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

[Miss Lydia]

bwahahahahahahahaha..... guess what I am going to go do next time DH gets a little beer happy and wants a 'smooch'......

You wouldn't

 

[Miss Lydia]

G..G....G...G G GGot m-m-m-milk?

Great...now I'm crying down my leg again!

Thanks, guys....

 

[Daisy8s]

Please do! I'm wondering about the results of everyone else who is trying any of the things they read here....the FF~notice larger yolks in the eggs? Less smell in the coop? Less overall feed consumption? Good conditioning and feathering?

How about the deep litter in the runs and coops? Anyone incorporate that and notice any difference in the smell in the coop and run?

NuStock~how are the scales recovering from the mites? Gleet?

Ashes~help with the mites/lice?

Here are my results with each of these things.

1. I'm having mixed results with the fermented feed. I started fermenting regular layer mash in a bucket in my laundry room and at first everyone loved it. I'd feed about 3 cups (to 1 roo and 7 hens) once a day as a supplement to their free ranging and the dry mash that's always available free choice. They'd gobble it all right up. Then, after a few weeks the fermented mash developed a thin white scum on top and took on almost a cheesy smell. I figured it was too warm and moved the bucket outside. The birds still eat it but they aren't as enthused and slowly finish it over the course of the day. Do I need to toss this lot as spoiled and start again?

The birds were already in good health so I haven't noticed any difference in health or egg laying. One hen is molting for the first time. She looked really poorly and was clearly losing weight but now, about 3 weeks from her worst point, she's filling back in. The advent of starting FF coincides with her "recovery" but maybe this is what she would've done anyway (this is my first molt with her). I did begin giving her a handful of wild bird seed to increase her protein. She's looking better but not laying again yet.

2. Deep litter and DE. I love this method and had been using it for awhile with great success. In fact, here's a post I wrote about my successful first year with it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/643302/results-from-first-year-with-deep-litter-method Then, after this spring's clean out I added some DE for no good reason except I was hearing about it. What a mistake! I ruined my beautifully composting deep litter! Turned everything dry and sterile and stinky. I'm trying to correct the problem by not stirring up the DE from below and just adding good soil on top of new litter. I could really kick myself and will now relegate the DE to only treating fleas on dogs (does a great job in the house--sprinkle it in your rugs and around the baseboards, leave for a day or two, and then vacuum up).

3. Nu-Stock. My new best friend! I've used it on two hens with scaly leg mites and one hen with some kind of yellowish crust completely coating her legs. She has naturally olive green legs and after two treatments about 1 1/2 weeks ago the yellow crust is falling off and I can see new green legs underneath. It's really amazing stuff.

4. Ashes and charcoal. The kids are thrilled because I keep suggesting campfires. They have no idea that my ulterior motive is to get ashes to add to the coop. I haven't really seen any of the birds pecking at the charcoal, and they won't dust bathe in the ash, but I keep throwing it in there anyway. Next batch will go into the nesting boxes as a preventative to lice/mites. I'm also planning on applying Neem oil to the roosts when I can find some.

In summary, my little flock free ranges from dawn to dusk on about 1/2 of an acre; they get about 3 cups of FF once a day; dry mash (freshly ground from a local mill) is available free choice. They've never had any chemical worming (only pumpkin and cucumber seeds periodically). I've never had lice or mites. I have never had any problems with feather picking, or thin-shelled eggs. Their feathers are so healthy they practically shimmer.

My recipe for a healthy flock is good food, a good coop, and lots of activity to engage the mind.

 

[galanie]

    bwahahahahahahahaha..... guess what I am going to go do next time DH gets a little beer happy and wants a 'smooch'......

You wouldn't   

hahahahaha Then tell him, "Guess what? Chicken butt!"

 

[Beekissed]

My birds slowed down on the FF after a bit also but I think it's because they are eating now, not because they are starving for nutrients, but because they are actually hungry enough to eat it. They don't have anything else offered but free range so I think they finally had gotten their needed nutrients and were no longer as deficient. This all coincided with a return of sheen and fullness to the feathers and more wt. gain overall, so I am assuming they are now settling down into eating only what they need now.

This is what the FF is supposed to be like, so I'm reading it as not being undesirable food, just they don't need to eat as much of it to keep the engines running in top condition. This is a good thing! Saves me money on feed and keeps them in top form. Actually, I've had to cut back on feed amounts as they were getting too fat and am now just feeding once in the evening, as I used to do. I think they are back on track and don't need the extra nutrition now. Toby is so fat he can barely run!

I'm glad you told us about the DE in the deep litter, Daisy, as it just confirms what I've read and thought about it all along. I've suggested ashes in the bedding in the past for those experiencing mites and lice but have since changed my mind about it, as this too could change the pH of the bedding and cause an imbalance in the composting. I think that balance is what holds parasites in check and it should be encouraged.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I'm glad you told us about the DE in the deep litter, Daisy, as it just confirms what I've read and thought about it all along. I've suggested ashes in the bedding in the past for those experiencing mites and lice but have since changed my mind about it, as this too could change the pH of the bedding and cause an imbalance in the composting. I think that balance is what holds parasites in check and it should be encouraged.

I'm really po'd that I got talked into DE on a different thread, too.

