It's gone very quiet over here...

[sumi]

Moonshadows, wood fire ashes in their dust baths will also help a lot if they do have bugs bothering them.

 

[waretrop]

@MoonShadows Remember I asked you if your birds had bugs???? They have had them for a while now....

Diatom powder and wood ash in the sand bath is good. I know they love to take baths in lime powder bet that keeps them away.

If you grab the chicken and move the feathers away from the ear quickly you sometimes can see them crawling in the ear and on your fingers. The leg mites you have to go out with a flash light at night and quickly look at the legs...much harder..

 

[MoonShadows]

I don't think they have had them for a while...I think the new rooster brought them in.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Don't you hate that? Everyone's good until you bring in newbies! I've never had bug issues with my birds and I don't like the idea of having them. Ugh! I have dealt with mites and lice on the goats and it is not fun.

 

[waretrop]

@MoonShadows Maybe but I would think it would take a little longer for your chickens to get them enough for you to suspect or see them....

Should have taken my free mop do....LOL he was raised in my dining room and none of mine have bugs...Even though he is not as pretty as Phil's.... LOL You know I am just kidding....about my chicken...LOL

 

[MoonShadows]

Maybe they came in on the new hens then.

 

[waretrop]

Oh, Yes, Maybe they did. Work on it quickly. It can get to be a severe case...

 

[MoonShadows]

Yesterday, I finally dismantled the temporary coop in the back half of the run. There were plenty of pine shaving in it that I just piled up. Afterwards I dump some DE into the pine shavings. Within an hour, the chickens had scratched the pine shavings all over...DE all over them as they did; they also decided to sit and relax in the DE pine shavings. I also put a generous amount in each nesting box and over the pine shavings inside the coop. I completed forgot about the bag of pulverized lime I bought; I'll spread that today.

 

[Hinotori]

Dog Frontline works for mites. It's 2 drops for a silkie and 3 for a regular large fowl. On back between wings, or one there and one above vent. Some people put one under each wing in the armpit and one above vent.

I've only used it when the mites got uncontrollable. That gets expensive really quick. It did save my rooster's life. The stupid little song birds brought in the pests and he very quickly got a horrible infestation that even seven dust and bathing in flea shampoo didn't get rid of. I thought he'd die from the anemia, so went asking on BYC. I dosed everyone and he recovered.

 

[waretrop]

Well, someone told me that they couldn't wait to see the tortoise uncovered. He has been screaming to get out so here it is.....

Finally winter is over and he is feeling mighty good in the spring sun.

Next to be uncovered is the bicycle and Anna Belle Leah will come out of her winter spot.

 

[tortoise]

We had snow overnight.