The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[getaclue]

Awhile back, Dh stacked a bunch of branches in the fire pit. A mother bunny, and her babies lived there for awhile. When the bunnies got bigger, they all moved out, so Dh burned the branches. He said at least 10 rats ran out. I hoped they would not relocate to my coop, but sort of figured there was a good possibility of that happening. Dd came in from the coop yesterday, and announced I have lots of rat activity in the coops. Oh, and there was a roundworm in one of the poops. Dang!

Dd is at college now, taking a final exam. It looks like rain, but after she gets home, we're going out, and worming the chickens. I will put out rat baits, and flood any tunnels I find too. If it's raining, I won't dust them, but as soon as I get a morning that's not raining, I will spray the coops, and dust the chickens. It's been my experience through the years, that when I get rat activity, I get mites too.

 

[getaclue]

I had to pick up a generator, and gas cans from my cousin's house. She was without power for a few days, and used the generator for a portable AC unit, and her refrigerator. Of course, my truck broke down. It may not be too serious. I know the belt is shredded. The wrecker is coming down the drive now.

 

[seminolewind]

Sorry your truck broke down. Hope you fix it quick!

Ok. Time for a good laugh! This rash is really itchy. Yesterday I notice my daughter has 2 bumps. Well today she has 2 areas on her arms!

I was thinking poison ivy. You people sure are smart! So my daughter can't go to work. Nothing helps with the itch. I've tried everything. It seems that caladryl lotion works the best so far

Turns out my chickens have been hiding in the shade right in the middle of poison ivy. We pick them up and hold them. So it's on both of our forearms. However, not on our hands. I guess we washed well, just not up the arm. Oh G_od, I hope I don't get more from anything latest. It blows my mind that I actually have poison ivy from a chicken!

 

[1muttsfan]

oh boy.

 

[robhuncor]

Hot as you can stand compresses or just run hot water over the itchy areas for a few minutes. Keep doing it every time the itch starts. It really works! And works on poison ivy or bug bites.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, joy! I often wondered about that since we have a little poison ivy in places that I can't seem to eradicate. At least you figured it out!

 

[getaclue]

In addition to treating the current outbreak, you need to remove, and bag the poison ivy outside. Don't burn it. The house we lived in where my daughters grew up, had a fenced yard. On the back side of the property was woods. A few times, the poison ivy grew on my fence. I'd be the one to go clean it all up, since I'm not allergic to it, and it doesn't bother me. My oldest daughter is highly allergic. All she has to do is walk near it to break out.

 

[speckledhen]

NEVER burn poison ivy! When my boys were young, we went to a BBQ and they had a bonfire. Someone threw in something with poison ivy on it. Poor Chris's face was swollen, his eyes glued shut. It was awful!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@seminolewind
POISON IVY!!!! I got it from my chickens a couple years ago. I had never had a PI allergy before, but I, like you, realized that they were walking through it every day and even gathering eggs was exposing me to it on a daily basis.

I guess that even if you've never reacted before, daily exposure like that can break down the defenses.

I had to rip it all out, then in the area where the deep roots were (that will always keep coming back, I needed to find a solution that was safe for the chickens. This is in a little wooded area that they have to run in.

I ended up purchasing a 50 lb bag of real salt - the kind you feed livestock - and salting the area where the PI was. I'd watch it for any growth and just kick it down with my shoe and apply more salt as needed. It worked great, and after watching it for 2 seasons, it hasn't returned.

The salt is safe for the chickens, and the area was small enough that I wasn't worried about hurting the ground.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh...and the best thing I found for PI is Zanfel. It really works, but expensive. You can get it at any drugstore usually or probably a Wallmart.

ETA:
This has a grit to it. You scrub PI that has already broken out with it and the grit feels great because you're "scratching" the pi

I tried other things, but this stuff really works.