Mites And Free Range Chickens

John, Going Gently, here, asked me if chickens have red mite over here in the states. I assume that we do because I have seen advertisements for products to kill the little beastie. I'm very glad we do not have a humid climate where we are located. 


Now if the question was specifically do our chickens have red mite then I would have to say that I don't know if they have red mite, but I suspect they have mites of some kind. Since our 16 chickens free range over three acres I would assume that they do have mites that they would have picked up from wild animals that pass through the property.


The hens like to dust bathe in this spot so I added some wood ash to aid in their natural solution to controlling mites and others pests. Since my chickens are exposed to all kinds of pests everyday there is no way I'm going to be able to keep a mite and lice free environment. (I would have to keep them in cages) I figure that the chickens are going to have some pests and as long as they are healthy they will be able to maintain a balance and tolerance and stay healthy. 
I have put food grade (DE) Diatomaceous Earth - here in dusting areas, the coop, roosts, and nest boxes a few times and should probably do it more often. (And be sure to wear a mask!)




Old jeans are the best. The material is so soft and comfortable. Trouble is that by the time the jeans are that great to wear the fabric is wearing thin. I love these jeans and kept them for outside work and painting, but they are wearing very thin, falling apart and won't last much longer.


I did sew up a side seam and tried sewing the large rips , but my sewing machine decided it didn't want to sew through the patches and the thread kept breaking. So, my solution was to haul out the duct tape. At least I will still be able to wear the jeans when I paint.


I love duct tape... it makes the best chicken saddles and comes to the rescue many times.

Peek at the Past

click here

(July 26, 2009)

[5 eggs today]

Duct tape worked great on my hens.

Article here.

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Smiles

Look Ma, Feathers!

We want out! Now!

The hens were making lots of noise when I went out to give them some lettuce and cantaloupe. About half of the hens were out in the pen walking around on the wet ground and acting like they were confused about the mud. They weren't scratching and they wanted out. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they can go out in the woods, but they have had to stay inside yesterday and today, because I don't want to let Morgan out in the rain. The chickens are fine in the rain, but poor Morgan gets too wet and dirty.

The middle photo is of Orp-Roo (in the front) and shows that she has grown her feathers back in finally. I found the duct tape in the pen the other day and knew her saddle had come off, but didn't spot which Orpington was Orp-Roo until today. She is much improved. When I put the duct tape on her she didn't have any feathers on her back and her wings were bare at the shoulder too. Now she is fluffy.

All the green on the ground has been blown there by the storm along with other stuff out of the trees. I can start my raking campaign tomorrow. I'll rake a few hours every day. That's the plan.

I got the drawer fronts on the cabinets! I'll paint as soon as it is warm enough to open the windows.

[no eggs as of 6 pm]

I think the chickens are mad at me

for locking them up.

Smiles

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Feathered Fashionista

This photo of Orp-Roo makes me smile. I wonder if they have brown or orange duct tape I could use for Fall. I took this yesterday when the hens were having their treat. Poor thing, she still looks pretty bad and has not started replacing her feathers. If she starts molting she is really going to be a sad case. Silly girl thinks she is a rooster. My miter saw is under that green tarp on the picnic table hiding from any freak rain or dew.

This morning when Kristine was in a hurry to get out the door she had to stop to admire this little critter. She was laughing as she watched as it carefully washed its feet. I ran and got the camera and this was the best photo I was able to take. Kristine had stayed to have breakfast and was running late, but found a little time to look at the critter. There's always time for bugs.

Fall? Not so you would notice. Not yet. I thought I would take this pic so I have something to compare new Fall photos with. Things around here still look like summer. There are a few leaves on the ground, but not many.

Not too bad from a moving car. I was surprised to see the Fall colors when I looked at the pic in iphoto. I didn't notice the orange as we were speeding past. I have seen such lovely photos of Fall scenes on the blogs I read. Things around here will just get more dried up and out. But the pines will keep things green for us. Thankful for the evergreens!

Got the board primed again and painted and it looks good, so tomorrow I will prime and paint the doors. I'll make a stab at hand sanding some of the wood in the kitchen. I have to be careful with the sanding, because Kristine has asthma. Also, I need to find a piece of wood to cover the end of the counter or I need to have Tom pick up some more sheet rock. I did get the cabinet nailed securely in the corner. I try to get a little bit done each day. Eventually, I will get it finished if I just keep working.

[7 eggs today]

Smiles

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Henny Penny?

Kristine asked me if I had seen Henny Penny. Well, she asked me if I had seen the Wyandotte with the duct tape. No. I hadn't noticed her for awhile, but then I hadn't been looking. So, this afternoon I went looking with my camera for the four Wyandottes. I can't tell Henny Penny from the other three. I found this Wandotte in the bottom old nest box. She looks pretty. Nice feathers!

Click this photo to find

the hen with fluffy feathers on her back.

Then I spent a long time calling the hens in the woods back to the coop to check out the feeders I had just filled. The hens gradually straggled in and were very happy to collect around the scratch feeder. I did have to herd in the one hen that was "stuck" on the other side of the fence. A Wyandotte. She either couldn't remember how to get in the coop or didn't want to?

I finally got a photo of the three Wyandottes in the pen. I think the top one is Henny Penny because of the fluffy feathers on her back. She didn't have any feathers on her back when I put the duct tape on. The way the duct tape is supposed to work is that the duct tape will fall off when the feathers grow in. Well, the duct tape is gone. If anyone is interested you can find out about Henny Penny and her duct tape episode by putting Henny Penny in the search box.

I also got a photo of Hen-Roo and she doesn't look any better. She still has her duct tape and her feathers look terrible. Kristine said she was always small and puny looking. I hope she gets some good looking feathers after she molts. She thinks she is a rooster. Poor thing.

