The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[Ashdoes]

Well all my birds have really been on the door to the run lately, and I kept feeling bad when I would have to just shut it in their faces. So, I took the plunge and let them out. The big girls were first out and didn't look back. Then the rest came out...and I didn't have the heart to make the silkies stay in, so I just stayed with the flock the whole time.
My dogs did great...the one there in my avatar is going to be the one I watch fir a bit. He gets a little focused on the Silkies and I have to snap him out of it. Overall it was a great hour, and my daughters thought it was super fun.
Almost got them all in the pic...big girls on the right, all the Cochins and one Silkie on the left.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

X2. Hatcheries simply flock breed and mass produce, which means we, the buyers, have to do the culling and selecting of future breeders. A job they could/should/might do but don't as the economics of their operations is pretty much based on sheer volume.

Hey, Fred's Hens, I, too, practice sustainability at the 45th parallel!
Where are you? I am on the Oregon central coast

 

[Fred's Hens]

About 2400+ miles straight east, up in the Mitten. That said, we are growing season zone 4 to 4.5
Got a feeling you're juuuuuuust a wee bit milder.

 

[memechick]

I have a question about my fermented feed bucket ..... its been on my counter for three weeks now looking and smelling good ..... but today I noticed fuzzy mold growing on the sides inside the bucket ...... I'm tempted to dump the whole thing out and starting over. Fuzzy grey mold all around the inside of the bucket. Is this bad?

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

About 2400+ miles straight east, up in the Mitten. That said, we are growing season zone 4 to 4.5
Got a feeling you're juuuuuuust a wee bit milder.

yeaaaaah, quite a bit milder! Here on the coast, they consider us to be zone 5. Go figure.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Today when I was in the coop on the roost was some poop well I got a paper towel to wipe it off and when I did I saw a dead worm in the poop, a round worm, There was a time when I would have totally freaked out got the wazine and wormed everyone, but I don't want to use it any more so what should I do? I know somewhere on this thread there is talk of worms and worming but I doubt I could find it. So I know garlic is one natural wormer how much and how often? cayenne pepper? how much and how often? anything else I can use or should I just leave it alone and do nothing? Thanks for any advise I may get.

 

[lalaland]

lucky for you it is pumpkin time! pumpkin seeds are good for worms, I hear. not the kind you buy that are all salted, and I would go for raw pumpkin seed, enough so everyone gets a small bunch - maybe 1/3 cup per hen? see what everyone else thinks about quantity.

edited to say I give pumpkin seeds to my hens, but can't really tell you whether that is why I have never seen worms.

 

[nbchickfarming]

I'm learning so much... Glad to have experienced chicken folks giving advice. I grew up on a dairy farm and we kept spring chickens but no layers.

This past spring i decided to try raising a small flock I had to talk DH into it....so he
built a coop. I had a few hens that showed no signs of illness except about 1week of runny/ black poops.

so i wormed

them with wazine -because the local farm vet recommended it. ..Then after i found this thread ... i started the ACV and its really helped,everyone is cleared up but my one gold SL . I was wondering if any one else has ideas on this symptom???? cocci ??

Also learning about FF.will that clear up the problem if it is? I'm not giving any more medications!We recently had weather changes,raining,unseasonal temp changes. They free range a few hours a day and have covered run,and no crop issues .

 

[Golden Egg]

Finally made it to the end so I can post!
WAY TO GO BEEKISSED! You have planted SOO many new and wonderful ideas my head! Forever and ever thank you! If you ever write a book, I'm interested in buying it!
I have only been raising animals for a few years, but I have always done things as naturally as possible. It's very frustrating to attempt research on animal health, because the 'Net is inundated with chemical "quick-fixes" and germ-o-phobia. I've had to learn too many things by trial and error. At last, in this thread, I have found the jackpot!!!!

My chickens have dull feathers and recently I discovered a few of them have scale mites.
I tried an improvised Nu-Stock: sulfur powder, olive oil, and crumbled pine resin (all I had on hand!). It hasn't seemed to help much yet. Maybe I need to get the real pine oil?

I read what you said about your CXs and the FF, and I was sold at once. I've done naturally leavened bread, sourdough, yogurt, etc., so fermenting doesn't scare me, LOL. I started my FF that day and have been feeding it to the chickens for a couple days now. They love it and I love it...smells just like sourdough! Makes my mouth water!

I've also started building a deep litter in their coop, and am allowing them to range over a larger area. Can't wait to see how they do on this new and better system!

 

[armorfirelady]

About Deep Litter and Hay:

I'm wondering if anyone has achieved composted deep litter in the coop using hay? I can see how it would work real well with shavings. I skipped the fall cleanout this year and just added some fresh hay, which makes the coop smell great, but since the girls are hardly in the coop there isn't much stirring action going on. I have a good amount of poop, feathers, and.....hay. No moisture.

They will be inside more in the winter, especially when the snows first come and they are terrified to go out (this involves me shoveling, and covering the dreaded snow with a bit of hay - usually takes a couple of days before they will come out and then only with treats to lure them out). There are only a few days in the winter when I shut them in - when windchills are 20 below or lower is kind of my rule of thumb - and then just because they aren't outside anyway, and with the windblowing it gets pretty cold in the coop.

I use hay (or it might be straw I cant tell the difference) in my covered wooden run. Its been in there since August & with the FF there is no smell. I rake it around once a week & throw in some cracked corn once a week when I have to put the girls in early for a meeting. And since there is dirt underneath they move it around really well when they need a new dusting whole