Wehner Homestead

[Mike CHS]

We raised chicks at first but then found what locally they call the 4H Chicken Chain sale in August. It is a regular judged event that is followed by an auction. We got 10 Barred Rock hens already laying for $19 a piece. You can't feed them to that age for that kind of money plus they are healthy and used to handling.

 

[Baymule]

Nice looking pigs! I can see the bacon, pork chops, sausage.....

My pigs had lice. I bought apple flavored ivermectin horse wormer. I put some on half a piece of bread, folded it over, mashed the edges together to seal it and tossed each pig an "apple treat". They scarfed 'em right down. 10 days later, repeat. Plus it worms them. win-win.

 

[RollingAcres]

Free labor is great! My son will start out wanting to help especially when there's water involved. Then he'll get side track and starts playing with the water and there goes my free labor... lol

 

[Bruce]

The older two kids actually wanted to scrub the rubber pans! Free labor! Lol

I found that works only as long as you don't assign them to do the work. As soon as they are old enough to have it on their "job list" they lose interest fast.

 

[RollingAcres]

I found that works only as long as you don't assign them to do the work. As soon as they are old enough to have it on their "job list" they lose interest fast.

Then they want to be paid.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Mine still work for a quarter when a bribe is needed!

 

[RollingAcres]

Mine still work for a quarter when a bribe is needed!

Bahahahaha

 

[Bruce]

Mine still work for a quarter when a bribe is needed!

That is because they are young, a quarter is real money to them.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

IMHO, DE is NOT going to "solve" your lice problem... It will help knock it down some and "maybe/can" help prevent it from starting, but once they're established, DE is not the answer... on the animals or in their living quarters. The way it works, it must be dry and used in a dry environment. It does nothing when wet. I'm sure you also know that breathing the dust is very bad for folks also, right? Like breathing powdered glass shards... And that if used, it should be food grade DE only...

I would recommend another all natural lice killer: http://www.livingwithbugs.com/permethrin_pyrethrum.html I'm not sure but I believe I've also heard that oral Ivermectin will solve the problem as well. But would need to be redone ~10 days later to kill any new hatchlings from any eggs that didn't die.

I did not know that breathing DE is bad. Makes sense once I think about it though! Ugh! We did use food grade so at least we have that going for us.

I do know that it has slowed down the lice. The goats aren’t all irritated, scratching, biting, stomping. I noticed the minimum of various things in all the times I’ve been to the barn today.

As far as what works, I’ll have to consult with my trusty goat mentor and friend (SBC.) She helps me with what to use since DD2 relies on the milk and I don’t have a stored supply to cover a withdraw time and the kids handle all of the goats daily.

I will say that it’s nice to have a breed that I can carry DD2 with me to dump feed to our bucks (2 grown and 2 about 3 mos.) They don’t challenge me (won’t try this during rut) but sometimes it’s safer for her to be held and my bucks are respectable enough to work around. (I hated one of the Boer bucks we leased. He was beyond aggressive. Those were HIS girls!! DH manhandled him in the pen when he arrived and grabbbed him while he was eating feed when we were done. I couldn’t even pet my girls through the fence without him charging me or butting them away!)

 

[goats&moregoats]

yeah, my grand kids love to help when they visit. Nice to teach the younger generation things they don't learn in school.
Aggressive animals have no place here except freezer camp.