[5 eggs today]

Surprise!

Smiles

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Saddle's Still On!

Orp Roo got duct taped again this morning and she was not at all happy about the experience. I was surprised that there were no pin feathers growing on her back. That look she is giving me says go away! Henny Penny's saddle was loose because she is growing feathers, but not coming off, so I didn't mess with her. Putting duct tape on chickens is not my favorite thing to do. I'm glad Henny Penny is growing feathers, but Orp Roo's back is still bare. At least it is not sunburned anymore. Hopefully, when she molts this year she will grow new feathers. Kristine said she would suspect mites, but the other chickens are Ok and Henny Penny's feathers are growing back so the feather loss must be from something else.

The broody Golden Lace Wyandotte is very happy in all her new straw where she has burrowed down and made herself very comfortable. She doesn't roost and sleeps in the nest box and is always here except when I pick her up and set her down in the pen so she will go eat and drink. Kristine and I keep talking about getting a chick from the feed store and sticking it under her just to see what she would do. But we really don't want anymore chickens. Poor broody hen. No chicks.

Although, there are times I would like a Light Brahma rooster that didn't crow or jump on the hens and make them miserable. Too bad roosters don't come that way. I do miss our big Light Brahma rooster, Brutus, that the coyote got. He was so gentle. My neighbor called us that day and said that a fox had one of our chickens, but Kristine and Tom said it was a coyote.

Morgan wasn't out with the chickens that day because for some reason we were keeping her inside and then someone let the chickens out. Kristine says she sees coyotes come through the yard early in the morning before we let Morgan outside. So, the coyotes do keep checking and hope to get lucky and find the chickens unprotected.

There is the little round plant that Kristine brought home yesterday. I mixed half a bag of potting soil with the dirt I dug out of the hole and used that mixture under and around the plant.I hope it will be happy in that spot and do well. I don't have a green thumb and I rely on plants that are basically survivors. Native plants are my favorites. Weeds do well also.

[13 eggs today]

I think the hens like the new straw!

Smiles

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Henny Penny's Saddle

Since Henny Penny's duct tape has been working out so well, I decided to look around on the internet and see what I could find about chickens and duct tape. I came up with these three sites that have some good information. First is a site here that lists an even better tape (Nashua Tape R 357, max temp. 200) than duct tape and has some good photos. Second is this site that has chicken saddles that you can purchase. And third here are instructions on a sew or no-sew your own chicken saddle. Personally, I think I will stick to the duct tape method. Pun intended. hee, hee.

The Old Grey Egg said that roosters will cause the hens to lose feathers because of mounting. Kristine said that these two hens had feather loss when we had roosters and never molted properly. We don't have roosters anymore, but our hens mount each other, so I guess that accounts for the feather loss. Silly hens.

Kristine took the next four photos for me because I was complaining that I didn't have anything to post. So, she went out to my little tiny overgrown neglected garden and took these pictures. I slept late today, so tomorrow I should be rested and I will make a start on my green garden.

I like this little welcome sign that Kristine got for me.

I think Tom and Kristine got this rooster .

This poor little bird bath needs water.

It needs filling every day.

These flowers are volunteers from last year.

Kristine is doing better today, except she had a bloody nose last night. She thinks that happened as a result of the fifteen minutes of retching yesterday at work. She went back too soon. Since then she has followed the dentists instructions and stopped all the medication and she is feeling better, except for the pain, and is eating foods like mashed potatoes, noodle soup, and ice cream. She plans on going back to work on Saturday. I plan on more sleep time.

[6 eggs today]

+1 = 7

Smiles

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Henny Penny

I took the camera with me when I went out to collect eggs this morning and was lucky enough to catch Henny Penny. She took advantage of her photo op and slowed down and did some chicken poses and a cluck or two. She seems to be doing well and is back to running around with the other hens. How neat is that! I was really worried about her, but she is fine.

The duct tape doesn't seem to bother her and maybe it is a fix for whatever? Or maybe she ate a bad bug or plant or? Well, at least the duct tape will keep the mosquitos away and keep her from getting sunburned.

Happy Birthday, Kristine!

I must say that having your wisdom teeth pulled is not my idea of a birthday present. I'm sorry you got sick at work today and had to come home, but I'm glad you will be home for a few more days. Hope it all heals up quickly and you are back to yourself very soon.

I'm going to go back to bed. I need sleep.

[6 eggs today]

Smiles

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Duct Tape and Chickens

I didn't see Henny Penny this morning because Tom let the chickens out before I got up. Henny Penny showed up with her duct taped sister when I went out to look for eggs. The duct tape on the Orpington looks like it is coming loose, or maybe it got messed up when the other hens jump on her. Henny Penny looks and acts fine. These two hens are smaller than the others. Maybe they get picked on? They seem happy to come back into the pen when the other hens are out in the woods. Duct tape is pretty neat stuff. I read that the duct tape will come off when they molt, but I think I will check and see what's happening under there before that.

The duct tape will keep the hens from getting sunburned for sure and should keep the mosquitos from a free lunch. I really don't know if that was what made Henny Penny sick, but I hope the duct tape is a fix for whatever was the problem.

Eggs! Tom found all these eggs, when he was counting the chickens last night. Yep, there are still 18 chickens. And all these eggs under the area where the chickens roost. I caught a Wyandotte sitting on them this morning. But from the different sizes and colors of eggs you can tell lots of other hens are laying eggs here. I picked up all the eggs and got rid of them and then got a bucket and filled it several times with dirt and covered up the area. I will have to check tomorrow and if there is an egg here I will find a branch with lots of twigs to put in the corner.

I'm going to go back to bed and see if I can catch up on some sleep.

[2 eggs so far]

The weather changed and the chickens started laying eggs

in strange places.

Can I blame the weather?

Smiles

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