Had a nice dream the other night that somebody "stole" all the pine shavings and DE out of my coop leaving the concrete floor clean. In the dream I was secretly glad. I have more than a few bucks worth of pine shavings in there now with the DE. Was thinking I'll just wait for now/ 'Somebody' is going to be more than a bit upset if I toss out the bedding now. Might have to wait til spring, but (on the other hand) I think the DE dust is just plain not good for their lungs b/c they treat their coop like a dust bath room and it's sooo dry and dusty in there. Our winter air is really dry What to do.....

 

[Leahs Mom]

An update on mulch in the run.

I picked up a bag of grass clippings and leaves that my daughter had raked up from her yard. The grass clippings were green and the leaves were in small pieces, having been run over by the lawn mower. The huge garbage bag full was about evenly distributed between grass and leaves.

I dumped them into the kennel in a pile - just like I did with the wood chips. They paid absolutely no attention. Not interested at all. (I was thinking they'd at least scratch through it a bit.)

Then later I put another 3-4 wheelbarrows full of chips on from the pile and same response as last time - the all went to town on the chips. Of course, now the leaves, grass and chips are mixed together pretty well due to their scratching through the chips.

Back to the mulch in a run.

I have a BIG pile of wood chips. I've been contemplating moving some of them into the dog kennel run to make a "winter yard" in hopes of keeping the ground underneith warm enough that bugs and worms will still come to surface.




I was concerned because there is a lot of spruce in there and wasn't sure if it would deter the worms, etc. So...today I went out there and dug around a bit to see what was going on in the pile. While there was, indeed, some areas of the spruce that had not deteriorated at all (after more than a year...) there were also areas which were nicely deteriorating and had worms and lots of bug life.

You can see in the photo that I put my electronet over there and the chickens have been attacking it with great delight!

So...I got a wheel barrow out and took over about 3 loads that I pulled from the living active area - complete w/bugs, worms and a bit of dirt - and dumped it into the kennel run. I plan to keep moving it a bit at a time till I get it nice and deep.

Of course, there was rejoicing in the run - so much so that they stayed in for awhile even though their door was open.

A few photos:
This photo also shows the re-purposed "shade cloth" that we made from an old banner that I painted green. (We're graphic design people in our workplace and my husband had printed a banner on mesh canvas. He never throws away anything.) I put some green paint over the print to make it blend in a bit better. I STILL NEED TO GET THAT ARCH UP THERE TO PUT IT ON BEFORE WINTER! I'M BEHIND!



The wood chip mulch and 3 of the fab-4 in the kennel run. (Fab-4 are 2 RIRs and 2 BRs; Sunshine Sisters are the aracaunas.)


Add one of the sunshine sisters to the group.



On the outside pile behind electronet.



And just for the fun of it... A few photos of my 7 mo olds (got 'em 2 day-old Mar. 25.)

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm really po'd that I got talked into DE on a different thread, too.

Had a nice dream the other night that somebody "stole" all the pine shavings and DE out of my coop leaving the concrete floor clean. In the dream I was secretly glad. I have more than a few bucks worth of pine shavings in there now with the DE. Was thinking I'll just wait for now/ 'Somebody' is going to be more than a bit upset if I toss out the bedding now. Might have to wait til spring, but (on the other hand) I think the DE dust is just plain not good for their lungs b/c they treat their coop like a dust bath room and it's sooo dry and dusty in there. Our winter air is really dry What to do.....

Bee... what would you recommend in this case... I know I have at least a little DE in the bottom of the coop as well (I put some in before I had thought it all through and realized how illogical that was...)

I'm not sure if it's enough to totally purge the thing and start over or not.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm really po'd that I got talked into DE on a different thread, too.

Had a nice dream the other night that somebody "stole" all the pine shavings and DE out of my coop leaving the concrete floor clean. In the dream I was secretly glad. I have more than a few bucks worth of pine shavings in there now with the DE. Was thinking I'll just wait for now/ 'Somebody' is going to be more than a bit upset if I toss out the bedding now. Might have to wait til spring, but (on the other hand) I think the DE dust is just plain not good for their lungs b/c they treat their coop like a dust bath room and it's sooo dry and dusty in there. Our winter air is really dry What to do.....

I wouldn't worry too much...just dump some good soil in there and let the mix go back to a more acid base and the bugs and such will slowly return. It can and will correct itself with time and good management of what goes in and how it's tended. I have every confidence that you can mend it before too long.

An update on mulch in the run.

I picked up a bag of grass clippings and leaves that my daughter had raked up from her yard. The grass clippings were green and the leaves were in small pieces, having been run over by the lawn mower. The huge garbage bag full was about evenly distributed between grass and leaves.

I dumped them into the kennel in a pile - just like I did with the wood chips. They paid absolutely no attention. Not interested at all. (I was thinking they'd at least scratch through it a bit.)

Then later I put another 3-4 wheelbarrows full of chips on from the pile and same response as last time - the all went to town on the chips. Of course, now the leaves, grass and chips are mixed together pretty well due to their scratching through the chips.

Just think what fun those chickens will have this winter!! They will have their own built in bug larder and come late winter/early spring things will really be hopping in those wood chips. All the bugs and worms coming there just to feed on the manure...what a great system!

 

[thedragonlady]

Just think... a drunken person might just kiss them there lips.....

What a great booth for the fair ! Better than falling into a tub of water !