The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

I think that since this all happened so fast with Gunner, that Blue Comb probably isn't the culprit.

 

[4Hgirl]

I've been letting my houseplants dry a bit between waterings, so I'm not sure why that's not working.
I'm also terrified of wasps and hornets, I've never been stung but have a horrible fear of being stung. My poor 9 year old is allergic to Mosquitos, so when she gets bit it swells and blisters. We hate most flying insects....except butterflies. Lol.
All this talk is making me itchy!

I'm glad not To be alone im so afraid of wasps that I had an asthma attack one time when one got near me. I have never been stung im so terrified I'm allergic I just run away every time I see one.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Does any one know of a natural pest preventive, OTHER then DE???

Can you define specifically WHAT PESTS you want to control? Question is too general

 

[aoxa]

I'm glad not To be alone im so afraid of wasps that I had an asthma attack one time when one got near me. I have never been stung im so terrified I'm allergic I just run away every time I see one.

I'm glad too. Everyone thinks I'm crazy.. But than I think they are crazy when they are scared of my chickens..

 

[4Hgirl]

Flies... Worst are Black Flies. They are horrible, fairly small, persistent biters. They drive moose out of the woods, onto roads to get away from them. I'm very sensitive to their bite and swell up around it, like it's a spider bite. They are worse in May and June. They make me want to stay indoors when it's too beautiful to stay indoors!:/

That's what my screen room is for!

 

[salt and pepper]

Can you define specifically WHAT PESTS you want to control? Question is too general

Flies, mites, chiggers, gnats , lice, etc. Thank you!

 

[4Hgirl]

If it was a heart thing, would explain the blueness to his comb, a blood flow issue which would affect the oxygen moving through his body?

I've seen the darkening comb once when we lost two birds a month apart. Soon after figured out our home has a weed growing wild that is poisonous-nightshade. The first bird got sick then recovered then a week later got sick again and died within 24 hrs. The second time her comb did that. She was lethargic and drooling a greenish slime from her beak it seamed like a gastric reflux to me. The second bird was a cubalaya youngster who got lethargic and in a couple hour starting seizing and died in a couple hours. Lethargy was the common symptom. Once we figured out the nightshade issue and pulled it all up, nothing else has gotten ill or died.

 

[4Hgirl]

I'm glad too. Everyone thinks I'm crazy.. But than I think they are crazy when they are scared of my chickens.. 

Bahahahaha I agree! I'm the smart one. Run like heck and don't get stung! I know a surgeon who is terrified of chickens. Good grief man!

 

[BlueMouse]

Well, this morning I went out and let the chickens out and Mrs. Bennet comes strolling out of the broccoli. Relieved that wherever she holed up last night she made it through the night without getting eaten. Hopefully we won't repeat this little escapade. Now, onwards and upwards! I have to get everyone fed, changed, and in the car, we're off to pick up broilers and poults this morning. I'm really nervous about the poults, everyone says they're so fradgile, and it's not like I have a big barn where I can raise them on wire for 8 weeks. We don't seem to have blackhead in our area, and DH really wants to raise our own thanksgiving turkey this year, so....

 

[stonykill]

Well, this morning I went out and let the chickens out and Mrs. Bennet comes strolling out of the broccoli. Relieved that wherever she holed up last night she made it through the night without getting eaten. Hopefully we won't repeat this little escapade. Now, onwards and upwards! I have to get everyone fed, changed, and in the car, we're off to pick up broilers and poults this morning. I'm really nervous about the poults, everyone says they're so fradgile, and it's not like I have a big barn where I can raise them on wire for 8 weeks. We don't seem to have blackhead in our area, and DH really wants to raise our own thanksgiving turkey this year, so....

all through my pre teen and teen years my family raised 25 to 30 turkeys a year. I honestly can't recall anything fragile about them, We made a big 4x8 brooder and kept them in there for about 4 weeks then they went outdoors where they stayed until the last weekend of October when we killed them