***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[lonnyandrinda]

Help!!!!...so it finally dried up enough to burn some brush...I looked through the pile to make sure no chickens were inside (all of mine are white rocks so the white birds are easy to spot). Being sure all my chickens were safe I lit the pile. I was standing guard when I heard a tiny squeal. Rescued one small rabbit from the fire. Seems unharmed. About 2-3 weeks old, maybe older. Walking around, eyes and ears are open and alert. I can't find any wildlife rehab places open to take this little guy.im in the poteau area, if anyone is close and has experience, please help!!!

Does it have a white spot on it's head? If not or if the white spot is very small it is fine to release to take care of itself. Otherwise just release it in the same area you found it in. It will run and hide and momma will come find it tonight. She never stays with them, only visits several times per day to feed them, so as not to attract predators to the babies. I have a rehabber friend in Tahlequah who might know someone closer to you, PM me if you want her info. I'll check back to BYC by about 8 AM to see if you need her info.

 

[YardBirdMom]

Mosquito trap:

Take a 2 liter bottle and cut in half, like in Kass' flower starter example above. In the bottom part add 1 cup warm water, 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir it all together, add 1/2 tsp yeast and stir with your finger. Place the top into the bottom part with the lid opening facing down. Use duct tape to secure the top about 1" to 1.5" above the liquid base.

Place these in various locations, but NOT WHERE YOU TYPICALLY SIT. The concoction produces carbon monoxide which attracts mosquitoes and they fly inside then drown

I'll make one & post pics soon. We dont drink "pop", so I'll have to buy some just for the bottles.

 

[SharkmanDan]

Mosquito trap:

Take a 2 liter bottle and cut in half, like in Kass' flower starter example above. In the bottom part add 1 cup warm water, 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir it all together, add 1/2 tsp yeast and stir with your finger. Place the top into the bottom part with the lid opening facing down. Use duct tape to secure the top about 1" to 1.5" above the liquid base.

Place these in various locations, but NOT WHERE YOU TYPICALLY SIT. The concoction produces carbon monoxide which attracts mosquitoes and they fly inside then drown

I'll make one & post pics soon. We dont drink "pop", so I'll have to buy some just for the bottles.

I will have to give this a try. In the past several years, mosquitoes have been the least of my concern, I rarely got bitten. I always joked that it was because they didn't like all of the beer in my system. This year, I'm not drinking, hardly at all, and I'm getting eaten up, by the little skeeters. Now, I'm beginning to think there was something to what I used to say. So, I need to try this. With all of the rain, saturating the ground, I have standing water everywhere, and it's just a breeding ground for them.

 

[NanaKat]

How are the mosquitoes everywhere else here they are like bald eagles in size what do y'all use for the chickens for mosquitos?

We are getting mosquitos now too. I use pymethrin barn spray on the walls of the coops for flies and mosquitos. Also 10% pine sol solution is good for flies. Bleach in rain water buckets helps. A packet of the floating mosquito killers from the hardware/feed stores can be added to stock tanks to kill larva. We break up the rings to add to standing water that we can't drain or dump out. Trenching ground to create runoff channels is helpful. So many of our terraces and bar ditches are full right now that mosquitoes will be swarming soon.

Help!!!!...so it finally dried up enough to burn some brush...I looked through the pile to make sure no chickens were inside (all of mine are white rocks so the white birds are easy to spot). Being sure all my chickens were safe I lit the pile. I was standing guard when I heard a tiny squeal. Rescued one small rabbit from the fire. Seems unharmed. About 2-3 weeks old, maybe older. Walking around, eyes and ears are open and alert. I can't find any wildlife rehab places open to take this little guy.im in the poteau area, if anyone is close and has experience, please help!!!

