Bee's Guest House

[Beekissed]

Anyone know anything about a treatment called Nu-Stock? I'm still dealing with scale mites with my flock after trying to smother them with bag balm and vaseline, dipping their legs in cooking oil and using a light mix of cedar shavings in the coop to discourage mites.

I don't wish to use any chemicals and I noticed this stuff at the feed store. Has Sulfur, Pine Tar and mineral oil in it and is supposed to be guaranteed to kill fungus, mites, no-seeums, heal wounds...you name it. I think it even said it will do your taxes, not sure.....

Anyhoo....applied it to the gal's feet and legs tonight and will await the outcome. They are not too bad and I think the previous treatments really helped but I would like to irradicate it altogether if possible. I know you are supposed to treat the coop but I can't find anything to treat it with that I want to end up in my food supply.

 

[Farmfresh]

Murphy's Oil Soap!

It is vegetable based, fairly cheap and works great to kill insects! I would spray the coop down with it well and then go back again and soak any cracks a second time.

I even use the Murphy's Soap solution to kill insects on my plants - like a Safer soap solution. Works for me!

 

[Beekissed]

I'll try it!! Know anything about this NuStock, Farm? The testimonials were quite impressive on their website...the pics were amazing!

 

[Farmfresh]

Nope sorry never heard of it. Then again I came from a long line of motor oil dippers!

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

We've always used olive oil for a really mild case of scale mites on one bird during the summer, if more widespread, we use tea tree oil. Smells good, too A good rub down of their roost with tea tree oil can be good, too.

 

[Farmfresh]

I usually use vegetable oil on the birds ... far cry from my relatives!

 

[MorelCabin]

I love teatree oil...I clean everything with it!

 

[Beekissed]

I've got plenty of that, Morel....I'll coat the roosts down with it. I like the smell also!

Well, folks....I trimmed my first sheep hooves tonight! It was easy and I was very impressed with how well my gals took being messed with this time.

There is just something about sheep that I find to admire just about every day.....this is the first time these girls were turned up on their ends and subdued, totally helpless, in this manner. They acted like they had done this every day, that they were very trusting of what we were doing and they didn't act flighty or angry when we were done! I was amazed!

I also found out something interesting about the bottom of a sheep...did you know they have very big glands on either side of their udder, from which a brownish liquid seeps? I assume it has something to do with their heat cycle but I've never seen this on an animal before. Deer have them on the inside of their hocks and on their heads....none by their udders.

It did not have a foul smell....it was just a little crusty.

I also checked peri-orbital membranes and they seemed a healthy pink, as well as did their gums. I bolused with pure, fresh-squeezed garlic juice, UP/ACV and water for a probiotic, deworming tonic also.

These gals have had no commercial de-worming agents since 3 mo. after they were born, given by the original farmer. They are now 14 mo. old.....I find this very satisfactory and I hope their good health continues.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Diatomaceous earth is great for killing bugs in a building, without being toxic. Use eye protection and a dust mask if you can with this,
the powder is super fine and gets everywhere.

That NuStock formula makes sense. Pine tar soap is for irritated skin, mineral oil is a lighter version of vaseline.

I used to rub a bit of powdered sulfur on my ankles to keep bugs from biting me. It's hard to find but it worked great. I was living in the woods at the time and the chiggers, mosquitos, fleas, gnats, ticks all left me alone. The stuff spreads through your system, so a little later your body smells like sulfur. Do not ever get this in your eyes. It will sting till tomorrow.

Good luck.

 

[Beekissed]

You're right! I got some on my hands when I was putting it on the chickens and I could taste it in my mouth a short while later.

I've got deep litter right now, so the DE is not gonna work right now....I've contemplated it but I worry about my chicken's respiratory function if I use it. My coop is pretty large and there are large cracks in the flooring....it would fall right through if I didn't keep the litter in there!

I'll try some in the hen's nests though...that should help a little, ya think?

I'll be cleaning out some of that litter soon...maybe all of it.