***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[poultryand bees]

Looks like a brisk but sunny weather day today. I guess it is time to get serious about winterizing the birds - consolidate some pens so there are fewer bowls to fill with water and feed this winter. It won't save any feed, but it will save time when it is so cold outside that I really want to stay inside.

 

[Ksane]

Looks like a brisk but sunny weather day today. I guess it is time to get serious about winterizing the birds - consolidate some pens so there are fewer bowls to fill with water and feed this winter. It won't save any feed, but it will save time when it is so cold outside that I really want to stay inside.

If I wasn't such a sap when it comes to all the little cockerels I could consolidate pens and make my life tons easier. Something weird *is going on though. I've lost 3 birds this past week-2 of which had never been exposed to any others besides their hatchmates. And I've got a couple others sneezing. We're thick with crows everywhere around here, makes the chickens so mad. They're always running the crows out of their yard s. It's got to be the wild birds passing some sort of disease around. I've tried 200% to take care of these guys I've hatched this year and still have lost birds just like last year when I didn't know any better. I adore these guys but I think I'm done getting any more. I'm keeping who I've got but at this rate I'll have lost them all within 2 yrs anyway. Chickens don't seem to be the healthiest of critters. I'm adoring the Diamond Doves & the Finches I've gotten-the 2 from Maribeth and then I got a male Zebra Finch with 3 girls yesterday for another cage. Indoor birds seem to fair better. I guess because they're not exposed to anything.
Mike, how is Macy's friend? That's a parent's worst nightmare and I'm hoping and praying all goes well.

 

[MacGuyver]

    If I wasn't such a sap when it comes to all the little cockerels I could consolidate pens and make my life tons easier. Something weird *is going on though. I've lost 3 birds this past week-2 of which had never been exposed to any others besides their hatchmates. And I've got a couple others sneezing. We're thick with crows everywhere around here, makes the chickens so mad. They're always running the crows out of their yard s. It's got to be the wild birds passing some sort of disease around. I've tried 200% to take care of these guys I've hatched this year and still have lost birds just like last year when I didn't know any better. I adore these guys but I think I'm done getting any more. I'm keeping who I've got but at this rate I'll have lost them all within 2 yrs anyway. Chickens don't seem to be the healthiest of critters. I'm adoring the Diamond Doves & the Finches I've gotten-the 2 from Maribeth and then I got a male Zebra Finch with 3 girls yesterday for another cage. Indoor birds seem to fair better. I guess because they're not exposed to anything.
    Mike, how is Macy's friend? That's a parent's worst nightmare and I'm hoping and praying all goes well.

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.

 

[MacGuyver]

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.

 

[Kassaundra]

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.

 

[Poco Pollo]

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.

I enjoyed your post more than I've enjoyed reading umpteen batrillioin short stories this week. Maybe you could be a guest and explain to my burgeoning young writers that being "real" is an important part of writing. Thank you for your wonderful post : )

 

[Kassaundra]

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.

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.

 

[poultryand bees]

Quote: The mental image of both of these methods of dusting guineas has me laughing so hard that I will probably still be chuckling tomorrow when thinking of them.

 

[Kassaundra]

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?

 

[MacGuyver]

I enjoyed your post more than I've enjoyed reading umpteen batrillioin short stories this week.  Maybe you could be a guest and explain to my burgeoning young writers that being "real" is an important part of writing.  Thank you for your wonderful post : )

I am glad it made people smile. The words "Die of mite infestation then! See if I even care!" may have been screamed once or twice. I couldn't possibly comment.