Does it have a white spot on it's head?  If not or if the white spot is very small it is fine to release to take care of itself.  Otherwise just release it in the same area you found it in.  It will run and hide and momma will come find it tonight.  She never stays with them, only visits several times per day to feed them, so as not to attract predators to the babies.  I have a rehabber friend in Tahlequah who might know someone closer to you, PM me if you want her info. I'll check back to BYC by about 8 AM to see if you need her info.

wild rabbits can begin taking care of themselves as soon as they are fully furred. As Rinda said, the mother will return to check and feed her warren several times a day...usually am and dusk. Cottontails have the white spot. Jack rabbits have longer bodies with black tips on their long ears...even as young kits. Cottontails are plentiful, but Jack rabbits are few in number in our area.
Kitten replacement milk can be fed to baby rabbits whose eyes are not open yet thru a kitten bottle. Offer shredded carrots, tender grasses, clover to these young rabbits and use a small box on its side with a grass nest for the babies to keep warm. While we don't like the rabbits in our garden, we have helped raise and released to our back pastures those whose mother has been killed by a predator. When our dogs find a nest, we keep watch on the babies to make sure the mother is visiting the nest. If she is we don't interfere. but if the babies are obviously not being tended, we help them.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

We are getting mosquitos now too. I use pymethrin barn spray on the walls of the coops for flies and mosquitos. Also 10% pine sol solution is good for flies. Bleach in rain water buckets helps. A packet of the floating mosquito killers from the hardware/feed stores can be added to stock tanks to kill larva. We break up the rings to add to standing water that we can't drain or dump out. Trenching ground to create runoff channels is helpful. So many of our terraces and bar ditches are full right now that mosquitoes will be swarming soon.
wild rabbits can begin taking care of themselves as soon as they are fully furred. As Rinda said, the mother will return to check and feed her warren several times a day...usually am and dusk. Cottontails have the white spot. Jack rabbits have longer bodies with black tips on their long ears...even as young kits. Cottontails are plentiful, but Jack rabbits are few in number in our area.
Kitten replacement milk can be fed to baby rabbits whose eyes are not open yet thru a kitten bottle. Offer shredded carrots, tender grasses, clover to these young rabbits and use a small box on its side with a grass nest for the babies to keep warm. While we don't like the rabbits in our garden, we have helped raise and released to our back pastures those whose mother has been killed by a predator. When our dogs find a nest, we keep watch on the babies to make sure the mother is visiting the nest. If she is we don't interfere. but if the babies are obviously not being tended, we help them.

To add to Nana's advice- if you do find a rabbit nest and you aren't sure if the mom is visiting, lay two sticks across the nest fur and grass in an X pattern. If they are moved the next day she is caring for them.

 

[Ironsights]

I did not know about the white spot, nor did I think of crossed sticks. I do know about jackrabbits having been raised by them. Lol. Grew up in South Dakota, lots of them there.
Unfortunately, I usually find rabbit nests when I mow. We've had several cottentails named "Lucky".

 

[Ironsights]

I see what they're eating LOL That should be good for a few years (chicken years of course) of therapy!

 

[YardBirdMom]

I will have to give this a try. In the past several years, mosquitoes have been the least of my concern, I rarely got bitten. I always joked that it was because they didn't like all of the beer in my system. This year, I'm not drinking, hardly at all, and I'm getting eaten up, by the little skeeters. Now, I'm beginning to think there was something to what I used to say. So, I need to try this. With all of the rain, saturating the ground, I have standing water everywhere, and it's just a breeding ground for them.

I think we're all going to battle them this year, but nanakat has good advice too!
I need to buy the dunks for my creek areas because they are full this year.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote: We tie the larvae dunks to twigs stuck in the mud in the creek areas with cotton strings from the feed sacks. That way they don't float away with the rains and cows don't get tangled in them and the string disintegrates about the same time the dunk is done..

 

[NanaKat]

Set 34 quail eggs and 56 chicken eggs yesterday evening. I have 32 eggs moved to the hatcher ready to hatch on Thursday.
We got another .75 inch rain yesterday and expect more today. My poor birds in the outside pens are wading in mud in places in their pens, but their coops are nice and dry with fresh hay added to the nest boxes and ground inside the coops.
Once the rain stops for a few weeks, we are going to add sandy soil to the pens and lift the chain link panels up on bricks to make the pens drain better. I'm also thinking stepping stones in a few of the pens.
One of the cattle pens behind the barn actually drains thru one of my pens...so that needs some special attention...not sure yet on the fix for that "manure tea". Maybe a piece of pvc French drain pipe... Both pens need some elevation too.

It is amazing what problems a 100 year flood year brings to our attention after 5 years of drought. We just didn't have these kind of drainage issues until all this wonderful rain began falling. We are thankful for full ponds and lush grasses, but pray for the safety of our friends and families in the path of some of these powerful storms.