Okay, so once again, THANK YOU all for everything.
I read every word you all wrote & took it to heart.
First, we went to 3 different feed stores yesterday & picked up Rooster Booster (the vitamins), worming medication to put in their water, Poultry Dust to spread in the coops & on the chickens, Sulfasol powder for their water, Stall Dry for their coops & their arena, & Pine shavings. We already have the gravel to put on top of the Stall Dry. I would still like to get wood chips, but as it was everywhere we went yesterday took up so much of our day that it was almost dark by the time we got home. Every feed store we went to, we talked to the managers/employees/owners & told them what has been going on. They were about as clueless as we are but did agree that everything we bought WAS smart.
I now want to get the OXZINE that rainplace mentioned. I read the article you attached & thought it VERY informative. I really wonder if THAT is what they have?? I don't hear the sneezing or notice ANYTHING odd about them, but the mold spores IS a concern of mine. That is why we are bleaching (well, my husband is right now.. I'm on here
) out the coops completely & why I thought this may all be caused by the local hay, which justbugged mentioned, also. I will be calling around to see if any place around here has OXZINE. I want to use it regardless.. I think it's a great idea. Thank you so much! And I looked up the Puyallup site you sent & will be calling them Monday.
I was hanging out with the chickens before I came on here & they all came right to me once I opened the door & they are all talkative.
So my babies.
And fyi, DesertArizonaChicks, funny you should mention the locking of the coops. THAT is how paranoid we became over our neighbor, so yes.. we have our chicken arena actually padlocked with TWO locks whenever we leave the house. That is very sad for me to admit, but this neighbor HAS admitted to being in our coops when we weren't home, because she needed an egg & thought we wouldn't mind.
So that is the update for today. So far, no losses. The last loss of a chicken was 2-3 weeks ago (my husband found the last one, so I am going off his memory). He did state last night that when the chickens were dying off that it would be a couple to a few losses once a week. So the fact we haven't lost any for 2-3 weeks makes me wonder if we are past this?? Regardless, we are still doing ALL the above that I mentioned. Cost is no concern of mine when it comes to these little guys. Thankfully I have a husband who understands that.
THANK YOU!!