Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

No snow here, thank goodness! It is cold and windy, though. The ticks are out. I found one on myself this afternoon and one on my youngest son this morning. What are the best fowl for eating ticks and other small bugs? The perimeter of our land is all wooded . . . I have three boys (well, four if you count my DH) and I can't keep them out of the woods!

Get yourself some GUINEAS! They are tick lovers!

I had flurries here while I was doing chores in the early evening. Froze my butt too! I won't lie and say it froze off though.

Ralphie, I think the trick would be to put the bird in a cage with a pan they must stand it with warm water and soak the sugar off. I did apply a runny version of the mix on my one Buckeye rooster's feet tonight. He seemed happy to have fresh wraps on his feet and the ladies in his pen all came running to check out his new boots. They are hot pink. I need to make sure I am on top of changing his dressing more and get it all the way healed. It is hard to do with the gravely soil I have in the yard and in the runs at present. I am going to be using sand once I can scrape all the runs down though.

 

[duluthralphie]

Bird in a cage???

NO NO NO..

Bert lives in the bathroom, we soak his foot in the bathroom sink, that way he can stare at himself in the mirror...

He seems in better spirits, but that could be because of his room service and private room.


How many days beyond 21 should I wait with my eggs? I broke 4 open tonight.

2 never started, 1 started but only went a few days, the other was about halfway the halfway one had the air sac on the side.

I do not have a good feeling about any of the CL eggs...

 

[nordicacres]

Thanks, Minnie. How many Guinea Fowl would one need for 6.5 acres?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I grow mint for MOJITOS ! It's my go to summer refreshment! I also laced a Broodies nest with it last spring as a pest repellent because she was brooding 5 weeks total for me. Two weeks to decide if she'd stay broody and get eggs and 21 days after they were set. What a trooper. I liked putting it in there-- I think the Mosquitos left her alone a bit more also with the mint in there.

I love the sounds of that sugar cast Ralphie. Raw honey also is an effective antibiotic I've heard. Must work much like the sugar and maybe easier to get off. Some larger poultry operations are working with the oregano oils I've heard with success. I've heard also pro pen g syringed locally right into the foot also.
During Roger's first winter he froze his wattles and comb so bad his wattles swelled to the point that his beak couldn't close. I hand fed and got water in him for a week. We brought him in the house for one night. I still remember it was -25 F that night and at 3:30 Rog started crowing in the kennel in the kitchen. In bed My husband says in his best French, "get that "frenching" rooster back down to the coop before he's a game day bucket." I laughed and still remember Roger and my frigid little stroll back out to the coop -- full moon on white snow lighting the way. I wedged him between 2 of my fluffiest hens on the highest roost for the night and I swear I saw that roosters shoulders relax as tucked him back into his coop. Lol lesson learned housing a rooster.

AmericanKraut I'm so excited to see you with those CCLs.

Nordic I'm loving that coop interior! Please share some exterior pics when you get a chance. Beautiful!!! I might steal your two tone idea!

I have a friend who's just started to get me into essential oils. They are very interesting. I love peppermint and valor. And I just learned Thieves was created during the great plague by grave robbers. They'd spray it on themselves then go into infectious graveyards. I guess it works. ( thieves story was my one thing I learned Last Saturday!)

Bit of sad news. The creamette- Ito we assisted a week ago passed away Saturday night. Just wasn't meant to be for that wee one I guess. She still has the other who pipped, zipped and hatched like a pro. That bird is going strong.

Blackhead does exist in MN. I had a chicken get it. I won't be able to raise turkey's here. We have low damp swampy areas and my birds eat a lot of earthworms. I wish they wouldn't but they do. Sigh... If we have turkey this thanksgiving I'm guessing it will be a tough wild one that DH or my son shoots here in a couple weeks or I'll be spending $85 for a bird. - not!
Bums me out.

Regarding chicken harnesses and leashes.
NO! This is not the California thread. ROFL.

 

[AmericanKraut]

Regarding chicken harnesses and leashes.
NO! This is not the California thread. ROFL.

 

[AmericanKraut]

I'm so sorry about the creamette @Bogtown Chick I hope all goes well with the other

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Thanks @AmericanKraut my friend has them and she does a great job with her birds. Just a flukey thing. She's been keeping me informed on their progress though as I gave them to her.

 

[Cearbhael]

H

LOL, really??

Hey, never know when some city chicken may want to go for a walk! Harness and small dog lead and you're all set ;o)

 

[Rhetts]

Yes, the snow does put a damper on the hummingbird migration doesn't it. We had to fire up the stove today too. I thought we might have been done for the year. Wishful thinking on my part. But it is stinking cold out 32 right now. What a bummer!
Here is the map I was using but only because it was the first one that popped up in my search a few years ago http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

I was wondering when the ticks were coming. Thanks for the heads up on that!

 

[Dandelioness]

Ralphie, hope Berts recovery continues. I'm really rooting for some little toads! Your DW is amazing, very nice wrapping.

Nordic - We have had 4-6 guineas at a time. Between them and the chickens, the tick population on 3 of our 20 is extremely low. When the kids venture out further, I check them right away, though.

I've raised my guineas with chickens, so they roost with the chickens & come home every night. But I am considering a guinea gulag of my own to expand my guinea flock & let them go semi-feral on the land. (So they don't bother the chickens too much) Trouble is, we like the meat, so how would I catch guineas roosting in treetops?? I like to keep the chickens penned for a certain portion of the spring, but want my guineas out during that time as ticks emerge. How little housing can I get away with, especially in winter?

Enjoying the discourse on herbs and growing fodder/forage for the chickens. I do a lot of that, too. They can consume most culinary or tea herbs. The key is being sure they have enough of what is safe to eat so they aren't forced to eat it or starve. Wormwood & black walnut are toxic in large amounts, but hens will nibble them at times if they have access, sometimes avoiding them altogether. Some people think they are self-medicating to keep worms in check. I found that an interesting thought, but am not sold on the idea of a black walnut tree growing in the yard making it unnecessary to check for and possibly treat for worms. So just make sure they have access to a lot of things. I heard of a woman who had to keep her hens in a run. She planted herbs and other things chickens like to nibble OUTSIDE the run - the foliage was available to the hens, but the roots remained safe.