NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Probably because I just saw the post. I have been very sporadic on here lately because i have had more duties at work. It comes with going from a teacher assistant to a full fledged special education teacher!


I buy bags of DE at TSC. It's food grade with the cow feed. I mix it equally with play sand and wood ash. I used the mix in 1/2 of my coops this year. I had no mite problems in those coops at all.

I also took to sprinklings variety of aromatic herbs in the coops and nesting boxes. The herbs are supposed to keep pests away also.

I made a dust bin with 2x4's for just that purpose. I dump stuff in the bin including insoluble grit. The must like it cuz it's always used. I forget to use the herbs though. What kind do you use?

I've planted Spearmint around the runs too. It give a good smell when I hit it with the mower. Clears the sinuses too.

I remember folks used to use herbs to keep mealy moths out of the flour/grains.

I also use DE in my can of Scratch grains. No more moths. You should use it with your bird seed too if you have a feeder.

 

[rancher hicks]

My husband works at the TSC in Warren, PA so thats where I do most of my shopping and how I know whats going on in the store.

I personally do not set foot in the Lakewood TSC store unless I absolutely have to, I feel that the management or staff are very customer service oriented or friendly. Even before my husband started working at TSC I would make the drive to Warren or Dunkirk before going to Lakewood.

I drive right by the Country max to go to the TSC here on Bridge Street. They're very friendly and treat me nice. Only thing is I wish they had a cafe'. Sometimes when I get cabin fever I like to go there just to get out.

Sometimes if they have the outdoor furniture out and I meet someone we sit and have a chicken chat.

I wouldn't have to go to Barnes and Nobles for free looks at the new magazines if they had a cafe'. Course mostly I never leave without buying anything so that's not good.

You must think I'm pathetic.

 

[Kinmera]

I made a dust bin with 2x4's for just that purpose. I dump stuff in the bin including insoluble grit. The must like it cuz it's always used. I forget to use the herbs though. What kind do you use?

I've planted Spearmint around the runs too. It give a good smell when I hit it with the mower. Clears the sinuses too.

I remember folks used to use herbs to keep mealy moths out of the flour/grains.

I also use DE in my can of Scratch grains. No more moths. You should use it with your bird seed too if you have a feeder.

I started off with these articles
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/02/natural-lice-and-mite-prevention-using.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/04/herbal-pest-contol-spruce-coop-herbal.html

I know fresh herbs are best, but for 6-9 months a year, my chickens are in tractors (moved daily) so planting around the coops isn't an option. Next year I'm hoping to start pots of them to put in the long term coops. I focused on herbs I could pick up cheaply at the Amish store:

Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Bay Leaves, Marigolds (even the dead heads work). I planted large amounts of peppermint and spearment this summer that hopefully can be cut for next year.

I sprinkle in the boxes and through out the coop -- I even put it in the brooders. It does make the coops smell nice!!! They like to scratch for it too!

I am thinking of borrowing a page from the chicken chick and concocting my own infusion to market =)

then I stumbled on this article today! This may need testing for deworming of birds:
http://thepoultryguide.com/worming-chickens-naturally/

as for the dust bins --- I got a deal on covered cat litter boxes and simply used the bottoms of em.

 

[Anuthatch]

as for the dust bins --- I got a deal on covered cat litter boxes and simply used the bottoms of em.

ah...an idea for the covered litter box I was going to put in a garage sale...keeper!!


My sister in law took a photo of me holding a SS hen and used an app called Waterlog to make it look like a painting. Sort of cool!

 

[Metella]

VERY Cool !

So much so - I'm going to look up that ap !

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I use an old recycle box for my dust bath now. They know when they see me coming with it what it is and they go crazy. As soon as I put it down they are all trying to jump in. They circle the box till it is their turn, I told my kids that as soon as they grow out of their sand box that I'm going to use that. Then I can leave it in the run and put the lid on it when it is raining.

Neighbors dog came down again this afternoon.

I was getting ready to check on everyone and get DD off the bus. So I walked it home and then it beat me back. I got really mad when it decided to run up to my little girl. She was scared. Luckily it was the nice one. So I grabbed the leash and loaded it in the car and drove it up to the house. When they came to the door I shoved it in and said "I think THIS belongs to you, It was terrorizing mu ducks". I don't think that they are getting it. I don't like to ruffle their feathers so much cause I know that they are very well armed, but I may have to bring them home a dead dog if it tried to get one of my birds. Usually they would be free ranging at that time, but I didn't want to have to mess with them tonight cause DD had her Christmas concert this evening. I think that I'm going to get an air horn so that it will scare them home and let the neighbors know that their dog is here. Maybe they will they the idea...If not more drastic measures will need to be taken.

 

[dragonlord483]

Buffalo craigslist has add for free spent grain

 

[elieugene6]

I think I saw an owl the other day but can't be sure. It was flying through the trees in the woods. Not something I'd expect from a hawk.  My real problem is those blasted squirrels. They just seem to multiply no matter how many I kill. 

So I would drive u nuts. I work at tim Hortons and buy the squirrels timbits. They sit on the fence by our drive thru and I feed them. They're so adorable. Then again I live 30 mins away and only have one or two brave enough to come on my property

 

[rancher hicks]

ah...an idea for the covered litter box I was going to put in a garage sale...keeper!!


My sister in law took a photo of me holding a SS hen and used an app called Waterlog to make it look like a painting. Sort of cool!

Cool. You need to tell me more about that app. I don't know much about apps and all that. Is it something I can download to my computer? I have an idea.

 

[rancher hicks]

So I would drive u nuts. I work at tim Hortons and buy the squirrels timbits. They sit on the fence by our drive thru and I feed them. They're so adorable. Then again I live 30 mins away and only have one or two brave enough to come on my property

I would not mind the squirrels but they've discovered the feeders and get in the coop or run and chew through the jugs of feed. They've ruined to many of the jugs and scare the chickens out of the half hoops.

What is it with the stupid ads on this site? They just play without my clicking on them and slow down my TWC. You must know it's the slowest internet service there is. I have to laugh because their stupid ad on TV loses it's sound when it's on.

I wouldn't mind if I could stop the ad from playing.

Ad like that make me determined NOT to buy the product.