Treating Lice Infected Backyard Chickens with Permethrin Powder

Published on 12 Aug 2016

I found poultry lice on my backyard laying hens - yikes! At first, I tried using DE in their dustbath and around their run area. The DE seemed to help a little, but I could tell the chickens were getting itchy (they were starting to self-pluck).

In this video, we applied Permethrin powder 0.25% directly to my urban chickens. We rubbed it in under their wings and around their vent, doing each chicken individually. The video shows a close-up of what chicken feathers with lice eggs look like. The base of the feathers were packed with louse eggs, so it was very clear that I had a full flock infestation.

After each hen was treated with the Permethrin powder, I totally cleaned out their coop, dusting it with DE before adding fresh bedding back.

The Permethrin powder really seemed to have mixed messages about safe handling. The container itself said to wear eye protection and skin protection, so we did. But many other online resources and studies said it was safe to touch. I'm still unsure about how safe it is, but it's always better to be overly safe around potentially harmful chemicals.

UPDATE: It's now about 6 weeks later, and there are no live adult lice on the birds. The eggs that were attached at the base of the hen's feathers have noticeably decreased. My backyard hens seem to be in much better spirits after the permethrin louse treatment!

Do Chickens Like to Eat Grass? Yes!

Published on 21 Jun 2015

Do chickens like to eat grass? Oh heck yeah! Before I got chickens, I didn't know if chickens ate grass. I'm sure that sounds like a rookie question for people who have been around chickens before, but with chicken ownership came the realization that chickens LOVE to eat fresh grass. Here's a video of me feeding my chickens a heaping handful of fresh grass, and their happy reaction as they gobble it up!

How to Grow Grass in a Chicken Pen

Published on 23 May 2014

How to Grow Grass in a Chicken Pen

When it comes to chickens, they can be very destructive. They love to scratch the ground with their feet and destroy anything growing in the process. That is why it is hard to find grass growing inside of a stationary chicken pen. In this video, we show you how to grow grass easily inside of a chicken pen.
If you are not able to free range your chickens, then having grass for them to eat inside of your pen is needed. The chickens can gain nutrients and protein from a grassy area, so it is important.
For this build you will need some 2X4s, but they do not have to be new. I am using some that I removed from an old playground recently. You will also need some chicken wire, some nails, a hammer, a saw, and some grass seed.
You can choose any dimensions you would like, but I am building a 2' by 2' design for my pen. Now cut your wood to create a box shape and secure it together using the nails making sure the 2X4s are standing on edge. This will give the grass about 4" of growth before they are plucked.
Now cover only one side of the box with chicken wire. And then repeat that step again on the same side except turn the wire 90 degrees. By having a double layer of chicken wire creates smaller holes for the chickens to reach into. This gives the grass more growing time before it is attacked. Also the double layer adds strength to the box as the chickens will eventually walk across it.
Now you can add some of your grass seed to the soil and place the box over the area.
With this design the grass should be able to recover from the chicken needs and continue to grow all year long. And as the grass grows, it should attract insects which the chickens will also love to eat.

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Matthew 13:4

Chicken feeder, Living greens feeder for poultry or rabbits...

Published on 31 Jan 2013

I have finely make up a "Living Green Feeder" for the girls pen.. A friend, tar Rosie, put me onto them a few years ago but I have kept putting it off.. This was a very easy build & only took me about an hour to make & install.. I think a basic one could be made from items such as upturned bread crates.. I think this design or a similar one would also be great for rabbits confined to a large hutch...

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How much grass do broiler chickens eat?

Published on 5 Aug 2015

This is yet another area of farming where there are a lot of variables. Grass height, age of your chickens, pasture quality, time of year, weather, etc...

In general I find that my hens will average about 10-25% of their feed requirements from the pasture. In addition to that I give them a pre-mixed broiler ration from my local feed mill. They cannot survive in this system on pasture alone.

When I am budgeting for the year I take the pessimistic view of not accounting for grass consumption at all. That way I end up coming out on top. And if something goes wrong I've built a buffer into the system.

The Private Life of Chickens

How I feed 30 chickens for $1.25 a day

Published on 22 Feb 2016

The crazy easy things I do every day to feed my flock of chickens for just $1.25. No really… the whole grain trick, fish meal, farm goods, and any old (and weird) stuff out of the fridge, and more (RESOURCES BELOW):

My article on 19 "creative feeds" to cut your feed bill 100%: http://bit.ly/19waysvv

FREE (downloadable) action plan for implementing creative feeds: http://bit.ly/CreativeFeedsYT

Rule of 3rds:
1/3 (or 1/9 of a pound) animal protein.
1/3 of green (scraps, fruits/veggies, grass, hay etc..)
1/3 of grains (wild or farmed).

