***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[MacGuyver]

Thinking back to dusting chicken for cooking, what about a large bag w/ the dusting powders already in, just toss in the birds and let them aggitate and self dust.

Ha! If I could find a large canvas bag I would definitely try it. They say to avoid the birds eyes and nose though.

 

[artsyrobin]

So last night I decided to dust the birds for mites. It went about like it always does. I started with the chickens, and I picked each one up off the roost after they were asleep, and I gently dusted them on their back, under the wings, and around their vent then put them back. The birds were sleepy, and seemed a little confused, but remained quiet.

Then it was time to do the guineas.

I picked up the first bird and dusted it carefully, making soothing sounds. I picked up the second bird and worked more quickly, and I sounded more impatient and grumpy as I was dodging claws and beaks. By the fifth guinea I was backed into a corner of the coop screaming bad words while I just tossed random handfulls of diatomaceous earth and garden dust into a screeching, whirling cloud of possessed shrieking guineas in the other corner.

There's gotta be a better way. Darned if I can find it though. Edit spelling.

suggestion- do you know where the guineas dust? what about putting the dust there and let them do it? i have never tried to dust mine, even though they are friendly, i think that would be pushing my luck- another thought- what about a couple drops of ivermec? or frontline- maybe on the foot?

still - you are very corageous to even attempt it!

 

[MacGuyver]

suggestion- do you know where the guineas dust? what about putting the dust there and let them do it? i have never tried to dust mine, even though they are friendly, i think that would be pushing my luck

I think next time I clean out their coop I'll put a bunch of DE into the new litter.

 

[artsyrobin]

mitzi, i am so sorry! I know you don't like denaguard- but if you load it with sugar, they'd drink it? it is good stuff-

 

[Ksane]

According to Mike Herrin, our state vet, the wild birds here in OK carry mycoplasma in epidemic proportions. Mycoplasma is one of those that leaves the birds carriers for life. You can choose to treat them and manage the disease, or you can cull hard and try to breed birds that are healthier. Either way is full of heartache. I suspect that nipple waterers would reduce the contamination by wild birds, and using oxine in the water may keep infective pathogens under control. I am sorry you're dealing with this.

Oh wonderful. I don't think these particular birds had MG though. The 2 sneezing ones, perhaps, but the others just died, no clue why. One of my 4 mo old Orloff pullets, 1 of my 2 Araucana boys (5 mo old). No sneezing or coughing or signs on those 2 and they're completely apart from others and weren't even near each other.

So last night I decided to dust the birds for mites. It went about like it always does. I started with the chickens, and I picked each one up off the roost after they were asleep, and I gently dusted them on their back, under the wings, and around their vent then put them back. The birds were sleepy, and seemed a little confused, but remained quiet.
Then it was time to do the guineas.
I picked up the first bird and dusted it carefully, making soothing sounds. I picked up the second bird and worked more quickly, and I sounded more impatient and grumpy as I was dodging claws and beaks. By the fifth guinea I was backed into a corner of the coop screaming bad words while I just tossed random handfulls of diatomaceous earth and garden dust into a screeching, whirling cloud of possessed shrieking guineas in the other corner.
There's gotta be a better way. Darned if I can find it though. Edit spelling.

Ksane and Bill, are your colonies big enough that you can regularly feed out of them? If so how many are you feeding out and how often? Just curious. I have been feeding out 60 per day 5 days a week and watching the colony to see if it is suffering, it's been a couple of weeks now, so far so good. I have been feeding out mostly males and sub adults, large sub adults like the last instar or so before being adults, but I think I may need to rethink that. I'm seeing a marked decrease in that age group so may be setting my colony up for a big crash in about 6 months or so, so I am going to switch to half adults of more, so my next gen is more secure. I also am experimenting w/ feeding them floating catfish food instead of cat food, it has higher protien and is much cheaper. Are you guys doing any experiments?

I haven't been feeding many out lately mostly because I don't remember to. I've got 150 birds, no way I could feed many without losing the colony. I've been feeding mine chick feed (crumbles). I need to go look up and find out what the best thing to feed them is. Or maybe just switching off every month to something else is the way to go.

