The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Aoxa - when you say that you spray yourself all over and rinse your boots, etc.... do you do that somewhere on your property or before you are home?

I do think I'll pick up some Oxine to have on hand. I was going to use it in a power washer on the floor mats, etc., that I've scraped my shoes on around here just to get them all clean. Not sure if I'll use in the chicken house or not at this point.


I keep thinking that I'd like my husbandry methods to be such that they have strong immune systems and are able to "stand up to" germs and infections. Still contemplating what do do in the coop itself - if anything.

 

[aoxa]

The water hose didn't work. Almond oil didn't work. I even poured kerosene between the porch boards. That is one big mess on my porch now and those wasps are really p....off! We can't see or reach the wasp nest. It is under the porch in the ground. No access.

I have had the ground dwelling ones as well. The only thing that killed them was the wasp killer. Just make sure you block the area off to your chickens.

All natural #1, but sometimes there are exceptions.. Being stung is not fun, and I will resort to the real killer (the one that foams up).

Aoxa - when you say that you spray yourself all over and rinse your boots, etc.... do you do that somewhere on your property or before you are home?

I do think I'll pick up some Oxine to have on hand. I was going to use it in a power washer on the floor mats, etc., that I've scraped my shoes on around here just to get them all clean. Not sure if I'll use in the chicken house or not at this point.


I keep thinking that I'd like my husbandry methods to be such that they have strong immune systems and are able to "stand up to" germs and infections. Still contemplating what do do in the coop itself - if anything.

I do it in my front driveway or garage where the chickens do not go.

I'm even hesitant to bring my birds to any shows any more. I may just do the geese...

I really need a good holding area for when I return from shows. I have my garage, but I hate keeping them confined.

Del, how long do you confine after a show?

 

[Sally8]

I don't do shows and have never been to one. The only thing I can think of is the county fair. These diseases you all are talking about....are they rampant down here in the Northeast?

 

[armorfirelady]

Lalala. Did you ever do the sulfer baths on your chickens?

 

[aoxa]

I don't do shows and have never been to one. The only thing I can think of is the county fair. These diseases you all are talking about....are they rampant down here in the Northeast?

MG is common anywhere in North America unfortunately.

At shows in the US most places require NPIP testing if I'm not mistaken... they do not require that here.. just ILT vaccination.

 

[MumsyII]

I have had the ground dwelling ones as well. The only thing that killed them was the wasp killer. Just make sure you block the area off to your chickens.

All natural #1, but sometimes there are exceptions.. Being stung is not fun, and I will resort to the real killer (the one that foams up).
I do it in my front driveway or garage where the chickens do not go.

I'm even hesitant to bring my birds to any shows any more. I may just do the geese...

I really need a good holding area for when I return from shows. I have my garage, but I hate keeping them confined.

Del, how long do you confine after a show?

I'm really going to have a hard time isolating birds from this porch. Two pens are either side of it. I have another entrance for access to the barn so I can still get feed in and out and feed and water birds penned in there now. That porch is the main entrance. You are right naturaly #1 and then plan B and plan C. Plan C is poison but I hate the thought of using it right there in the middle of my operation. We all walk on the porch everyday, multiple times a day. Me and the chickens.

I'm hesitant to show my birds as well. We're talking about taking our best stock. Our future breeders and risking them and our flock back at home. It's a hard decision. I have quarantine areas but like you say, I hate the thought of confining them for a month after returning. Punishment on top of punishment if you look at it from the birds point of view. Shows are stressful enough for them in the first place.

I'm thinking hard about what to do about my plans to show.

On a happier note.......Ten chicks now. Eight vaulted. If those eight are females, my breeding flock of White Silkies will be off to a grand start! 60% hatch rate is not the best I've ever had with Silkies but certainly better than some hatches I've had. I'm loving on them.

 

[aoxa]

I'm really going to have a hard time isolating birds from this porch. Two pens are either side of it. I have another entrance for access to the barn so I can still get feed in and out and feed and water birds penned in there now. That porch is the main entrance. You are right naturaly #1 and then plan B and plan C. Plan C is poison but I hate the thought of using it right there in the middle of my operation. We all walk on the porch everyday, multiple times a day. Me and the chickens.

