Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

I'd love too!! I really would. I used to belong to an online horse forum and I was always so enthralled by the difference in breeds and care techniques from those in Australia. I'm a learner, I have to learn something new every day one way or another or I feel like I've wasted the day.

How interesting! I always have to keep my mind busy too. The internet is wonderful that way. So much information @ your fingertips! I'm subtropical ~ very muggy in summer~ & when I was looking @ coop designs there was so much about keeping chickens warm & almost nothing about keeping them cool through a long humid summer. I have a really odd design which has been pretty good through a fairly mild winter but I have yet to see how it will do through a really hot summer with loads of mozzies & sandflies. I'm still working on ways to deal with the insects!

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

My chooks do a GREAT job of keeping the mosquitoes down. Our biggest problem is black flies. I live in a rural area with lots of farms so manure spreading is very common.

 

[Ribh]

My chooks do a GREAT job of keeping the mosquitoes down. Our biggest problem is black flies. I live in a rural area with lots of farms so manure spreading is very common.

Our mozzies are out of control. We have mangrove swamps & inland swamp & some summers they are in plague proportions. All my birds have a little bit of fowl pox & it's winter! The girls do help clear up the ticks though I am seriously considering some guineas to do the job properly.

 

[MaryJanet]

Hello everyone! What gorgeous photos I agree, ribh there's very little advice to be found on keeping chickens cool through hard summers, although I reckon I cracked that problem when I put the misting system in. Fortunately, I have nothing like your mozzie problem, now your flock is larger do you think they'll have an impact on the mozzies?

 

[Ribh]

The girls have been making a terrible racket all morning. There were 3 eggs already...

And Suyin was in a nesting box ...

But honestly...! I pity the poor neighbours when they go off like this.

 

[Ribh]

I have nothing like your mozzie problem, now your flock is larger do you think they'll have an impact on the mozzies?

Yep. More body heat, more mozzies! I'm looking into a battery powered zapper. Apart from the health risk they are just annoying!

 

[MaryJanet]

The girls have been making a terrible racket all morning. There were 3 eggs already...
View attachment 1839181
And Suyin was in a nesting box ...
View attachment 1839182
But honestly...! I pity the poor neighbours when they go off like this.

There she is! Standing tall on the step!

Yep. More body heat, more mozzies! I'm looking into a battery powered zapper. Apart from the health risk they are just annoying!

They're awful. That noise immediately wakes me up and drives me crazy. But I hear it only once or twice a year, so I consider myself fortunate. The zapper sounds like a good idea. I'm wondering about coopex, does it work on mozzies?

 

[MaryJanet]

The coopex website says "flying pests" but not mosquitoes. Might be worth a try? I got a couple of packets from Bunnos.
https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.com.au/Pest-Management/Products/Coopex-Residual-Insecticide

 

[Ribh]

There she is! Standing tall on the step!

She carries herself well for such a tiny mite!

he zapper sounds like a good idea. I'm wondering about coopex, does it work on mozzies?

I'm not sure. I have a fly thiny hanging up. Not sure how well that works. Not really game to look but probably time to change it. And while the mozzies were really bad @ the end of summer I chatted with our produce store. I would have to check what they recommended but it's a spray the whole coop with it product & deals with lice & mites as well. So far it has been reasonably effective but summer will tell. I use it each time I clean the coop ~ so several times a week. I clean every 2~3 days.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Zyrtec is GREAT for cat allergies. My step-daughter is allergic to cats and we have 2. She takes 1 a day when she's with us and she can bury her face right into her kitty boy with no issues.

If you have a club store, like Sam's or Costco, near you they sell 365 count bottles for about $15. I take one every day and it does not make you sleepy.

Thanks! Yea, I’ve taken generic Allegra at times as I have indoor allergies that only get me on occasion but the cat allergies are a new thing ... I have also started taking two table spoons of Elderberry for the allergies and that helps.. thanks so much