 

[michaeldaugherty]

Thank's every one for your prayers ..Macy went out hunting she didnt see any thing..She is realy takeing it hard,,

Seen lot's of BYCers at the auction in Blanchard Jcat an her brood ..MJ an her DH Jack .Musk/// Buster an his wife he sure got some nice big roo's an lot's more peep's that i forget ther screen name they hadnt ben on in a wile..

 

[Oakieridge]

Mitzi sorry you are dealing with loss too. We lost our blue laced wyendotte out of nowhere. He was fine Sat. night and Sunday morning looked like he went to sleep in the corner of his pen and was dead. Then I had one of our banty cochins come down with sniffles and then one of the free range roos a beautiful BO that has lost his crow. So have them in isolation and on Denagard for the next 8 days. The crows are awefull at our place. I may buy the boys pellet riffles and then pay them by the crow they take out!!! LOL

We have been busy with basketball so not getting to the auctions. I need to find about 10 RIR pullets if anyone knows of any good healthy birds. I also have 5 RIR roos that need to go see MichealD if I can find a free weekend to take them to him. I would take them to auction but I am done with our local auctions.

We are also busy growing fodder for our babies. They are LOVING it!!! Who knew 2 years ago I would have over 200 birds and growing most of their food for them! LOL We are growing barley, wheat, oats, clover and radish greens for them. They still get their layer pellets but they would much rather have the fodder. But I can't quit giving pellets until I know for a 100% fact they are getting everything they need from the fodder.

 

[jcatblum]

Mitzi we had over a dozen birds come down with something this wk & I promise they haven't been exposed to anything (except what nature brings) since early summer. We lost 2 - I have had several get better but most are still looking ill. I wanted them all better before my surgery but for some reason the chickens don't listen to what I want.
Cathie the gentleman that had 70+ Muscovies we helped collect said he hadn't mowed his acre since he got the ducks & he only feeds them a 64oz cup of corn in the AM & PM. That corn was nothing more than a treat -- they were foraging for all their nutrition & fat healthy ducks.

 

[Kassaundra]

Mitzi sorry you are dealing with loss too. We lost our blue laced wyendotte out of nowhere. He was fine Sat. night and Sunday morning looked like he went to sleep in the corner of his pen and was dead. Then I had one of our banty cochins come down with sniffles and then one of the free range roos a beautiful BO that has lost his crow. So have them in isolation and on Denagard for the next 8 days. The crows are awefull at our place. I may buy the boys pellet riffles and then pay them by the crow they take out!!! LOL

We have been busy with basketball so not getting to the auctions. I need to find about 10 RIR pullets if anyone knows of any good healthy birds. I also have 5 RIR roos that need to go see MichealD if I can find a free weekend to take them to him. I would take them to auction but I am done with our local auctions.

We are also busy growing fodder for our babies. They are LOVING it!!! Who knew 2 years ago I would have over 200 birds and growing most of their food for them! LOL We are growing barley, wheat, oats, clover and radish greens for them. They still get their layer pellets but they would much rather have the fodder. But I can't quit giving pellets until I know for a 100% fact they are getting everything they need from the fodder.

I started w/ the fodder too this week, I am hoping it will be as easy as the sprouting I did all last winter, but so far it isn't.

I will continue to try and tweek the process to see if I can make it effortless, but may well just go back to the burlap bag sprouts intsead of fodder.

 

[Cjarvis]

Turnip greens grow very well during the cool weather and will grow through the snow if we get any. You may still be able to get some started with the temps as high as they have been lately. The growth rate of the turnip green will keep up with the needed feed and provide a good source of vitamins and minerals for the birds.
For those experiencing problems with illness this time of year is quite common with the sparrows, crows and migratory birds bringing in things that the birds have not been exposed to in quite some time, this is normal and occours every year. You will also deal with some feed quality problems and potential of mold spores on corn which can be deadly for the birds, most other livestock seems to b immune to that particular problem.
Wish you all luck with your flocks through this season