Washingtonians

[Stumpfarmer]

I'm concentrating, today, on puttering around, eating the right stuff at the right time (tough since I woke up at 7am with my BG at 75mg/dl) and not pushing myself too hard. Oh, and writing Burnt Ridge about apple trees to pick up at the Market on Saturday and calling the guy about giving Bacchus a crew-cut.

I'm going to move Malvina's cage to the place where I'll be building her chick pen, clean out her nest box and give her the last four days Hamburg eggs (which is a dozen) to see what she does with them- since she's laying an egg a day and trying to hatch them (and hiding them in her cat-box nest-box every time she gets a chance and then sitting on them even more enthusiastically). Also, I think, put Ian on CL, because for all his nice color he's just not got much in the way of Wyandotte type, and it makes more sense to move Annie-Frid, Bjorn, and Agnetha up the hill some evening soon, and clean up the hoop house for other poultry purposes.

Yesterday I got the last hard bit of the Hamburg extension finished, and just need to slap on the high-up wire and plastic and oh, yeah, frame in the airlock and stuff. They like the open air, so they'll have dry perches and the airlock (storm door, 36" square window, roof, knee-wall, and et'c) for refuge in the winter. I need to get a twelve-foot chunk of rigid UV resistant greenhouse cover for the west side, though, I've conferred with my mentors and they all say roll goods won't work for that exposure.

I'm down to four cows yet to calve, but one of them should be today or tomorrow, lunch done, must run.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Thread killer strikes again

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I'm here....

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Anyone want some Giant African Dewlaps?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

That's my calf after going into the pen last night to tip their waterer back over and fill it up. Da*n ganders! The female is sitting on 5 sebbie eggs for me and the (two) ganders are ruthless right now in protecting her and the nest! One gander cannot bite because his bill is broken. The other--wow--they are so strong and huge! I'm giving them away to my MIL for now...she's got a very large, fenced-in-pasture with a pond that they're moving to (the ganders this week) and the goose, once she's done raising my Sebbies for me...

After that, I'll be selling the broken bill gander separately and then the pair....if anyone's interested? I would not recommend them for someone with small children...BUT they do make excellent watch animals and will attack strangers!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Anyone want some Giant African Dewlaps?

OUCH. Some bruise there, missy!

Ian bit the heck out of my left index finger last week and bruised the bone; the bruise doesn't show but my whole hand aches.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

OUCH. Some bruise there, missy!
Ian bit the heck out of my left index finger last week and bruised the bone; the bruise doesn't show but my whole hand aches.

I know and it hurts! LOL

Audrey's been down for a nap since 12:30...I got the laundry (almost) all caught up, the kitchen cleaned, dinner in the crock pot, animals all fed/watered, eggs collected, eggs packaged and my website updated...now I'm drinking ice water and "shopping" on BYC...

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Okay friends - I know there is a lot of information spread throughout BYC, but I'm hoping I can get some quick direct answers. I spoke with a friend last night who says she's seen mites on at least on of her birds so we're going to treat them this morning. She is very hesitant to use any chemicals on her birds but I'm urging her to take action to take care of the problem as quickly as possible. We're going to dose them with Eprinex - can someone remind me how much to use? And what else besides Sevin do you use to dust the birds? She wants to dust with DE only, but I'm thinking something stronger may be required.

We'll also be cleaning out the nest boxes and coop today - should we use a bleach solution?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

1/2 cc per large fowl bird (unless it's very large like a jersey giant, then I'd use a little more) and 1/4 cc per bantam (less for something tiny like a Serama). I use Sevin dust also...DE won't get rid of bugs once you have them, it dries out the eggs and keeps them for hatching. I have found the "Poultry Dust" doesn't work very well... I also just use the Sevin in the nest boxes.

 

[SadieSue]

Quote:
Thanks CF - after a consult with someone at Wilco this morning she just came home with Poultry Dust and we ended up not using Eprinex after all. Looks like she may have to break down and use the Eprinex and the Sevin after she realizes this wasn't very effective after all. We all learn some way or another - I just prefer to get advice from folks I trust and do it the right way first. I can understand the desire to keep things "natural" but some need to be persuaded through trial and error. I will be back to help her again when she's ready.

 

[SweetSilver]

Um I might. I never had rain barrels before so we will have to see I got them mainly for my garden but I dont see why you couldnt use the water for your chickens as long as it was fresh and not sitting in the barrel forever and it would have to be filtered. But I will keep everyone posted. These are huge 275 gallon barrels that were used for somin else and we are gonna make them into to rain barrels. SO once I get them cleaned and in place then I will post pictures. But I know a lot of ppl have barrels here and probably know more then I.

I would be careful about where the water is collected from before using it to water the chickens or any other animal. Roof water from a composite roof is not good for drinking, as it has been known to contaminate the runoff. Not good for drinking water, even for animals. Metal roofs are the best for that use.