My whole grain feed mix:

30% Corn
30% Wheat
20% Field Peas
10% Oats
10% Fish Meal (if you're not providing other animal proteins).
2% Nutri-balancer

Free choice Kelp
Free Choice Aragonite
Free Choice egg shells and oyster shells (if needed).

Where we source our non-GMO grains/minerals: http://bit.ly/1XI5v2S

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How To Make Compost With Chickens~ The BEST Compost EVER!

Published on 1 Apr 2016

We believe in approaching everything on our homestead naturally, using the resources that surround us, working with nature , our animals, the environment, to create a self sustainable life that makes us responsible creators and not just consumers.

Thats why we use the Back To Eden approach and incorporate our chickens into the whole eco system.

Chickens are natural scratchers! They dig they rip and tear and they poop! They are able to provide us with fertilizer as well as assist in breaking down our compost! What a combination!

We have had great success t his winter with using our hens as our compost workers!
So watch as we explain how we did it..AND how you to can use your Back yard chicken into a little compost workers!

Red Mite Killer Red Stop Solution

Published on 13 Oct 2014

http://chickens-for-sale.com/new-herb... Red Mite Killer Red Stop Solution A new way of eradicating Red Mite just add to the drinking water organic, natural ingredients,

Do chickens need heat in the winter?

Published on 9 Jan 2015

I do not give my birds supplemental heat. Instead I give them plenty of fresh water, enough feed, and a clean dry environment. Chickens metabolize the food with the help of the water and trap the heat in their feathers. With no drafts there's no way for that heat to escape and they walk around like little puffed up heat balls.

To date I have not had a chicken have injury or death due to not giving them supplemental heat. If you take proper care of your birds and give them a good environment then they will be fine.

Roll away nest boxes

Published on 8 Mar 2016

CHEAP AND EASY way to stop my hens from breaking and eating the eggs.

Chicken Nest Boxes: What size and how many?

Published on 9 Aug 2015

Each box is 12 inches x 12 inches and 24 inches tall with a sloped roof...all made of plywood and 1x2 boards for the perches that run across the front of the boxes. Giving your hens a clean, safe place to lay their eggs is very important.

What size should chicken nest boxes be?

Published on 9 Jan 2015

The most effective nest boxes that I have found at 1' x 1' x 1'. That leaves enough room for the hen to be comfortable but discourages multiple hens from crowing in on top of each other. Which they will do.

Make sure you have enough nest boxes for all of your chickens. The general rule is 1 best box per every 4 hens. If you only have 4 hens give them at least 2 boxes.

More helpful farming information at: http://farmmarketingsolutions.com

Herbs for Hens: Chickweed

Published on 11 Nov 2014

This episode of Herbs for Hens focuses on the weed Chickweed and its health benefits for chickens. To read more, visit my blog: http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2014/...

Visit Happy Days Farm at www.happy-days-farm.com
Visit Fresh Eggs Daily at www.fresh-eggs-daily.com

Herbs for Hens™: Five Herbs Your Chickens Will Love

Published on 9 Jun 2014

Plant some culinary herbs for your chickens to enjoy. Some of my favorites include: Lavender, Mint, Oregano, Parsley and Sage.

Read the corresponding article on my blog here:
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2014/...

What to Feed Chickens, Strong Eggs, Good Poultry Health, chick feed to l...

Published on 12 Apr 2014

How to Raise Chickens see the entire video here: https://youtu.be/msko6-fbLoE
What do Chickens Eat? Explanation of different feed compositions, pellets, crumbles and more. Age appropriate feed rations. Feeding chickens a correct diet is very important, even more so when they are in growth stages. Presented by Fred of Fred's Fine Fowl in the State of Pennsylvania... USA. Want to learn MORE? Please follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/Regarding-Chick...

Chicken coop with automatic water/feed system

Published on 13 Jun 2012

Chicken coop with automatic water/feed system - please comment!

How To Make a Chicken Feeder Using a 5 Gallon Bucket - Tutorial

Published on 12 May 2016

Learn how to make a chicken feeder using a 5 gallon bucket. This is a very easy DIY video. It holds a lot of chicken feed too.

