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Poultry Spring/Summer Care
29/09/2010 After a harsh winter, time should be taken to thoroughly check through your chicken coop and run. Evaluate the condition of the housing, fencing feeders and drinkers, everything that could be damaged by winter weather. These jobs shall be your main priority as they prevent predator attack. Posts which have worked loose and hinges that have rusted due to metal corrosion are best dealt with now.
Safe as Houses - The roof of your poultry house is one of the first
jobs to check especially if its felt has had endured a few winters
already. Some people make patch jobs but its best to strip the whole
roof and refelt the coop and or run. This in turn means that your birds
have a dry and warm house, which is not prone to leaking. You could
also consider using plastic sheeting although this proves to be more
expensive it is easily fastened to a frame and helps to prevent red
mite attacks.
The wood on the coops will also need some attention in the way of a
protective coating. Most wood stains are chemical free, which means
they are safe for your animals. Although oil based stain such a
creosote substitute will also help fight the red mire. Dip the perch
ends into the paint also and let it soak in well, as this is where the
critters will tend to hide.
Coop Fixtures and Fittings – Cleaning out the hen house is
obviously a weekly task but with spring in the air a more thorough
clean can begin. Remove all perches, internal nest box dividers,
feeders and drinkers to give more room for the coop to gain a thorough
scrub with a safe disinfectant such as virkon s or poultry shield.
Scrape down all the perches from droppings and any that are too
encrusted should be replaced with new.
A pressure washer is a great tool to help you get things really clean
but use this on a warm day to ensure that the coop is dry before
replacing the bedding and your hens. Whilst the coop is empty you
should be spraying for red mite with a pressure sprayer used for weed
killer (obviously a new one) Get into all the cracks and crevices where
the mites like to hide and give them a thorough soaking.
Finally use stalosan f dry disinfectant to spread over the coop floor
before replacing with shavings to help with any insect or ammonia
problems.
You should also be checking for signs of rats of mice, as these need to
be dealt with quickly as numbers can increase rapidly. Look for signs
of knowing, droppings and hard to reach areas such as under the coop if
it is not raised off the floor, a perfect environment to bring up their
young.
Run Areas and Pens – Any ground that has been used for a
while will by now probably be sour and in the hot weather can create a
smell. Nows the time to rotavate and lime the ground once poultry have
been moved to a new spot. Regular digging over of the areas
is an effective way to help prevent disease and parasite build up.
Equipment - Once feeders and drinkers are disinfected give them a
thorough going over check that all parts work and release the products
properly that they are intended for. Theres nothing worse
than faulty equipment, which could put your birds at any risk.
A Good Clear Out – The local tip is a way of disposing of
animal bedding and if you’re lucky enough your council will
pick it up from your door in wheelie bin collections. For some of us
leaving litter in neat piles can be a simple solution when the weather
is bad but these can provide an attractive place for nesting rodents.
You could transfer some to your compost heap or see if the local
allotment would be thankful for the rotting material. A farmer could
also add this sort of waste to his slurry pit, if asked nicely!
Whilst in the right frame of mind have a major clear out getting rid of
any old feed bags, any rubbish around sheds just anything that can
attract vermin to your premises. Vermin traps should be placed around
any known rat runs to keep down the numbers and stop these destructive
and potentially dangerous pests.
By keeping areas clean and clear around your poultry houses
you’ll go a long way to help eliminate rats and mice. These
creatures love old pots; feed bags, bedding etc so in practical terms
keep the site rubbish free.
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