North Carolina

[FVRM]

I love buying eggs from BYC members but I recently got some hatchlings that in my opinion are too inbred. should i tell the seller or would that be rude? considering they have been breeding birds for years?

 

[Chasity]

I should know better than to say anything about "I haven't seen..."! The other day, when I mentioned that I use DE in the coop and nesting boxes, and have yet to see and bugs on my chickens, I should have knocked on wood!!

Cleaned out the coops today, and of course, now that I'm done with that, I pick up a chicken to look at her foot (nothing wrong with it, thankfully), only to see tiny white bugs crawling on her near her eyes and ears. Are they mites or lice? Should I do another dose of DE even though the month isn't up since the last time I treated the coop? Should I get something else? Treat the dust bathing area? I've never had this problem before and have no idea what to do.

On another note, hope you all are having a fantabulous day!

We always use Permethrin at 10% when we see or suspect bugs on hens. We just have to be careful because we have bees. Although it will not harm us (not a bug) it will harm most exoskeletons (bugs)! It is derived from plant sources, and acts very quickly.

 

[Chasity]

Quote: We had an old dog that was great with any animal, or bird. I even had tropical birds when she was a younger pup. She would mother the chicks, and scoop them up with her snout if they got off the porch. She'd toss them back up on. Now ds1 is 13yo, and ds2 is 7yo, and the pup we have now is not allowed out of the house without being on a leash, and someone handling her. She does give ds2 the slip at times too, but we know she will hurt our fowl. She may not even mean to do so, but she would.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

MY POOR ROOSTER IS NOW THROWING UP! EVERY TIME HE BENDS DOWN TO TRY TO EAT HE REGURGITATES! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH MY CHICKEN? HIS POOP IS RUNNY AND WHITE NOW THE COLOR HAS COME BACK IN HIS COMB AN WADDLES BUT HES THROWING UP ANY NUTRIENTS AND WATER I GIVE HIM! THAT MEANS HEA TROWING UP THE DARN ANTIBIOTICS TOO! PLEASE SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT TO DO I DONT WANT TO LOSE HIM.

Open his mouth and look down his throat and see if there's something blocking. Chickens aren't designed to throw up! We had one a few years ago that got cancerous growths in his throat and digestive tract and had similar symptoms.

We always use Permethrin at 10% when we see or suspect bugs on hens. We just have to be careful because we have bees. Although it will not harm us (not a bug) it will harm most exoskeletons (bugs)! It is derived from plant sources, and acts very quickly.

We have a tendency to get complacent about some pesticides. Sevin is one and Permethrin is another. I'd be careful with both, and keep my kids away from both. http://www.anapsid.org/pyrethroids.html

 

[sbrooks88]

is it fluid or solid stuff coming out? are you worming him?

Fluid gave him a dose of safeguard last week

 

[tammyfarms]

Hey, not seen you around in what feels like forever!

Yeah, I have been really busy. I try to get on here about once a week or so and usually just end up stalking.

This weekend we chased a hognose snake from the garden and a young king snake from the flowerbeds. That tells me that snakes are out in full force. This is the time of year that people get bit because they are clearing away leaves and debris with their hands. Please be careful, use a rake or something other than your hand when clearing debris. If you are handling landscape fabric or something that is warm during the day, make sure to handle with care. All of that said, snakes provide a great service. Some of them eat other (poisonous) snakes, they kill mice and generally don't kill chicks. They might eat an egg or two, but let's face it, eggs aren't usually that expensive. Unless they eat a chick, they aren't causing any harm. Please don't kill them.

One other note, I am rather paranoid about copperheads because we have seen them on the property... the kingsnake will eat coperheads and other venimous snakes. The hognose also eats other smaller snakes.

Have a happy chicken day everyone!

 

[biologynerd]

Yeah, I have been really busy.  I try to get on here about once a week or so and usually just end up stalking.  :/

This weekend we chased a hognose snake from the garden and a young king snake from the flowerbeds.  That tells me that snakes are out in full force.  This is the time of year that people get bit because they are clearing away leaves and debris with their hands.  Please be careful, use a rake or something other than your hand when clearing debris.  If you are handling landscape fabric or something that is warm during the day, make sure to handle with care.  All of that said, snakes provide a great service.  Some of them eat other (poisonous) snakes, they kill mice and generally don't kill chicks.  They might eat an egg or two, but let's face it, eggs aren't usually that expensive.  Unless they eat a chick, they aren't causing any harm.  Please don't kill them.

One other note, I am rather paranoid about copperheads because we have seen them on the property... the kingsnake will eat coperheads and other venimous snakes.  The hognose also eats other smaller snakes.

Have a happy chicken day everyone!

Sounds like u need to get u some Guineas wink wink cuz u know we all need more animals

 

[farmraised86]

Who says I don't put my chickens up on a throne?

 

[CricketR4]

We always use Permethrin at 10% when we see or suspect bugs on hens. We just have to be careful because we have bees. Although it will not harm us (not a bug) it will harm most exoskeletons (bugs)! It is derived from plant sources, and acts very quickly.

We always use Permethrin at 10% when we see or suspect bugs on hens. We just have to be careful because we have bees. Although it will not harm us (not a bug) it will harm most exoskeletons (bugs)! It is derived from plant sources, and acts very quickly.

We have a tendency to get complacent about some pesticides. Sevin is one and Permethrin is another. I'd be careful with both, and keep my kids away from both. http://www.anapsid.org/pyrethroids.html[/QUOTE]
Thanks Chasity. I had already gotten permethrin at TSC and dipped them in it.

Hollow, I agree. I have four kids, and kept them away from the barn and chickens all day the day I dipped and sprayed with permethrin. When I dust with DE, I also make sure I'm doing it while the kids are at school, so they won't try going in the coop while I'm dusting and end up breathing the stuff. While I've never had a problem breathing in the dust from using DE (although I try not to breathe it in), I would rather save my children from having to breathe it. I'm looking into more natural ways to deal with parasites and other things, to save my eggs (if I can worm them without having to withdraw eggs, I'd love to!) and when we get meat birds, the less chemicals going into them the better. I found a blog about natural chicken keeping and she listed a chicken first aid kit, that has a ton of all natural and mostly natural stuff, that I'm going to have to look into.

http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/11/the-all-natural-chicken-first-aid-kit.html

 

[pondviewfarm]

I love buying eggs from BYC members but I recently got some hatchlings that in my opinion are too inbred. should i tell the seller or would that be rude? considering they have been breeding birds for years?

Interesting. I had given no thought to the breeding behind chickens. I was not aware that people would inbreed or linebreed although I guess that makes sense. What makes you think they are too inbred? How does being inbred affect chickens? I'd love to learn more about the genetic aspect of this.