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- #111
A Jesusfreaks tales of farm life with soon to be Six kids
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- #112
Jesusfreak101
Herd Master
Bayleaf Meadows
True BYH Addict
Once a day milking works great for me. It really allows me a lot more peace of mind. The milk I get doesn't sour that fast- it lasts at least a week. I make kefir, too, which tastes a lot like yogurt. Once in a while I make cheese. I am not too good at it, but it isn't that hard and can be used in recipes.
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- #114
Jesusfreak101
Herd Master
It is alot easier already then having to rush everything to go milk the second time. I got the kids going to bed early and waking up early now. Now if only the house would clean itself lol I settle for the dish and laundry to do itself lol.
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- #115
Jesusfreak101
Herd Master
OK I am going to go crazy. I need ideals. We have chickens, geese, ducks and we'll yesterday my husband and I processed some birds(3 Cornish rocks, 3 geese) when I started feathering the water hadn't finished heating up yet. A little after the first bird I notice I felt bugs crawling on me everywhere (shudders) they where yellow chicken lice. Lucy and I where the only ones with then on us so we showered after finishing feather for the chickens. I plan on treating the rest of the birds even through I haven't seen any on them. Along with the coop but I need something natural so it won't hurt the human kids and since I am breastfeeding. And will these effect the goats?
promiseacres
Herd Master
lice are species specific
I would dust the hens and coop with sevin dust, but not sure if it's ok if you're BF. Maybe someone has some better insight
Sevin is a poison that will work, but I wouldn't use it with breast feeding. You'd be far better off with permethrin or pyrethrum http://www.livingwithbugs.com/permethrin_pyrethrum.html Since it is a derivative of chrysanthemums it is natural (or the man made equivalent) and is deadly to many bugs but will not harm humans or your goats. It should also not affect the goat's milk.
You will need to completely clean out the chicken coop and spray it down paying close attention to cracks and crevasses. You then spray the birds down before putting them back in the cleaned coop. If you have wood ash (from a wood fire), you can add that to where the chickens dust bathe. Water drained through wood ash produces lye. The birds dust bathing in the ash does a great job of reducing/eliminating many skin issues/parasites. Inside the coop, you can add food grade DE to the bedding to help control insects but DE only works when dry. it is useless when wet.
You will need to completely clean out the chicken coop and spray it down paying close attention to cracks and crevasses. You then spray the birds down before putting them back in the cleaned coop. If you have wood ash (from a wood fire), you can add that to where the chickens dust bathe. Water drained through wood ash produces lye. The birds dust bathing in the ash does a great job of reducing/eliminating many skin issues/parasites. Inside the coop, you can add food grade DE to the bedding to help control insects but DE only works when dry. it is useless when wet.
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- #118
Jesusfreak101
Herd Master
Have any of you use elector psp? It's spinosad, I been told to use that on backyard chickens its expensive but says it can be used for all the animals we have and bonus it kill flies, fleas, mites, lice, and ants (one of the biggest problems we have is fire and havester ants).
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- #119
Jesusfreak101
Herd Master
OK if I do the permithrin, about the goats I have pregnant doe and of course the doe i milk would it be safe to use on them and if so whats the the with drawl period. I am thinking of just treating everyone since we have had these lice there probably other nastys around. I would like to make sure no fleas and ect get near the kids. The only ones I have seen fleas on are the cats. So yeah... I just have a bug melt down lol. But if the a withdrawal for the milk for either I might wait to treat Lilly until I really need to since we need the milk. She producing one to two quart jars a day. Yeah and the kids have been drinking about one jar a day if not one and a half, plus what I use to cook with some days they don't drink any but most of the time they do.
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- #120
Jesusfreak101
Herd Master
Well now starting garden, got some weeding done today. I am hoping to be able to plant this weekend. we see how that goes but I want to have it done before Tuesday next week. The goats have been eating nothing but pasture so milk is pretty much free (lilly gets grain and Daisy get a very small amount to help train her to milk). Next few days I be heading to feed store for bug treatment for the birds and yard. Kinda want to treat with something with no withdrawal time that's alot of eggs to waste when we get close to 2 dozen.
