Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[Lori Marie]

Can you tell me about the sage? I guess I missed that conversation. I haven't heard anything about sage with chickens. Thanks so much, Lori

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Hi Beekissed,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I just read the thread and this is all very fascinating to me. So much good advice. And, yes I agree that what one person discovers, may not necessarily work the same way or be true for someone else. For example, many people are rating Polish hens as not doing well in winter and that they stopped laying completely, but our Polish girls have all laid one egg a day each all winter here in Maine.

I have a lot to learn yet. Have only been doing this for a year now. So, if chickens are not itching/scratching is it still mandatory to spray with Poultry protector? Am I reading correctly that is the recommended course? (I haven't sprayed with anything yet.)
Thank you,
Maureen

 

[Beekissed]

Hi Beekissed,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I just read the thread and this is all very fascinating to me. So much good advice. And, yes I agree that what one person discovers, may not necessarily work the same way or be true for someone else. For example, many people are rating Polish hens as not doing well in winter and that they stopped laying completely, but our Polish girls have all laid one egg a day each all winter here in Maine.

I have a lot to learn yet. Have only been doing this for a year now. So, if chickens are not itching/scratching is it still mandatory to spray with Poultry protector? Am I reading correctly that is the recommended course? (I haven't sprayed with anything yet.)
Thank you,
Maureen

It's never mandatory to spray your flock with a chemical for no reason, nor would I ever recommend it. If you do have lice or mites on your birds you can dust them with any number of things that can help them rid themselves of the parasites~sulfur powder, lime, pyrethrin, and even permethrin, though the permethrin isn't exactly recommended for use on food animals and I'd limit it to the bird, the nests and the roosts but be careful to not get it into the bedding or soils as it can kill beneficial life there.

If they do not have parasites, just providing a good place for them to dust can help prevent such things on their own most of the time. I had never had any parasites in my flocks for many long years and only got them in later years when new birds were introduced into the flock and again later when my flock were living on another farm under another person's care. So it's not inevitable that a flock develop these parasites all the time, nor do they have to be treated regularly to prevent it.

Just do a good inspection on the skin around their vents every now and again, under a bright light after dark and if they have any mites or lice you should be able to see them crawling there or even see their eggs at the base of the feathers there. Unless you see such things I'd never treat.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Thank you. That makes complete sense to me.
One more piece of advice: what type of sand do you buy for dust baths and where do you get it?

 

[Beekissed]

Sand is okay but they generally prefer dust from the local soils if you have it in their living space......unless sand is very, very fine it won't cling to their skin surface like they like it to do. If you have no such thing available you can get bags of clay powder that's very fine and they love, at any Lowe's and it's really cheap. Just keep it dry and keep it nice and deep, in a place where two or more can dust at the same time if you can...they like to dust together when they can. Some people even mix it in with a bag of mulch and they seem to like that as well.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

They do have earth/dust in their living space because last summer they ate all the grass in their 20 X 40 ft run. They had dug themselves 2 dust bowls to do that in. But, with all the snow we've had here in Maine it's covered over and what does show has alternately turned from frozen to mud.

Before I put in the mix of play sand/pea stone, I put used shavings on the ground so it wouldn't be so wet. I found 2 of them "dust bathing" in a large galvanized pail of the shavings that I had collected.

We are a 1/4 of the way through building a roof of Suntuf panels over their run and we've installed a greenhouse fan in one end and will install the matching louver in the other end. So, the ground will stay drier next winter.

I will look for the clay dust. Thank you so much for the advice.
Maureen

 

[Lori Marie]

Hi Maureen,
I have read alot of people are using food grade DE. I actually ordered some online and use it in the coop to keep away any bugs. I have not had any issues at all. It's safe and easy to use and just use some now & then. I think you might have been the person that mentioned you bought some type of heater for your coop and it worked great. Can you tell me what kind it is? We didn't use one this winter but I think I'd like to for next winter. I am just a bit concerned about the safety. Thanks and your right about things not always applying to all chickens. They are all different and respond different to things. Lori

 

[chicken04]

Poultry protector doesn't youse chemicals it's all natural and non poisonous so yes you should spray them I read this from a poultry scientist and it even says on the bottle ALL NATURAL.I've had chickens for 5 years and I know all about them.Also you should only spray them if you see one chicken with lice or mites then you should spray them weekly I also read this in the book raising chickens for dummies which was particularly made by the creator of byc but ok back to the main topic so unless you see mites then just let them dust bathe.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

OK. You're pretty funny, by the way. Thank you for the humor.

Maureen

 

[Lori Marie]

I agree with you. Common sense is always best. Why treat for something if not needed. Thanks for your advice it's always nice to get good advice with raising chickens since this is my 1st time. Lori