Nevadans?

[sherylreno]

I understand the Orpington does go broody so most likely she is. When you go in there and try to touch her does she growl? Wynnie was a great protector of her eggs and ducklings. She did a great job with them too. Perhaps you might want to put some duck eggs under her too and let her hatch some for you?

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Oh that is so cool of you to offer advice! Take him up on it Kim he's the Wizard!

Quote: Not really! I've been sitting here wishing I knew ASL, but then I realized no on else I know would understand it anyway.

Glad to hear you are feeling better today Ron! It's unusual for folks our age to still have their tonsils. I still have mine. I take it you had some recurring problems with them? They won't take them out these days without a good reason. Hope the healing process goes a little faster for you! Sounds painful!

Yes I had an abscess (sp?) a few months ago which actually hurt worse than this does. Plus I was hospitalized for four days to get rid of it! Then a few weeks ago I came down with strep again and the ENT told me it would just keep coming back. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone though...

OUCH!

Are buff orpingtons known for being broody? I went in to close up the coop tonight and one of my BOs was still in the nest box. That's a first. she was sitting on one of the ceramic eggs I have in there. could be interesting. and just when everyone's been so good about laying in the boxes lately.

Absolutely!!! That's one of the things I love about orps. They will even try to mother almost grown chicks that I've added to the coop. Somewhere I have a pic of one of my buff orps with her wing over an almost grown chick that I had just integrated into the coop that day.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

I definitely would not spray with water Missy. Like you said - that will cause even worse problems, particularly mold/fungus.

What are you using right now? I only use straw, but I don't really notice any dust unless I'm cleaning out. Also, I have windows opposite each other like Aubrey - that definitely helps, at least after the weather warms. What kind of square footage is there and how many birds are in it?

I have about 40 sq ft for 10 chickens, and that's just floor and nesting space, not including 6 feet of vertical space for roosting. Right now, about all they do in there is sleep, lay, and eat. Mostly, the floor is just dirt because they do most of their mess-making out in the yard, except for what happens at night. I have three windows: two that run the full length of the coop, opposite each other. The third is a wide ground-level opening to bring in fresh air. I guess I could make sure there's a good layer of straw down.

This is the setup, but right now the plastic is completely off of all of the openings. Everywhere that you see plastic, in this picture, is open with hardware cloth, including the top of the mini-run.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Kim there is one thing I am confused about on the Oxine. You had mentioned it as a preventative measure but a couple of the web-sites I went to talk like it's for treatment of a current problem only. I am interested in preventative care only. Does it work well for this and how often do you spray to prevent problems ahead of time?

 

[aubreynoramarie]

what are we spraying for which problems?

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Kim there is one thing I am confused about on the Oxine. You had mentioned it as a preventative measure but a couple of the web-sites I went to talk like it's for treatment of a current problem only. I am interested in preventative care only. Does it work well for this and how often do you spray to prevent problems ahead of time?

I may be wrong here, but in my case, at least, having mice crawl into my chicken coop is a current problem. They're going to keep finding their way in, as long as the door is open for the chickens, Unless this is a case where frequent spraying has the same effect as "therapeutic" daily antibiotics, weakening the immune system and causing a problem for human consumption, I'm willing to spray often just for the germs the rodents might bring in.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Sheryl, I have a question for you. You talked about selling pasta at the Farmer's Market. How much would you sell pasta to us for? I really liked that spinach pasta and I have a florentine pasta dish with prosciutto, chicken and shrimp that it would be perfect for. Let me know if this would work for you. Thanks! I must be hungry cause now my mouth is watering... literally. Mmmmmm

 

[SunnyDawn]

what are we spraying for which problems?

Oh Oxine is a disinfectant that is apparently safe to spray around our animals and is reported to be very effective at treating and preventing many diseases. I'm a little foggy on all the details but Kim knows a lot about it and Pam did a lot of research on the subject recently too. Hopefully they will chime in and give us more details.

I was just going to pm you Aubrey. It just dawned on me that you might not have a sewing machine to take that dress in to fit you. If you want to bring it over here I can take that in easily in about 20 mins.

 

[NevadaRon]

I have about 40 sq ft for 10 chickens, and that's just floor and nesting space, not including 6 feet of vertical space for roosting. Right now, about all they do in there is sleep, lay, and eat. Mostly, the floor is just dirt because they do most of their mess-making out in the yard, except for what happens at night. I have three windows: two that run the full length of the coop, opposite each other. The third is a wide ground-level opening to bring in fresh air. I guess I could make sure there's a good layer of straw down.

This is the setup, but right now the plastic is completely off of all of the openings. Everywhere that you see plastic, in this picture, is open with hardware cloth, including the top of the mini-run.

That's a very charming coop! Well you don't seem to have any problems with overcrowding or lack of ventilation, so I'm going to suggest you try a nice thick layer of straw on the floor, 3 to 6 inches deep. Your girls will love it, and they will continually bury their poop in it so that when you clean it out evey 2-3 months it will definitely be "garden gold"! I've found that as long as it doesn't get wet it is really good at containing odors. The only time I notice dust in mine is when I'm in there cleaning it out.

I may be wrong here, but in my case, at least, having mice crawl into my chicken coop is a current problem. They're going to keep finding their way in, as long as the door is open for the chickens, Unless this is a case where frequent spraying has the same effect as "therapeutic" daily antibiotics, weakening the immune system and causing a problem for human consumption, I'm willing to spray often just for the germs the rodents might bring in.

I wouldn't think so, since it is a disinfectant, not an antibiotic. Also, chlorine dissipates pretty rapidly so it's not a problem for human consumption. And in small amounts it is perfectly safe for humans, animals and even most plants (think chlorinated city water). That is the beauty of this product!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Psh, in true little kid fashion (that of excitement!) I wore that dress as soon as I got home and to the river. Fits like a charm with a cute little let around the waist only thing that was too big was the chest but watevs, I'm due for a visit, methinks!