The Old Folks Home

[getaclue]

When I first began dusting my chickens, I used a pillowcase, and the shake n bake method. Now, I have a square plastic container that I put the dust in, stand the chicken in it, scoop up a handful of dust, and rub it on them, scooping up more dust as needed. The chickens are less intimidated, they get thoroughly coated, and it doesn't waste as much as the shake and bake method.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

wow... that is a awful story about foxes... it worries me having to crate white dog just now till i am able to trust her with the birds leaving the old lady gsd alone at night outside she is 16 years old no back up out there

As bad as foxes are, raccoons can be just as bad...probably more destructive I think.
Our first fox hit was stupidity mixed with naivety.
Our second fox hit was a surprise, even for me because I was aware of how stealth foxes are. They used to get some of Grans chickens. But it wasn't like it wasn't debated long before it happened. I thought the female should be dealt with in a quick and painless manner. DH felt she was doing more good with rodent control, which she was...and didn't think she'd be an issue. Everything was dealt with before I got to the farm the next morning and I haven't been questioned since.

But back to the coons...I had young chicks I had purchased (a weak moment, Silver Spangled Hamburgs ) that were in quarantine in the one shop. A large metal overhead door and two walk-in doors (unfortunately wood)...about as secure as a building on this farm gets. The parent 'coons (presumably) broke the door to get in, oh yes, and proceeded to extract the month old chicks through the 1x2 openings. Unfortunate for them I was already angry from the fox incident and I had all of them trapped and dispatched within a day or two. But I didn't get one little guy. I had trapped a rat in the evening and I left it for live action to bring the coon in. I had planned to take care of the rat in the morning. In the morning I had a baby coon...but no rat. The baby coon had extracted the rat through the 1x1 openings of the trap. Amazing what they can do!

Think ELECTRIC FENCE!

I totally agree! Ours is doing an exceptional job hanging in the shop.

What's everyone's weekend plans?

Today I've got a gravestone cleaning workshop, and I'm hoping to get done in time to get home and put my plants in the garden (finally).
Tomorrow should be Rooster Camp.

Clean the coop (check), dust the birds (half a check, I'm halfway done)...move chicks/keets out asap. And be on standby to pull DH outta da mud if he thinks it's dry enough to spray.
I don't think I'll ever get to the garden.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Oh, for a loaf of crust bread and a big pot of stew to eat with it?

I usually don't do too much bread baking in the summer but as soon as fall comes along, so does home made bread.

I went into town this morning. Big mistake. It's Town WIde Rummage Sale Day. YaY! NOT. Don't get me wrong, I love rummage sales. I just don't love it when people park their car in the lane with just the right side tires of their car almost off the pavement, turn off the motor, get out and walk across the street just to hit a rummage sale and leave the street (no curbs in a lot of the town) with almost one lane for traffic. I think the police car was parked downtown at the station. Our little town has 1300 more or less people in it and every one of them plus every Amish person who owns a buggy and horse (namely all of them) turns out to go a rummaging. Oh, and all the surrounding towns of 100 people or more hit the sales also. I was really glad to get my groceries loaded and head out of town as quickly as possible.

GOD I SOUND LIKE AN OLD PERSON

Think I'll go make pizza. I can't compete with that yummy bread.

Envious of the bread. I haven't made any in a l-o-n-g time.

Not a rummager but I thought I'd go this year in case I could find some good chicken paraphernalia. I totally missed any that were close.

Wow...that's a big town! Our closest town (I guess it'd be classified as a village) is about 40 people...totally serious. The next largest town only has about 550 or so...lol. And no Amish at all. All I've ever seen is from tv. We do have Mennonites and Hutterites.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Been a comedy of errors here, so far this morning.

Got 8 roosters out to the holding pen at 0430. At 0630 I look outside and the alpha roo is walking along the fenceline trying to get back in with the girls.

This either means the stupid door didn't shut all the way on the hoop coop, or he dug his way out. I run out and check. 7 more roosters in the holding pen, door is closed. I plug the very small hole in the back corner that probably a skunk was using to get in and out over the spring, let the ducks out, then trap the rooster in the very muddy and disgusting duck pen.

Have breakfast, start to collect my supplies. Look outside and there's 3 more roosters walking the fence line.

Go back out to the hoop house, discover that there's a very small hole in the fencing on the front that they're squeezing out of. Plug that hole. Open the duck door. Original trapped rooster runs out. Flank the others up against the chicken fence and all of them into the duck pen (4, now). Shut duck pen door.

I can't wait to see what's next.

Unfortunately the duck pen had food spilled, so doing the deed on these guys is going to be gross since they'll have a full crop.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I use Sevin Dust. Dust chickens, roosts especially near the ground, and any coop wood near the ground. Repeat in 10 days, then repeat again in another 10 days. It gets mites, lice, and most other things.

I use the same at the moment, literally. I'm about halfway done dusting, I started at 4am...just taking a break to wash my face, grab a water and get caught upon here. I will be trying something else soon...so the bugs don't get all immune on me.

Thanks! I'm willing to try anything. Does anyone else here dust their birds with a flour sifter? It works great, but I'm pretty sure the neighbors think I've completely lost it.

