Parasite eradication

[aart]

That would be doable under the coop in the fall

What is your location Judy?
Cam make a big diff in management.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, then it's always there!

 

[casportpony]

Not positive, but I think they said north eastern US.

 

[dawg53]

I cannot remove soil from under the chicken coop, so that's out. So I've been reading up on hydrated lime, but how would I do this and when? One site recommends spreading H lime in the fall, then watering it in real well. That would be doable under the coop in the fall when I can section off an area to lime and not let them on it for some time--but they're on 1/2+ acre and I dont' know that I could do the whole thing. I could do the areas they congregate most and do an area at a time ( under the coop, under and around the pine trees, the corner by the fruit trees, and then the corner by the neighbor's garden). the rest is pretty thick grass and they peck around there but don't hang out for any length of time. Now you've got me worried about never getting a handle on this. Or, do I just watch for symptoms and treat periodically? Seems like there's no good answer.

You may not be able to remove soil from your pen but you can certainly add a layer of soil, preferably sand. Sand doesnt wash away like dirt, it absorbs water, doesnt puddle, absorbs water, dries quicker and deters parasites. It's easier to scoop poop also.
I layer sand in my pens once or twice a year because hard rains beat it into the soil and my birds dont free range. Layering with sand covers worm eggs. I worm my birds once a month.

 

[trudyg]

Aart, I'm in North Alabama. The site won't let me put in just that data, it wants all the fields completed and I'm too private for that. We're in the usual deep south summer--hot, humid, heat of the day thunderstorms. They all go under the coop for shade/dust baths/out of the rain. I guess my primary goal should be shoveling sand under the coop?

Anyway, Dawg, are you saying I can just put sand in the pen/under the coop? How deep of a layer? That would be a lot of sand, for 1/2+ acre of land. I suppose I could get a truck of sand out here, but yikes that wasn't what I expected to have to do. Not even thinking of the fact that my field lines are in that area.... Thanks for the input, tho, I'll have to do some price checking for sand.

George, I'm sorry, but I can't till over and lime that entire space. And I sure can't till and lime under the coop, which is only 1 cement block off the ground.

 

[aart]

Aart, I'm in North Alabama.

Ahh, harder down there where there's no good long freeze to help kill stuff off.

 

[dawg53]

Aart, I'm in North Alabama. The site won't let me put in just that data, it wants all the fields completed and I'm too private for that. We're in the usual deep south summer--hot, humid, heat of the day thunderstorms. They all go under the coop for shade/dust baths/out of the rain. I guess my primary goal should be shoveling sand under the coop?

Anyway, Dawg, are you saying I can just put sand in the pen/under the coop? How deep of a layer? That would be a lot of sand, for 1/2+ acre of land. I suppose I could get a truck of sand out here, but yikes that wasn't what I expected to have to do. Not even thinking of the fact that my field lines are in that area.... Thanks for the input, tho, I'll have to do some price checking for sand.

George, I'm sorry, but I can't till over and lime that entire space. And I sure can't till and lime under the coop, which is only 1 cement block off the ground.

I just meant putting sand in your enclosed pen.

 

[trudyg]

Thanks, Dawg. I have fencing around the chicken yard (a corner of my property, encompassing just over 1/2 acre) and a coop inside the chicken yard (8X12 shed up on blocks). I'll get sand and put under and around the coop and also in the 2 areas where they tend to congregate (under the pines and by the neighbors garden). Thanks so much for your input. We've had a fairly wet winter and now summer and the grass is very thick, so it stays damp. Just perfect for all sorts of pest.

 

[casportpony]

Not positive, but I think they said north eastern US.

Aart, I'm in North Alabama.

Sorry, my bad.

 

[dawg53]

Thanks, Dawg. I have fencing around the chicken yard (a corner of my property, encompassing just over 1/2 acre) and a coop inside the chicken yard (8X12 shed up on blocks). I'll get sand and put under and around the coop and also in the 2 areas where they tend to congregate (under the pines and by the neighbors garden). Thanks so much for your input. We've had a fairly wet winter and now summer and the grass is very thick, so it stays damp. Just perfect for all sorts of pest.

I can relate with the rain. We've been getting deluges for several months, almost every day and no end in sight. I'd like to send it over to California and other western states where they need it the most.
It would be cost prohibitive to put sand on a 1/2 acre. Try to mow the yard often to keep grass and weeds short so that sun light can hit the soil. Sun light deters pests, mold and fungus etc...rotating your birds in different parts of your yard to "graze" (if possible) helps also.

 

[trudyg]

I cut the grass twice a week..... It's just so darn thick. I need to get the disc put on the tractor and tear lines thru it, maybe thin it out, but I worry that it would come back worse. We had all hickory and beech in the yard when we moved in, ground was covered in leaf mold and moss. Now we have grass-be careful what you wish for! When I fenced it in for the chickens, I had in mind that I could swing one length of fence the other direction and rotate the area, but that was when I had a chicken tractor. Now, with the stationary coop, it's not quite so feasible. I'll have to do it once it cools down so that the coop is within the fence but the majority of the chicken yard is in what is now regular yard. Doable, but there's no shade there so it'll have to be end of September. How long do you think it would take before the 'now' area would be okay to rotate them back? I'm thinking I could rotate spring and fall.