Automatic Chicken Feeder

Published on 15 Jun 2014

Check out the latest addition to the chicken coop - The Automatic Chicken Feeding System. It is not fully automatic I suppose because you do still have to fill it with food but that is about it. No more walking in the coop and filling the tiny feeder that we had, and this one is much cleaner. In this video I run through the build process for this simple feeder design and also show it in action. This should hold enough food for a few days at least and will cut down on the amount of time spent cleaning out and filling the smaller feeders. This is also much better than the feeders that sit on the ground as they get full of dirt quickly and need to be cleaned. I am using 4" drainage piping for this project which is much cheaper than the 4" schedule 40 PVC. The fittings for the drainage pipe are also much cheaper keeping the cost of this project under $20. Thanks for watching and for more information or other sustainable projects please visit simplesuburbanliving.com

also see http://www.chickenpets.com or http://www.chickenpets.com/buyithere/

Build It | How to Build a Chicken Coop

Published on 21 Feb 2016

Watch the full episode: Check your local listings for air times beginning Feb. 18: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/info/...

Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva creates a backyard chicken coop for a homeowner in Connecticut in “Build It.” (See below for steps.)

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Steps for How to Build a Chicken Coop:
1. Stain the sheets of T1-11 and allow to dry.
2. Place two sheets of T1-11 on top of each other and ensure they’re even on all sides. Use a track saw to cut the roofline of the plywood at a 45-degree angle on both sheets at once.
3. Remove one sheet and then, using a jigsaw, cut a small square opening for the sliding coop door into a plywood sheet. For all the doors, the cutouts will later be reattached as the door.
4. On the next sheet, cut an opening for the small entrance door, using the jigsaw.
5. Cut a third sheet of T1-11 to form the side walls. On one of them, cut a large opening for the egg door, using a jigsaw. The other side wall will remain uncut.
6. Cut two of the 4x4 posts to the desired length, then match the angle of the roof using a miter saw for both steps.
7. Use a driver to drive in 1 5/8-inch ceramic screws to attach the posts to the plywood sheeting.
8. Use a piece of 2x4 at the bottom and the top of the coop to give it additional support. Attach these using ceramic screws, and fasten them using a driver.
9. Construct the opposite gable end, repeating the same steps.
10. Connect the two gable ends using 2x4s, and attach one of the side walls.
11. To form the rafters, screw in a 2x4 ridge beam and 2x4 purlins (parallel roof framing), using a driver and 3-inch ceramic screws.
12. Finish the framing by attaching additional 2x4s to the base of the front and back gable walls, using 3-inch ceramic screws.
13. Then, attach two more perpendicular 2x4 joists to form the floor support for the coop with 3-inch ceramic screws
14. To form the floor, use the ½-inch exterior plywood and cut out the corners to match the posts using a jigsaw.
15. Fasten the plywood floor by driving 1 5/8-inch screws into the floor joists.
16. Attach the cutout door pieces to the plywood exterior sheets of the structure using hardware of your choice. Do this by driving provided screws into the hardware.
17. Attach the chicken door by threading a rope through a pulley at the top of the door. Then attach the rope to an eyelet on the chicken door. The other end of the rope should be linked to a hook at the opposite end. A track for the door can be made using scrap wood.
18. Attach the final side wall using 1 5/8-inch ceramic screws.
19. Build a nesting box to your desired dimensions using plywood and 2x4s.
20. Cut cellular PVC trim boards to match the angles of the coop, using a miter saw.
21. Attach the PVC trim boards to the exterior of the coop using a hammer and stainless-steel trim nails.
22. Attach ½-inch plywood roof sheathing to the roof structure using a driver and 1 5/8-inch ceramic screws.
23. Lay down a layer of felt paper, and staple in place.
24. Using a hammer and roofing nails, attach the asphalt shingles with a 5-inch reveal to the roof sheathing.
25. Attach 4x4 posts of the coop to a beveled base using a driver and ceramic screws.
26. Attach the beveled base to a 2x12 square using a driver and ceramic screws to keep the coop from sinking into the ground.
27. Create a pen area using pressure-treated 2x4s to desired design. Connect the pen structure using driver and ceramic screws. Include an access door for cleaning the pen.
28. Cover the pen with chicken wire by hammering in construction staples.
29. Dig a trench in the outline of the pen at least 3 inches deep, and place the structure in the trench. This is meant to keep predators from crawling in underneath.
30. Attach the pen structure to the coop structure by driving in screws.
31. Place a piece of 2x12 from the coop door to the pen to serve as a ramp for the chickens.