We still have a little bit of the other oil left but will soon need more so figure it's best to have it here ready for dipping the chooks legs in. It makes me feel like a better chook mummy when I think I am helping them by using the oil to smother any mites not killed by the potion. My hands end up soft, and slimey afterwards so you'd think it is softening the legs as well.
I was wondering if I should give them a bath but decided against it. I'm not that good of a chook mummy!
I have planted some more Wormwood (Artemesia) cuttings. I don't know if this will help much with the mites but it is supposed to be good for ridding chooks of worms in the gut and seeing as I have the plants here anyway it's not going to hurt to have more around and in the pens.
The chookhouses are cleaned out regularly and Lime and Diatomatious Earth is sprinkled around them. I sprinkle DE onto the mulchpit. I feed them Garlic but not as much as I think I should...
The legs are looking better now and I'm hoping I wont have to use the potion again but will do if I think I need to.
I don't think mine have the scaley leg mite thing. How did you know? Feeding them lots of garlic might turn off their eggs for a bit. I have lime ready for the pen, but cannot remember if it must be wet afterwards. DE is used around here, too.
ReplyDeleteDid they struggle while you were rubbing their legs down? Did you just stand them in a pan of oil? Or, did you hold them while you rubbed it on?
I caught the chook, stood it in a pan of oil, rubbed the legs to make sure the tops got oil on too...Whirled her arount a bit, dunked her up and down, lifted her up and let her drain a bit then set her down to run away.
ReplyDeleteI knew they had it as their legs were getting thick and crusty. I was told that clean legs should look a bit like a snake. A few struggled when I put their legs in the oil and tried to jump out and I had to grab them. More oil on me then. Husband held them better but dipping was quicker.
I've never noticed any garlic taste in any eggs.
Barb.
Thanks we have been slack and to be honest until recently didn't even know there was anything wrong with their legs we just thought some had different legs to others :( I wonder why some get it more than others?? Anyway we REALLY need to get on top of it as we now know a couple of them are really bad.....the poor things :( :( Thanks for the tips on how to do it. How long before you saw it improving?
ReplyDeleteBarb.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Your descriptions are hilarious. Or, at least you make me see it soooo well, and then I laugh. I have read that huge amounts of garlic will make their eggs taste different, and not in a good way. Personally, it would not bother me and I have had no experience eating garlicky eggs. Now, I am going to inspect legs, right now.
Hi Barb,I feel that keeping our chooks in the same place for too long will breed disease,because when we let them loose they wonder.All animals including us have problems in confinement
ReplyDeleteI sprout organic wheatgrass for my chooks and that gives them a powerful immune system
ReplyDelete