NY chicken lover!!!!

[vmdanielsen]

I have eprinex also. 7 was the first thing that popped into my mind. Silly me.

7 powder is great for the coop! I didn't like dusting birds with it.....I am sure that breathing any in is bad.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Hey guys,

There is a woman down state (I am not sure where) that has Marek's disease in her flock. With the wild birds migrating, now would be a good time to refresh your knowledge with the symptoms of Marek's disease.

Ginny

 

[rancher hicks]

Okay I need some advice. It appears that we have a mite infestation in our big girls coop as my husband just found them 2 days ago. We move the coop last week and did not see anything at that time. I checked when I came home and pulled out one of the girls (it was dark) and sure enough, see them running on her. So after some research, it appears poultry dust with permethryn is the best. There is also a liquid permethryn that can be made into a spray. I am going to war on thursday and dh just sprayed down the outside of the coop with insect killer. It is suggested that I either burn or bag the litter from the coop to get rid of any mites in there as well. So what do any of you think or have done in a similar situation? I do use de in the coops but apparently it hasnt worked. My girls are also molting. I have ivermectin and was going to wait till january to treat them but should I just do it now? This is my first experience and I think all the rain we have had has led to this as I am very fastidious about keeping the coops clean, which is why its weird that all of a sudden I have mites. I know that the big coop will also have to be treated as a couple of those girls got into the infested coop a couple days ago when they were out freeranging. I figure I am just going to nuke everything and everyone. Please weigh in with what you have done and used.

I buy DE by the 50# bag. When I clean the coop I take a large can of it and sprinkle it everywhere. Especially in the corners. Then sprinkle it in the new shavings too.

When I clean the nest boxes I sprinkle it inside and leave it for a day or so.

Now for your roost poles, I have seen suggested that you coat these with motor oil, but I don't like that idea. I suggest something safer like mineral oil or petroleum jelly. Seems to me the mineral oil purchased at the dollar store and brushed on them and in all the cracks should work.

I use Exprinex on the birds but also dust them as well. I use a head light and go in at night so I can easily pick up each bird or administer the wormer with and eye dropper. I just go down the line with the eyedropper and put the wormer between the shoulder blades. With both hands free it's easy to fill the eye dropper and aim the light just where I need it.

I wish you well,

Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

No white eggs here in almost a week, only one blue egg a day when I should be getting a second blue on occasion. I am not impressed with those three hens.

I broke Luna of the broodiness (tossed her in the Eglu with some eggs, left her there 2 days and she never once sat on the eggs), but she is not back to laying yet. So that leaves 6 hens laying 4 eggs a day, still meets the quota of 2 dozen a week to my one customer. Have not found the hidden nest of white eggs...
Did check out the neighbor Amish chickens this weekend, couple were out ranging and the door was open. The last sickly rooster is gone and the hens actually looked decent. Maybe some new ones? Hmmm, wonder if I can cross my GLW roo with his White Leghorn girls.... Genetics test: The comb gene comes from which parent? And the feathering? I really like my GLW mix girl, she is an everyday large brown egg layer and would like to re-create her using the GLW boys. She is feathered like a GLW, but has a straight comb that flops over to one side. The boys do have rose combs.
Time to head off to do the bath & bed time routine around here. Any suggestions on reading up chicken genetics? I'm sure there are hundreds of threads on here, but sometimes makes it hard to know where to start.

When you move a broody hen do it at night in the dark. This is where that head light comes in handy again. You won't disturb the whole coop as chickens don't see well in the dark.

As for the GLW and the straight comb. Straight combs pop up from time to time so it could be in the line too. Hybrids are better layers than purebred birds. Which is why the sex links came about.

My EE's are better layers than even my Dels. At nearly three they still lay well. I keep an Amer roo so I can keep some EE's. Since EE's can lay green, olive or blue eggs they suit my need for colored eggs.

However we need the purebred lines to insure the crosses to better producing hybrids. IMO the problem with some hybrid lines is they are to inter bred and this is the reason my friend got a batch of 75 GC's that didn't lay well.

 

[County Boy]

I think Jamie Matt has good bantam cochins. He judges chicken shows. I don't have his contact info, but I could get it.

I can probly find it. Thanks.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Okay...so everyone is getting eprinex tomorrow and I am going nuclear on the hens coop. I am having dh pick up the permethyrin dust from tsc on the way home as well as the spray and I will do a full cleanout, then spray and dust everything and every crack I can find! I will also put dust and de on everything before I put fresh litter down. I will probably dust the run and under the coop as well. Then it will be on to the terrorists coop to do the same thing as a preventative. If I get both those done and all the chickens treated tomorrow, then it will be a good day. Of course, its supposed to be cold so my hands will probably be frozen as well as everything else. Oh, and its my only day off. So much for a little down time!!!

Sat out for an hour freeranging the silkies and almost froze to the chair. Chased them back into their coop/run and came in to warm up. No sign of the hawk or falcon but that doesnt mean they werent around. The boys are sqabbling among themselves and I had to remind them who is boss (me).

Thanks for your input. I was wondering what you did with the bedding you removed Ginny. I was reading that you should either bag it or burn it so the mites arent a problem any more. Anyone else ever do that??? I dont want to put it on my compost heap if that is the case because the chickens dig through it.

 

[rancher hicks]

I never thought about not putting the litter on the compost heap. Though I've not seen a mite problem thank the Lord. I suppose if I did I'd toss it in the fire pit and burn it.

Speaking of the fire pit. Perhaps you could put one in. The chickens would be fine once they get used to it and you could stay warm.

I don't have mine in the chicken yard but next to it. I can see things clearly from it's location. The hawk may take note and move on if the fire scares it.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Thanks Rancher. That is the plan...put it all in the fire pit and light it up. I will be killing mites, getting warm and keeping the birds of prey away all at the same time. Multitasking. I dont think my chickens would like a fire pit in their run as its a little small for that although it would make it easier to adjust the roosters attitudes if I could drag them near the fire! lol Hope your visit is going okay.

 

[Lapeerian]

When you move a broody hen do it at night in the dark. This is where that head light comes in handy again. You won't disturb the whole coop as chickens don't see well in the dark.

As for the GLW and the straight comb. Straight combs pop up from time to time so it could be in the line too. Hybrids are better layers than purebred birds. Which is why the sex links came about.

My EE's are better layers than even my Dels. At nearly three they still lay well. I keep an Amer roo so I can keep some EE's. Since EE's can lay green, olive or blue eggs they suit my need for colored eggs.

However we need the purebred lines to insure the crosses to better producing hybrids. IMO the problem with some hybrid lines is they are to inter bred and this is the reason my friend got a batch of 75 GC's that didn't lay well.

Thanks for the info. I really didn't want a broody right now, but figured if she was determined enough she could have them on my terms.
The GLW girl and the 2 NH (might be red sex links) are my best layers and the EE girl Travis brought down for me from his friend. The GLW girl laying so well is the reason I have kept both of the roos she came with. The black orp roo is beautiful and is lead roo in taking care of the girls, but the orp girls don't lay as well so don't intend to use him if I get into breeding.

 

[stoopid]

I think Jamie Matt has good bantam cochins. He judges chicken shows. I don't have his contact info, but I could get it.

[email protected] He has a few contacts, if this one won't go thru, I can come up with another.