If you're using something like Sevin dust (Carbaryl)...it's probably a good idea to use a good face mask for the ultra fine particles. I usually suit up and look like I'm dealing with an epidemic of gargantuan proportions...but it's best not to breath the dust or get it on your skin. I normally wear headgear so it doesn't get in my hair, a facemask and two shoulder length palpitating vet gloves so I don't get the dust on me. It's quite a sight, I assure you. This time I'm wearing a hoodie that tied tight around my face and a facemask. The sleeves meet my gloved hands so I didn't use the shoulder length gear...lol. As careful as I am...I'm still covered in the fine dust because some chicken has got to flap it's wings!

I'm going home after I'm done to completely clean up and get a bit of sleep before the boy calls to be picked up.

When I first began dusting my chickens, I used a pillowcase, and the shake n bake method. Now, I have a square plastic container that I put the dust in, stand the chicken in it, scoop up a handful of dust, and rub it on them, scooping up more dust as needed. The chickens are less intimidated, they get thoroughly coated, and it doesn't waste as much as the shake and bake method.

Thank you to everyone for the chatter about this! I caught the first post about using a flour sifter before I went out which got me thinking. I couldn't find a used empty shaker (like popcorn seasoning...something like that) so I used a large vitamin bottle, unscrewed the lid and placed a sandwich baggie over the neck of the bottle. I screwed the lid on and poked 3 holes in the plastic. I'm talking super high tech here. I'm getting an improved spread pattern and it's not killing my elbow with the large canister.

For really bad mite infestations, Spinosad is the current gold standard. It really knocks out the bugs.

I haven't seen Spinosad up here...but I'll have to look a bit more. Sounds like good stuff! I know there's permethrin. (Hope I spelled it correctly)

I've seen a product called Debantic in the one store here...but it is prohibitively expensive. It's also a cholinesterase inhibitor like Carbaryl...but that's all I know other than what I just looked up.
http://www.syrvetcanada.ca/img/product/description/Debantic 6148343_MSDS.pdf
https://www.drugs.com/vet/debantic-50wp-insecticide-can.html

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Been a comedy of errors here, so far this morning.

Got 8 roosters out to the holding pen at 0430. At 0630 I look outside and the alpha roo is walking along the fenceline trying to get back in with the girls.

This either means the stupid door didn't shut all the way on the hoop coop, or he dug his way out. I run out and check. 7 more roosters in the holding pen, door is closed. I plug the very small hole in the back corner that probably a skunk was using to get in and out over the spring, let the ducks out, then trap the rooster in the very muddy and disgusting duck pen.

Have breakfast, start to collect my supplies. Look outside and there's 3 more roosters walking the fence line.

Go back out to the hoop house, discover that there's a very small hole in the fencing on the front that they're squeezing out of. Plug that hole. Open the duck door. Original trapped rooster runs out. Flank the others up against the chicken fence and all of them into the duck pen (4, now). Shut duck pen door.

I can't wait to see what's next.

Unfortunately the duck pen had food spilled, so doing the deed on these guys is going to be gross since they'll have a full crop.

Oh wow...that's a not-so-good start to the day alright.
I hope it gets better, not worse.

I have one rooster out pacing the door to the coop this morning. I clipped his wings a bit the other day...but I will fix his wagon, er...wings when I go back out if he's not in his pen. DH came across a raccoon in the barn last night. I'll be fixing his wagon too. Must. Remember. Marshmallows.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Oh yes...Happy Fathers Day!
The guys here voted for going out for supper last night.

 

[chickadoodles]

I don't know how you all get up at 4 am to do chicken chores.
Even when I had 200+ or - birds I did not do chicken chores till 6-7. Except chicks or poult's I had in the house they got tended to earlier. I guess retirement has gotten the best of me.
Yesterday morning I made my dh a Fathers Day breakfast. Biscuits and sausage gravy from scratch with fried eggs and sausage. Because today I had to do so much prep for his Fathers Day dinner today.
I did make some cream cheese blueberry muffins for breakfast this morning.
I added some of our fresh blueberries.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I don't know how you all get up at 4 am to do chicken chores.
Even when I had 200+ or - birds I did not do chicken chores till 6-7. Except chicks or poult's I had in the house they got tended to earlier. I guess retirement has gotten the best of me.
Yesterday morning I made my dh a Fathers Day breakfast. Biscuits and sausage gravy from scratch with fried eggs and sausage. Because today I had to do so much prep for his Fathers Day dinner today.
I did make some cream cheese blueberry muffins for breakfast this morning.
I added some of our fresh blueberries.View attachment 1046185 View attachment 1046184

I, um...haven't been to bed yet.
Gonna be a harsh day.

But I would LOVE any of the food you mentioned. Those blueberry muffins look delicious!

 

[chickadoodles]

I, um...haven't been to bed yet. View attachment 1046189
Gonna be a harsh day. View attachment 1046194 View attachment 1046198

But I would LOVE any of the food you mentioned. Those blueberry muffins look delicious!

Good morning Wicked. My goodness you poor thing your going to be wore out!
Come on and get any and all you want I have plenty.