Winter

Winter

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Today on Tuesday


I am glad it is Tuesday and that we got so much work accomplished.
I was reading up on malady's that chickens can get. After a summer
of my chickens going down hill. My hens faces were getting pale.
I know that sounds weird but chickens do get really pale faces and
their combs change color and the hens feathers were breaking off.
I was giving them extra fruits and vegetables and nothing seemed
to work. So I picked one up and noticed that it had mites.



I read all kinds of blogs that told me what to do so I cleaned and cleaned
the coops and then my husband sprayed the thing down with Seven.
We left it to sit for a whole day. The mites live in the wood so you have to really
spray the wood. Then yesterday, we powdered them in Diatomaceous Earth.
We filled a cloth bag with the stuff which looks a lot like cement and about as fine.
Then I would go into the chicken coop and catch one hen at a time. I would hold
their feet and slide them in while Ron would hold them by the head and then
we would shake them all around. We would hold them down and rub the earth under
the wings and then let them go. They would walk across the yard with dust like smoke
blowing with every step.

Catching chickens who don't want to be caught is quite a work out. I had sweat running
down my face mixing with the gray of the Diatomaceous Earth. I was covered.
Then we finally got finished and then we put the rest in the nest boxes and all over
the coop. The Diatoms are very small fossils that dry out the skin of the mite and any
other bug. Pretty amazing stuff as it is all natural.

We will repeat this next weekend. But last night when I went to check on them, they
were looking around with a happier look and there was no scratching and this weird head
shaking they would do all of the time.



Onto other things I wanted to show you a picture of my husband's first row of trees
that he got planted yesterday. These are some pine trees that he grew from seeds that
he collected. He got his water line in and then these guys in the ground. We are having
our typical heat wave for September so it got too hot to do much more. He has some crab
apples he is going to plant and some maples. All of them he has grown from seed.


I hope you had a very nice weekend. I didn't get
much visiting around to your blogs this weekend.
I will be trying to visit today.
I hope you have a very nice week.

~Kim~

20 comments:

Julia said...

I'm glad that you found out what was the matter with your chickens. I think that the mites love the heat and really multiply in that environment. I read that some chicken keeper whitewash their chicken coops once in a while.

It nice to know that you have succeeded in getting your chicken happy again.

It's fun to see how fast the trees grows from seeds. You will have plenty of shade trees to hold the moisture in the ground as soon as they are big enough. JB

TexWisGirl said...

hope the chickens do well! love those little pines!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Don't forget ticks like to over-winter in pine trees so be on the watch as those trees grow. Glad the chickens are better; critters always cause us to learn, don't they?

Gumbo Lily said...

Another thing I do for mites/bugs is to sprinkle the permetherin (garden dust) or your Diatomaceous Earth in areas where your hens take their dust baths. They will naturally cover themselves in it.

Jody

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

I was quite busy myself this weekend and didn't get around to all my favorites either. Under my favorite links I have a web-site called chicken keeping. Terry Golson is very knowledgeable on all things chicken. I hope your husband's trees grow like weeds.

Debbie said...

WOW good thing you knew just what to do and you got it done. Sounds like your chickens are already much happier. The trees are going to be gorgeous. How neat he grew them from seeds. It IS hot isn't it? But then it wouldn't be Sept. in Southern California if it wasn't would it? haha Hope you stay cool and have a good day. HUGS

Kim said...

I'm still picturing you and Ron chasing chickens and shaking them in a bag :)
But seriously, I hope it works.

myletterstoemily said...

i'm so glad you diagnosed your poor chickens. pale faces?
really??

your husband's pine trees are too sweet. someday they
will be a forest of Christmas trees!

Debbie said...

your pumpkins are so cute. so sad about the chickens, that must be a lot of work!!

camp and cottage living said...

Kim
You've sure had your time with those chickens! Rats and mites. Hawks and whatelse? You are truly dedicated to those things. Have you named them too?
I sure wish we lived close to each other so I could tell you about my one and only experience with chickens when I had to farm sit for my in-laws. It was quite interesting and funny! Maybe we'll meet in heaven and swap stories there!
Are those pumpkins out of your garden already?
We don't have any around here yet even for sale.
What will you do with yours?
Take care-Kimberly

Dog Trot Farm said...

Oh my word, I sure wish one of your darling children had been around to make a video of this decontamination process! I'm sure I could have learned a thing or two! Sending cool breezes from Maine, Julie.

Sue said...

This is such a great read Kim, Thanks for all the info. we are repairing and remodeling our c-coop, and have got to spray the inside.Hope your chicks get well!
I think it is so cool that your dh started his trees from seed, looking forward to their progress.
Girl I have been so busy, gleaning veggies from the garden and putting them up. I canned my first pimentos yesterday and was pleased with the results. Today was picking grapes.
Hugs,
Sue

Miss Debbie said...

Wow...a busy day! Hope it takes care of the mites.

Vintage Gal said...

How glad I am that I stopped by ~ my chickens are starting to shake their heads. I stopped putting the earth in their coop and I will now again put it in. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU my friend ;-)

Pom Pom said...

I didn't know that chickens could have so many problems. I don't know if I could be a chicken nurse like you. You are very nice, Kim!

Diana Ferguson said...

Hope things go well....Have a great Wednesday. Pray for Texas rains!!!

Patrice said...

It sounds like you got dusted just as much as the chickens. Fortunately, DE is non-toxic. Let us know if the chicken improve after all your hard work. Hubby's trees are a neat project.

no spring chicken said...

I don't understand why you didn't get to visiting. What on earth else did you have to do? ;)

I'm always watching you Kim. The little tidbits of information that flow through your blog become part of my education as a backyard farmer. My hens are fine right now... but now I know something to watch for, and what to do. Though I must say I don't look forward to the process. Maybe we'll never have to go there!

Blessings, Debbie

Bonnie K said...

Hopen my trip t your chickens are doing better. I'm excited about your husband's trees. I got some maple, oak, and pine seeds to DC. Maybe there is hope to start them.

Lynn said...

Great job with your chickens! I can just picture you chasing them around and trying to stuff them in the bag. Shake and bake (only no bake). Hope the treatment works.