any interest in the breed around here. Anyway, if I do have to ship her, where do I get the shipping boxes from?

try looking at the USPS website..

http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c5_007.htm#ep198129

9.3 Live Animals

9.3.1 Prohibition on Animals Intended for Use in an Animal Fighting Venture

An animal is nonmailable if such animal is being mailed for the purpose of having it participate in an animal fighting venture (7 U.S.C. 2156). This standard applies regardless of whether such venture is permitted under the laws of the state in which it is conducted. Violators can be subject to the criminal penalties in 18 U.S.C. 49. See 12.20 for the prohibition on mailing sharp instruments intended for use in an animal fighting venture and 13.5.7 for restrictions on mailing written, printed, or graphic matter related to animal fighting ventures. For this standard:
a. the term animal means any live bird, or any live mammal (e.g., dog), except human;
b. the term animal fighting venture means any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment (excluding any activity whose primary purpose involves using one or more animals in hunting other animals); and
c. the term state means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any U.S. territory or possession.
9.3.2 Day-Old Poultry

Day-old poultry vaccinated with Newcastle disease (live virus) is nonmailable. Live day-old chickens, ducks, emus, geese, guinea fowl, partridges, pheasants (pheasants may be mailed only from April through August), quail, and turkeys are acceptable in the mail only if:
a. They are not more than 24 hours old and are presented for mailing in the original unopened hatchery box from the hatchery of origin.
b. The date and hour of hatching is noted on the box by a representative of the hatchery who has personal knowledge thereof. (For COD shipments made by a hatchery for the account of others, the name or initials and address of the hatchery or the Post Office box number and address of the hatchery must be prominently shown for this standard.)
c. The box is properly ventilated, of proper construction and strength to bear safe transmission in the mail, and not stacked more than 10 units high.
d. They are mailed early enough in the week to avoid receipt at the office of address, in case of missed connections, on a Sunday, on a national holiday, or on the afternoon before a Sunday or holiday.
e. They can be delivered to the addressee within 72 hours of the time of hatching, whether the addressee resides in town or on a rural route or highway contract route.
f. The shipment bears special handling postage in addition to regular postage, unless sent at the First-Class Mail or Priority Mail prices.
g. When live, day-old poultry is to be transported by aircraft, all provisions of the airline tariffs are met and air carriers have equipment available to safely deliver shipments within the specified time limits, allowing for delays en route in air and ground transportation.
h. Day-old poultry, originally shipped by air express or air cargo and then presented for mailing, must be in good condition and prepared as specified in 9.3.2a. through 9.3.2e.
i. Boxes of day-old poultry of about identical size, securely fastened together to prevent separation in transit, may be accepted for mailing as a single parcel, if such parcel is not more than 100 inches in length and girth combined.


9.3.4 Adult Birds

[9-3-13] Disease-free adult birds, weighing no more than 25 pounds, may be mailed domestically. Mailers must comply with all applicable governmental laws and regulations, including the Lacey Act, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and any state, municipal or local ordinances. Mailings must also be compliant with the guidelines provided in USPS Publication 14, Prohibitions and Restrictions on Mailing Animals, Plants, and Related Matter, Chapter 5. In addition, each container or package must be marked as required by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under 50 CFR 14. Adult birds are mailable as follows:
a. The mailer must send adult birds by Priority Mail Express in secure containers approved by the manager, Product Classification (see 608.8.0 for address).

608.8.0 Address: Product Classification (formerly Mailing Standards)
US Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plz SW Rm 4446
Washington DC 20260-5015​

b. The number of birds per parcel must follow the container manufacturer limits and each bird must weigh more than 6 ounces.
c. A mailing container must be used that is constructed by a USPS-approved manufacturer listed on the RIBBS website at http://ribbs.usps.gov.
d. Indemnity may be paid only for articles that are lost, damaged, or missing contents, and not for death of the birds in transit if there is no visible damage to the mailing container.
e. Postage refunds may not be available if the Priority Mail Express shipment was delivered or delivery was attempted within three days of the date of mailing as shown in the “Date In” box on Label 11.
3.5Adult Chickens

[9-4-03] Adult chickens must be sent by Express Mail. The Express Mail containers used must pass the standards in International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) Test Procedure 1A (detailed in Publication 2, Packaging for Mailing); be designed to remain intact during normal handling; be constructed to totally confine the chickens; contain shavings or other material to prevent damage to the bottom of the container; and be ventilated properly to ensure humane treatment in transit. The number of birds in each parcel must not exceed the container manufacturer’s limit. Under the applicable standards, indemnity may be paid only for loss, damage, or rifling, and not for death of the chickens in transit if there is no visible damage to the container. The mailing of chickens for animal fighting purposes is prohibited under 3.1.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

After reading all of that, I really have to relook at birds, don't know if it's mites or lice. The 2nd article says lice is more prevalent in the cold temps and mites in warmer temps. Seems like same treatment though. My neighbor has a wood burner and said I could help myself to the ash. Seems easiest thing to do as a preventative(not a treatment) is put the ash with a lil DE and some sand in a kitty litter box for winter dust bathing. Easy enough, thanks for all the help, DH will be here soon and off to the grainery for sevin.

 

[Opa]

Mite infestation can be a serious problem for your flock. The most common are red mites, Northern Fowl mites, and scaly leg mites.







Since mites feed at night, the best time to check your birds is after they have be on the roost for awhile. Look at the base of feathers for scabbing or blackened feather shafts or clustering of mites at base of feathers.
a
While wood ash and diatomaceous can help with minor infestations of red mites. Scaly legs mites are killed by heavily spraying legs with mineral oil. The oil suffocates them and you will need to reapply for several days until the affected bird's scales have laid back down again the leg However, northern fowl mites need a much stronger treatment with permethin.

 

[SillyChicken]

Lice eggs on feathers


bird lice - elongated and fast moving