Farmfresh
City Biddy
Poor Quail. 
Organic Chicken Raising! Discussions here!
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Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I have a confession also, Aly. When I got these latest freebie chickens, they brought scale mites to my flock along with them.... 
I've been so busy with Mom's world that I haven't really got to even look at my flock for so long.....this week I noticed my good, sweet hens and roo walking around on the ugliest, most painful looking legs I've ever seen on a chicken!
I feel like such a poor flockmaster.....
The new gals had come with some red stuff painted on their legs, so I knew they had been treated previously for something of this nature, but they seemed pretty healthy looking when I got them. I've never had mites or lice or anything like this before, so this has made me a little sick to my stomach.
My mother and I spent one evening massaging Bag Balm into all the chickens legs and feet and I almost cried when I saw how bad they were. I'm very embarassed by the whole thing. Mom tried to make me feel better by saying I hadn't had the time to tend my flock, but it still didn't make me feel good about it.
We had only been getting about 6 eggs per day from 29 hens, but I put that down to the active moult and the time of year. Two days after I treated their legs, the egg count went to 11. It's obvious my poor chickens have been miserable and weak from a parasite infestation.
I'm going to treat again next week(maybe with spray olive oil) and use DE in the nest boxes and on the roosts. The gals already look like they feel better....and who wouldn't after getting a foot and leg massage before going to bed?
Also going to do a general de-worming with soap, garlic juice and my homemade vinegar. Just need to get my flock back to being the happiest chickens in the county.....
Don't feel bad, Aly....sometimes in the farming world, these things just happen!
I've been so busy with Mom's world that I haven't really got to even look at my flock for so long.....this week I noticed my good, sweet hens and roo walking around on the ugliest, most painful looking legs I've ever seen on a chicken!
I feel like such a poor flockmaster.....
The new gals had come with some red stuff painted on their legs, so I knew they had been treated previously for something of this nature, but they seemed pretty healthy looking when I got them. I've never had mites or lice or anything like this before, so this has made me a little sick to my stomach.
My mother and I spent one evening massaging Bag Balm into all the chickens legs and feet and I almost cried when I saw how bad they were. I'm very embarassed by the whole thing. Mom tried to make me feel better by saying I hadn't had the time to tend my flock, but it still didn't make me feel good about it.
We had only been getting about 6 eggs per day from 29 hens, but I put that down to the active moult and the time of year. Two days after I treated their legs, the egg count went to 11. It's obvious my poor chickens have been miserable and weak from a parasite infestation.
I'm going to treat again next week(maybe with spray olive oil) and use DE in the nest boxes and on the roosts. The gals already look like they feel better....and who wouldn't after getting a foot and leg massage before going to bed?
Also going to do a general de-worming with soap, garlic juice and my homemade vinegar. Just need to get my flock back to being the happiest chickens in the county.....
Don't feel bad, Aly....sometimes in the farming world, these things just happen!
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Use the olive oil (or just any cooking oil will do) fill a deep cup with the oil and just dip each leg in and hold for a minute. Kills mites mighty quick!
noobiechickenlady
Almost Self-Reliant
Good to know, FF! I haven't had any problems with my small flock yet so I'm storing up info like that for future needs.
A plus too is now I have a use for that GALLON of yucky soybean oil DH bought.
Could I do it as a preventive?
so I'm storing up info like that for future needs.A plus too is now I have a use for that GALLON of yucky soybean oil DH bought.
Could I do it as a preventive?
Lady Henevere
Lovin' The Homestead
Are there people here who do not have their chickens on any commercial feed at all - just grains, forage, and table/garden scraps? (Maybe this is what Free does, based on a very early post in this thread?)
Also, does anyone feed the egg shells back to the chickens? I have heard this can be done to boost calcium intake rather than oyster shell. And does anyone feed some of the (cooked) eggs back to the chickens for extra protein? (In case you couldn't tell, I'm thinking about ways to minimize reliance on commercial feed.) Thanks for any input.
Also, does anyone feed the egg shells back to the chickens? I have heard this can be done to boost calcium intake rather than oyster shell. And does anyone feed some of the (cooked) eggs back to the chickens for extra protein? (In case you couldn't tell, I'm thinking about ways to minimize reliance on commercial feed.) Thanks for any input.
PunkinPeep
Humble Ambitions
I'm of the same mind you are, i think.Lady Henevere said:
i know that SpeckledHen on BYC feeds the baked/crushed egg shells back to the layers for calcium.
Lots of people use the eggs for weekly or more snacks for extra protein.
My goal is to get them all but completely off of store bought feed by raising and cultivating worms and crickets and appropriate grains to supplement foraging.....but i'm not there yet - not even close actually.
freemotion
Food Guru
I am constantly feeding my birds crazy stuff! I do have to buy most of it, unfortunately. But I do feed whole grains, and boost the protein by sprouting in winter. I have started sprouting now. I also feed meat, fat, and bone scraps to the hens. Any eggs that are cracked or too dirty get cooked and fed to them....or the dogs, who could use a dose of Omega III's now and then!Lady Henevere said:
I am trying to feed my flock only stuff that I COULD grow if I had to. I could fence off part of my pasture and grow barley, corn, oats, peas, buckwheat.....
I experiment with whatever comes my way free, too. I have a crate of acorns in the garage that I will feed in small amounts this winter. I have pumpkins and squash I gleaned for free that I am already feeding them....there is a big one right now that I stomped on and put in the coop so they have something to work on until I get up and scatter grain for them. I have about a half dozen sacks of "lawn hay" that I dried for winter greens. I will cook some of the pumpkins and squash when the snow flies and they don't venture into the pasture so much.
When we grow and process pigs next year, some of the offal I don't want may go to the hens. I will can it in quarts and see who gets it...dogs, cats, or hens!
I do feed oyster shell, but they don't eat much when bugs are available, so they must get some calcium from them. In theory, I live within a short drive from the ocean, so I could gather shells and crush them. If I had to.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
It would not hurt a bit to give them a dip in the yucky oil from time to time. The oil clogs the pores of the bugs and blocks their ability to breath - thus killing them. If they don't have any leg mites to kill the oil will still be a wonderful moisturizer! 
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
A funny side note of treating for mites: My birds are having some difficulty staying on the roosts! 
I have round roosts and now they are quite greasy.....gonna have to dust them with some DE to give my gals a grip.
Gonna dip them in oil again this week. Have changed all nest bedding to pine/cedar mix shavings....mostly pine but I wanted a little cedar in there for mite repellant. And it smells heavenly in the coop now!
I have round roosts and now they are quite greasy.....gonna have to dust them with some DE to give my gals a grip. Gonna dip them in oil again this week. Have changed all nest bedding to pine/cedar mix shavings....mostly pine but I wanted a little cedar in there for mite repellant. And it smells heavenly in the coop now!
Farmfresh
City Biddy
I often throw in a handful or two of cedar in the winter months ... just to ward away the bugs. You are right it smells great.
I just want to say (so others know) ... do not use straight cedar in a chicken coop. That great smell is hard on the lungs if you are a hen and have to walk right down in it. Cedar should never be used in small animal or rabbit cages either (unless in very small amounts) as it can cause respiratory problems.
I just want to say (so others know) ... do not use straight cedar in a chicken coop. That great smell is hard on the lungs if you are a hen and have to walk right down in it. Cedar should never be used in small animal or rabbit cages either (unless in very small amounts) as it can cause respiratory problems.
