Re: scaly leg question

0tterbot wrote:
"Jill" <news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:458a4541$0$8738$ed2619ec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They can last for a LONG time
Also the wild bird population will have been mingling with the
previous occupations and there is support for the idea that they can
be vectors for mites

we are inundated with wildlife here, & one thing that annoys both the
chickens and me is the parrots breaking in. so, probably. (this is yet
another reason i'm looking forward to the new set up - the old one
has trees within the yard, & the netting over the top therefore must
go around the trees, but there's no way to really seal it off
properly. and leaves & twigs fall over the top, which is a fire
hazard should a bushfire come our way. anyway, enough about that.

Its virtually impossible to secure birds from the wild population if they
are ranging and thats fine
Once you have dealt with the house and the birds you will just need to be a
bit vigilant but otherwise they should be fine


oh good. i am cleaning their house as much as i can. gah, it's just
dreadful though. i feel like a slum landlord ;-)

What are you cleaning with ?

the floor is earth, so beyond scrubbing walls etc, dusting chicken ddt
about, & replacing the straw in the house with neurotic frequency
(which is actually fine, as i'm composting the pooey straw for my
garden) i'm not sure there's much else i can do. i've been checking
the roosts after dark/in the morning but not found any mites.

You are doing great -- keep treating the birds with the vaseline until their
legs recover and you have the new set up


Something like Poultry Shield is a good idea

what is that?

Its a natural desiccant which kills bugs :~)


Plucking is a pain -- skin instead, its much easier. (snip)

now there's an idea! the first problem (killing one) isn't going to
go away, but at least there's a quick feather-removal method at my
disposal (should the first problem ever be overcome, that is)!

Cut down the keel with a sharp knife
Peel the skin back
Remove the breast meat, taking care not to puncture the internal cavity
Remove the leg meat
Wings are usually not worth the bother in small birds
Dump the rest

Every so often do one properly for soup stock !!


should we plan for a "chunky" one so the babies will be good-sized?
i must admit, _eating_ a game hen strikes me as barely worth the
bother ;-)

Ahh - what sort of Game bird have you got?
I was thinking more along the lines of Indian / Cornish Game - they
are more like walking tables
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Cornish/BRKCornish.html

If you are talking about Modern Game
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Games/Mods/BRKModerns.html
then - yes -- you would expend more calories plucking the thing than
eating it !!!!

they're not modern games, but, i cannot work out what they are. at the
auction when dh was told, he heard either "english" or "indian" but
promptly forgot anyway :-) they don't weigh much & they keep
themselves trim, but have the same shape as the cornish there. otoh,
two of my isas are giants among chickens, & would make any other
chook look pretty small in comparison, so there's that.

Urm - Indian Game should make your ISA's puny <grin>
Are they bantams?



--

regards
Jill Bowis

Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk


.

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