Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Health features in our traceability sheet and pest/control maintenance sheet. I record any issues or special treats or treatments with the bird's individual record. Like a doctor's file. I think it's good to be able to see a hen's health record at a glance.

JimW wrote:Are leghorns my best bet?

Exchequers are a nice alternative if you can't see yourself keeping plain white leghorns.

Anyone else use spreadsheets to track your flock? As year-end approaches, I am making sure my spreadsheets are up-to-date. It's sobering to see how much we spend and make in a year on poultry. I attended a Growing Forward workshop years ago. The facilitator suggested that even if your flock is small...

We always add white eggs to our dozens. I believe white eggs look amazing if you sort them so they sit beside dark chocolate brown Marans eggs in a carton. Sets both colours off beautifully. Our white Leghorns and Exchequers are great birds. Their feed conversion to egg size ratio is one of the best...

I lost two nine-year-old hens last summer, one RIR, one Barred Rock. Both were horribly territorial with the younger girls. I could have provided a separate "retirement home" for them, apart from the general coop. However, I was reluctant to segregate them, as at that age, I thought it was better fo...

So, I talked to our Entomologist. Stacey does not think the good mites (Stratiolaelaps scimitus) will work on scaly leg mites (Knemidokoptes mutans), as the scaly leg mites do not spend time in the soil/bedding where the good mites could feed on them easily. As Ontario Chick mentioned previously, th...

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I ordered from Berry Hill on Monday, and the leg bands arrived Wednesday. Right colour, right size, easy to order, and quick delivery. Thumbs up!

Do I have to (read through)? My skin crawls just looking at my poor birds' feet. I know. Best to be informed though. I developed a thick skin around the year we started releasing beneficial bugs into the greenhouses. Ladybugs have a fanciful reputation, but they are unappealing when you are releasi...

A good read through this article will make your skin crawl.
http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/kn ... asis-birds

Jaye wrote:PAJenn, do you know if these predator mites would would work for scaly leg mites, assuming that the temperature was conducive?

I will consult with our entomologist to see if Knemidokoptes mutans (leg mite) are indeed part of Stratiolaelaps scimitus' diet (good mite).