I'm hesitant to show my birds as well. We're talking about taking our best stock. Our future breeders and risking them and our flock back at home. It's a hard decision. I have quarantine areas but like you say, I hate the thought of confining them for a month after returning. Punishment on top of punishment if you look at it from the birds point of view. Shows are stressful enough for them in the first place.

I'm thinking hard about what to do about my plans to show.

On a happier note.......Ten chicks now. Eight vaulted. If those eight are females, my breeding flock of White Silkies will be off to a grand start! 60% hatch rate is not the best I've ever had with Silkies but certainly better than some hatches I've had. I'm loving on them.

Is your hatch done yet?

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I'm really going to have a hard time isolating birds from this porch. Two pens are either side of it. I have another entrance for access to the barn so I can still get feed in and out and feed and water birds penned in there now. That porch is the main entrance. You are right naturaly #1 and then plan B and plan C. Plan C is poison but I hate the thought of using it right there in the middle of my operation. We all walk on the porch everyday, multiple times a day. Me and the chickens.

Natural is always best!! But sometimes, the natural way doesn't work, and you are still presented with a big problem. I have more wasps on this property than I have ever seen, in all my 35 years dealing with and moving all over the south east. And TX and KS.

Out here in SC, I have tried home made wasp traps, with the vinegar etc.....store bought wasp traps (they ignored them), and now am using the can spray one just for them. I can't even sit on my front porch because the wasps nests are so bad.

However, the yellow jackets presented a different problem. They were underground. NO way to see the nest or deal with it without digging it up. Not an option. I was against using volatile chemicals on the ground, but having the yellow jacket nest in our future chicken run was possibly worse. So I looked the other way. DH only poured about a cupful down the nest entrance. And then we waited. They are gone now, but I know to watch for them now.

Is there any way to seal the porch with plastic and use some of the Raid smoke bombs on it? I hope you can find a satisfactory resolution to them.

I am surprised kerosene didn't work.

 

[lalaland]

Lalala. Did you ever do the sulfer baths on your chickens?

not yet! it has been in the low 60's and it is just to chilly - you have to drench them so they are wet down to the skin, and I also want to have a day hot enough to have hot water in the garden hose. I don't want to do it in the house it would smell like sulphur for days.

I did add sulphur to the feed. I am not seeing a repeat problem with the mites, it is just that I can't tell but do suspect that I havent gotten rid of the feather mites yet. So if it is warm enough tomorrow, I will dip tomorrow, or on Sunday which would be the next free day. I wish I had found the info on the dip whenit was in the 80's and 90's here!

 

[MumsyII]

Natural is always best!! But sometimes, the natural way doesn't work, and you are still presented with a big problem. I have more wasps on this property than I have ever seen, in all my 35 years dealing with and moving all over the south east. And TX and KS.

Out here in SC, I have tried home made wasp traps, with the vinegar etc.....store bought wasp traps (they ignored them), and now am using the can spray one just for them. I can't even sit on my front porch because the wasps nests are so bad.

However, the yellow jackets presented a different problem. They were underground. NO way to see the nest or deal with it without digging it up. Not an option. I was against using volatile chemicals on the ground, but having the yellow jacket nest in our future chicken run was possibly worse. So I looked the other way. DH only poured about a cupful down the nest entrance. And then we waited. They are gone now, but I know to watch for them now.

Is there any way to seal the porch with plastic and use some of the Raid smoke bombs on it? I hope you can find a satisfactory resolution to them.

I am surprised kerosene didn't work.

I have used the homemade traps and they worked well for yellow jackets in Aug. I used chunks of salmon and tuna as bait. Only used the traps when we were eating outside. Usually my motto is 'live and let live' with critters. Big and small. I always like to go for the non lethal ways first and poison is not even in my arsenal. I can't see or access the actual nest under the porch deck. This morning while the air had a chill, I removed the steps and tried to dig out some soil and see if it would expose the nest. Well, that woke them up and they came swarming out. I still can't see the nest entrance. I've read they often build it in abandoned mice or rat holes. After twenty five years, I'm sure there are some of those tunnels under the porch. After raking and digging, I poured another cup of kerosene over the spaces and dripped it into the soil. Had to run for my life again! I'll go out in a bit and see if there is still hornet action. If this doesn't do anything, I'll consider something else. I will never plant anything or have chickens on the soil under this porch, so if I have to contaminate it, the insects will be the only thing affected in this spot. The hornets have made sure mice and rats have vacated!