Heritage & Rare Poultry NPIP & AI Clean
While there are many types of containers designed to feed chickens, here is a self-feeder that I have adapted that works well for my set up. I like it because it is efficient, keeps the food clean and allows the chickens to eat as much …
Silver Spangles Appenzeller Spitzhauben Flock Consider Barn Lime for your Coop Have you considered using barn lime in your coops? Also known as agricultural lime, ag lime, dairy lime. Barn lime is a phenomenal product that can be assist in lice and mite prevention in …
A single case of avian flu has been diagnosed in Council Bluffs Iowa region. If the disease moves west it could be a huge challenge for Nebraska poultry growers. Officials in Iowa substantiated the occurrence of this extremely transmissible disease, week of March 3rd, 2022, found in Pottawattamie County, it was discovered in a small flock of less than 50 birds and all birds were destroyed and incinerated to minimize all risks further spread of the disease.
This was the first incident of Avian Flu since 2015, when this awful disease killed more than 50 million chickens and turkeys. Currently there has been “no cases in Nebraska” according to the state veterinarian Roger Dudley, with Nebraska Department Agriculture. “Everybody needs to continue to be prepared,” Dudley said. “He asks that poultry producers monitor their flocks for symptoms, which include decreased water consumption, lack of energy and more. “If everybody can follow the proper biosecurity and do our best to keep domestic poultry away from wild waterfowl, hopefully we can continue to prevent avian influenza from getting into Nebraska,” he said.
“Avian Influenza Last Occurrence in 2015 killed over 50 million Chickens and Turkeys”
NDA ADVISES POULTRY OWNERS TO WATCH FOR AVIAN INFLUENZA
LINCOLN –The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is advising poultry owners to
protect their flocks against avian influenza by closely monitoring their birds for signs of the
disease and by maintaining strict biosecurity practices. Highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI) is very contagious and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in domestic birds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed HPAI in commercial and/or backyard flocks
in Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York and Virginia.
To date, the virus has not been found in Nebraska
“While we have not seen HPAI in Nebraska since 2015, protecting the health of poultry in the
state is a top priority,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley. “It’s important for poultry
owners to know about this disease, take the necessary steps to help prevent its spread, and protect
Nebraska’s poultry industry.”
Dudley is asking Nebraska poultry producers, large and small, to monitor their flocks for
symptoms of HPAI, review and maintain their biosecurity activities, and notify NDA
immediately if they suspect any problems. Bird owners should report unusual bird deaths or sick birds to NDA at 800-831-0550 or 402-471-2351, or through USDA at 866-536-7593.
Dudley is asking Nebraska poultry producers, large and small, to monitor their flocks for symptoms of HPAI, review and maintain their biosecurity activities, and notify NDA immediately if they suspect any problems. Bird owners should report unusual bird deaths or sick birds to NDA at 800-831-0550 or 402-471-2351, or through USDA at 866-536-7593.
Enhanced biosecurity helps prevent the introduction and spread of viruses and diseases including HPAI. NDA and USDA have resources available to help poultry owners step up their biosecurity efforts
Biosecurity Measures See NDA HPAI Brochure
For more information about avian influenza, visit NDA’s website
https://nda.nebraska.gov/animal/avian/index.html or the USDA’s website
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks
can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov
If you own chickens, you know how messy their water pans can get. They can take perfectly fresh water and turn it in to a pooy bacteria nightmare in a matter of minutes. Most of the traditional water pan system allow for chickens to drop …
TarBox Hollow Poultry Orpingtons Beautiful birds, wonderful temperaments and they are excellent layers of large brown eggs. Full plumage and large size birds a pleasure to own, they are wonderful exhibition birds. Good winter layers very winter hardy.
Lice & Mite Prevention
Lice & mites are minute external parasites that live off of poultry, they are extremely resilient to all types of environmental conditions, including freezing cold temperatures. They are vicious blood-sucking pests that invade your coop attacking poultry compromising their health.
Consider these preventative measures to Stop Lice and Mites
Use a spray that is effective in eliminating lice and mites on poultry. Permethrin based sprays work well, some can be applied directly on chickens, which is handy if you have a severe outbreak. However, if you manage your coop with regular applications of permethrin, you rarely need to do this. The key to here is to apply permethrin every time you clean the chicken house, make spraying for lice and mites a part of your cleaning routine. Apply thoroughly on cleaned floors, walls, and roosts (both sides). There are various products on the market, but find one that can be used on chickens, like Gordons Permethrin 10, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions. When you proactively spray the coop on a regular basis, usually they do not need to spray chickens for lice or mites. I usually spray area when I can let chickens out in their runs, so they are not exposed to the intensity of the spray when it is first applied.
Hint: To make your coop smell wonderful and naturally deter pests and rodents add lavender essential oil to the permethrin spray mixture.
Other Preventative Measures
Stack your Bedding for Success
Start by cleaning the coop floor thoroughly and then spray the floor with permethrin 10, I also like to mix in lavender essential oil into permethrin spray, this will make the coop smell wonderful and it also deters pests and rodents. Next, spread a thin layer of barn lime on the floor and in cleaned nest boxes. Lime naturally deters insects with is high pH level, and is perfectly safe for chickens, it also works as a drying agent that hampers insect reproduction and decreases ammonia levels, pretty neat stuff. Barn lime can be bought at local farm stores for around $4 per 50-pound bag, be sure not to confuse it with hydrated lime, which is not recommended for chickens. After applying barn lime, I put down bedding of wood chips and I spray once again over the top of wood chips with the permethrin lavender mixture.
As long as I follow preventive measures, I keep the lice at bay and never have to worry about dusting each bird, which makes life so much easier for me and them. In addition, I really don’t think dusting a bird with harsh pesticides is a good idea for their sensitive airways.
For additional information on DE see:
https://howigetridof.com/diatomaceous-earth/
For information on chicks or hatching eggs contact us at: admin@tarboxhollowpoultry.com
Keeping chickens healthy in the winter, can be more challenging, than the greener times of summer, when they can munch on weeds and bugs, that naturally keeps them healthier. Closing chickens indoors for protection from the adverse weather can set up the right conditions for …
In the winter months, as the weather turns colder, chicken keepers are forced to keep their birds shut indoors to protect them from adverse weather conditions. Confinement indoors can create conditions, triggering respiratory illness in poultry. The respiratory systems of chickens are very sensitive to …
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