The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Lauravonsmurf]

@ Lauravonsmurf:
"but I was wondering if anyone uses Tobacco as an insect preventative? I have grown tobacco before (just for giggles, I wanted to see what the plant looked like), I have used it medicinally on family members but never considered poultry uses until reading it has been used as such."

Hi,

I'm not an expert or even as knowledgeable as most on here, but I've been using tobacco water for 3 yrs. now when I do my yearly coop cleaning. I read on the original OT site that there was a man named Jerry Baker who was a master gardener about 20 yrs. or more ago for Kmart. Evidently he had his own daytime TV spot as well. Anyway, he made tobacco water out of his chew and added it to his spray. What that spray was I don't know. Anyway....I take my husbands cigarette butts and soak them in gallon bucket of water for a day or two, long enough to make what looks like a strong tea. Then I add that to about another gallon of water in my garden sprayer. I wait for a really sunny, warm day and I spray the entire coop making sure I get in all the nooks and crannies. I let that dry completely, and air it out well. I've never had an issue with any insects of any kind. My hens have always been bug free (knock on wood). I make sure I wear protective goggles and gloves when spraying. I'm not sure if this is the best way to clean, but I know it's an effective pesticide. I was told ammonia will also work and there is a white wash recipe as well that I know some use. This way seemed the easiest to me. Maybe some of you who are more knowledgeable can chime in here.

Thanks I was wondering if a wash might work as a pest preventative for the coop, as I had read about putting tobacco in the nesting/brooding box to keep pests away... I was thinking of using pipe tobacco, but yeah chew might soak better. When I had the live plants I had very few pests in that part of the yard, and in my climate I noted if you do not harvest the plants are not annuals they will actually live for years, it was one of those weird finds smoking tobacco plants at the nursery. I tried growing them last year from seed, but damp off killed the seedlings. I plan to try again on growing it from seed.

 

[flyladyrocks]

I would try your best not to put the feed under the heat lamp - locate it away from the heat.

For my chicks, I've just accepted the idea that they are going to be standing in feed. When they're tiny, I put it in one of the small pyrex pie pans. I also got some of the antique glass waterer bases that I put it in which does keep them from standing in it mostly. As they get older, it goes into pyrex bread pans or larger pie pans with a pyrex circular dish inverted in the center to keep the feed around the edges.

Here's what the antique bases look like...I got mine from ebay:

I use it without the water jar. This works when you have just a few chicks...

Here's with the jar of course.

@delisha was using one of these because she raises lots of chicks:

Here are some of my babies standing in the pie pan type feed...has some mealworms in there too.

 

[flyladyrocks]

have you tried the tin can traps? They live trap the mice....you can put it right next to the nest. I would do something fast to get rid of the mice. poor baby. the mice will start on her skin next, you know = at least that is what I've been told by the 88 yr old farmer neighbor.

 

[BBrady]

Wow, I am excited to find this thread!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I really like the divided dishes I have now for the big girls. Maybe I can find some smaller ones. They are oval and down the middle of the glass is a divider and the big girls just cannot sufficiently scratch to get the food out (maybe a little but not much).

@flyladyrocks
Can you post a photo of your dishes?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wow, I am excited to find this thread!

Glad you found it

 

[lalaland]

Hmmm, never heard of tin can traps - I have to look into that. Thanks!

probably you call them something else - they are smaller maybe 7x10 or so, there is an opening at each end and a little gizmo that makes it so the mice can't get out once in. THe top opens up. if you stick it against the wall, the mice enter even if there isn't any bait. if you bait it, you can put it just about anywhere and the mice will come in. Then you can either drown them, or release them or whatever.

just about any hardward store, feed store will have these. think they are maybe 10 bucks? I keep one on my screened porch year round and one in the coop.

 

[CherMoz]

I think I should put some of those in my garden!! We had a lot of mouse damage last year.

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks. Good to know. I do only buy cane sugar (even that is getting hard to find!) But good to know about Louisiana rice. So forgive my ignorance, but is the glyphosate considered GMO so that would mean that the pure cane sugar is not cured and the rice not dried in it? About once a year when I see by best friend I try to stock up on Staples from her co-op. "yes kids you have to ride with your feet on that 50 lb bag of (fill in the blank). You won't die riding that way for six hours!"

As far as i can tell, there are only two kinds of sugar. Beets are 100% GMO. And I love beets. Gotta learn to grow them. You will probably pay a premium for cane sugar. But the alternative........ A big thing is to know where your rice comes from. Most in the grocery stores are from China or someplace contaminated. Look on the labels. These are two of the most important choices out there. Coming from La. I have no problems buying cane sugar but the rice is just as expensive as other places.

 

[alldembirds]

I bought some tested non-gmo heirloom sugar beet seeds this year from bakers creek in hopes of at least trying to make the smallest amount of sugar....