Need some quick help on a desicion here....

[Stormhorse23]

go with chicks. the picking thing seems a little suspicious

 

[kstaven]

If you don't have chickens already, then I would go for it and treat them for mites.

 

[DENALI]

Quote:
Nope no chickens at all now. So no worries about quarantine from the rest of the birds.

 

[K&H Chicken Farm]

I would get them , treat them and learn from them.

I have "15 picked up" hens and could not be happer.

 

[ksacres]

I say give 'er a go! I have noticed that certain chickens will pick no matter what. If they are otherwise healthy, the feathers will eventually grow back.

 

[Ericasl]

Ok here is my story, I got my first girls of of Craigs list. 9 all together. Seven of them will be a year in May, and two of them were born in Nov 07. I went and saw were the lived and how they looked. Well they had a nice clean home and all looked well so I bought them. I was getting about 2 0r 3 eggs right away.

After I had them a week there was another ad on Craighs list for five more hen that would also be a year in may. So we all loud up we drove a little over an hour to check these girls out (my hubby has gone hen crazy). These girls were Awsome birds very healthy coming from a another nice home, so we got those one to.

All of my ladies are happy and really not afraid of us, they eat out of our hands and my 5 and 6 year old feed them out of there hands. I am very happy I started with a little older birds, the whole chick thing scares me. I think you have to go with what your gut tells you. I am getting about 9 eggs a day now. Go check them out and see what you think. Goodluck and lets us know what you do.

 

[cybercat]

I think you should pass this up. Coming from a ret. pro groomer point of veiw mites and lice are not that easy to get rid of. If you do not have chickens now these will infect your place. Mites might be gone from the chickens once treated BUT they will then be on your property waiting and breeding to become a problem again later. Not having experiance with chickens I would not want to deal with that problem just for fast eggs. It is not worth the headach or money you will dish out to get rid of them.

Also from what I have been reading right now chickens are at a premium. Everyone is selling out fast. Reason people are getting a bit worried about the economy. So if she can't sell them something is very wrong there. You can bet people who have chickens jumped on this fast. Why did they not buy them???????????? Major red flag.

 

[DENALI]

Here is a quick question on the pecking thing. She has other breeds to besides the RIR's and none of them have the problem of naked butts as she put it. These RIR's were hatched last march so they would be 1 year old this month. Could this just be a molt starting in rather than a mite/lice problem? Wouldnt all the other breeds she has have the same problem if it was a mite/lice problem? Really would like to pick up some of these RIR's but i do not want to bring home a lice and mite problem either.
Speaking of that, what exactly is "dusting" to get rid of them and what do you use? Thanks

 

[65browneyes]

Denali -- when I dust my birds, I hold them upside down by the feet (they don't like it at first but quickly settle down) and using a dispenser like the ones at pizza places for peppers and cheese, I cover them with Sevin Dust. I am careful not to get the dust in their eyes.

By 'hanging' them by their feet, I'm able to get the dust to their skin, under their feathers easier. If you're fully prepared ahead of time, they don't 'hang' long.

I know there are a lot of people who don't approve of this practice, but it's what I do and what works for me. Other people also use DE (diamethisomethingearth---sorry, I don't know the official name).

Also, when I clean out the hen house and next boxes, I take all bedding, waterers, feeders, etc out and using the cheese/pepper shaker full of Sevin Dust, I cover the entire area (usually including myself).

 

[DENALI]

Quote:
Anyway to determine ahead of time before driving out there if its mites/lice or just the start of a molt or boredom causing picking of the tail feathers? I would think if it was parasite problem all the other chickens besides the RIR's would be experiencing the same problem wouldn't they?