Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[Glutton4...]

Well, I sprayed again this morning, just in case, and this evening, I have come back in from collecting eggs, with two of the little wotsits crawling around on my hand.

I don't really want to have to burn the thing; it's a lovely sturdy shed, but they are driving me potty.

[RichmondHens]

Get the creosote out, really it does work. You just need to shove the hens somewhere else while you do it.

[Glutton4...]

Yeah, I don't have anything else for them to sleep in. Plus, I gloss painted the inside of the shed when I converted it to a coop. Creo won't cover that will it? Smite usually works, but there are so many of the little boogers this time.

Anyway, I feel 'cooty' now so I'm off for a dip in the tub.

[petal]

if you can't creocote- little tip- couple of cans of 'raid'- spray all cracks. loads of diatom on bedding- vaseline either end of roost poles, johnsons antimite spray on birds. Attack from all sides!!!!!

[Glutton4...]

Sounds like a plan, Petal. It wasn't so bad this morning, but I gave the whole shed another good spray. Strangely, there is very little sign of them on the gloss part (bottom half), but their tell-tale 'dust' elsewhere. Chooks are happy enough, and still using the nest-boxes, but egg numbers have fallen a bit.

Looks like I'll be popping back to my Feed Merchant tomorrow instead of Monday - will add suggested products to my list.

[Glutton4...]

Happy to report; I love Diatom! Bought a big bucket of it, and gave the whole coop a good dousing. Put plenty in the nest-boxes, and all over 'whoever' came near to investigate - and that's most of the nosey little wotsits.

Couldn't get in the coop for the next two days, as next door's Apple tree decided to split at the crown, and deposit the biggest branch on top of the roof, thus squashing the door shut. Luckily, the Girls could still get to the auto-door, and I could still get to the nest-boxes. The Girls have had two days of picking bugs from the lower branches, but we'll get no apples from it now, as we've had to get in there with the chain-saw and cut the branch off.

I purposely put the shed under that branch for the shade it gave. Luckily it is one of the strongest sheds I've seen, any lesser one would've collapsed and squashed the Girls - Mr.G reckons there is at least a Ton of wood! At least we'll have some logs for the fire, once they're seasoned.

Anyway, egg numbers are creeping up again, and I'm not coming back in with 'lodgers' any more!

[RichmondHens]

Diatom is great stuff, and perfectly safe and natural too. You can use it as a louse powder direct on the birds as well.

You may have forfeited your apples, but apple wood is lovely and gives off a gorgeous smell.

[Nicos]

Hi all!

Just wanted to let you know that there a 2 specific chook catagories in the Virtual Vine Show..

Plate of eggs
Fluffiest bum ( chook)

....hope we have lots of entries!

[petal]

Odd day yesterday. A pekin must of layed its eggs in the missing ducks nest - they appeared marching in a group from the depths of the hedge - mother duck not interested- still sat tight on duck eggs. So they are sat in a brooder behind me- they are all black and really cheeky things! Lucky my son spotted them!!!!!!!

[RichmondHens]

How sweet. Naughty bantie!

[elizajay]

How sweet. Naughty bantie!

or do you mean pekin cuckoo! Surprising as they do love to sit!

[elizajay]

One of my baby 12 week old hybrids brought up by a pekin foster mother has taken to sleeping out. She has been out a few nights and tonight I had my beady eye on her at bedtime and noticed she flew onto the roof of the house and then flew across into the dense bay tree. Pretty safe roost I imagine, but I got her out much to her disgust and put her to bed with the others.

[petal]

How sweet. Naughty bantie!

or do you mean pekin cuckoo! Surprising as they do love to sit!

well, I expect that the pekin mum whoever it was would have sat on the eggs but the duck that has hatched them is a bit nasty when its broody! It was not interested in these chicks that had hatched under it at all!!!! Safe now- they look like 6 little penguins waddling around. white spectacles around eyes too! Couldn't get young turkeys to bed last night- they had flown up top of cherry tree- this morning they were in neighbours garden- quite a distance away- so major reduction AGAIN of wing feathers.

[elizajay]

My much beloved and very affectionate cat died 2 weekends ago. Poor chickens have me pursuing them for a bit of the affection me cat gave me.

[BarleySugar]

We have been away on holiday for 10 days, and despite telling our neighbour who was chook sitting to help herself to eggs, came home to a fridge full! Sadly she hadn't kept any sort of order, so I didn't know which were oldest, but it hasn't been a problem as I've just donated to friends and family.
However, today we were down to just 3 eggs from 8 hens! One has gone broody for the second time this year, being a hybrid and pol at Easter once was bad enough. DD says she is a big chicken and she reckons she would taste good
Everyone seems to be in good health, but I'm going to worm them in case this might be the problem.