NATURAL WAYS TO TREATS CHICKEN LICE.

One of the common problem in raising backyard chicken is chicken's lice. Chicken lice is problem for chickens and also to the owners.
In this article, w will discuss and analyzed natural Chicken Lice Treatment.

What you’ll need for natural chicken lice treatment.

1. A shallow box or bin
2. A Dust Mask
3. Safety Goggles
4. Lice infested chickens
5. can wood ash.
6. Diatomeceuos earth

The wood ash can be sourced from a fire pit or wood stove. Any wood ash will work, as long as it hasn’t gotten wet and is completely cooled. It’s okay if it still has a few chunks of charcoal in it, there’s no need to be too picky.

The safety goggles and dust mask are for your protection. There will be dust flying everywhere, and believe me, you don’t want to inhale it or get it in your eyes. Please be careful when conducting this natural chicken lice treatment!

Step 1

Start off in a well ventilated area close to the chicken coop. We like to dust the chickens in the chicken run, because there’s plenty of fresh air and it’s fenced in, so there’s no risk of chickens escaping.

Carefully pour the diatomaceous earth and wood ash into your bin or box. You need these to go into the box in equal parts but there’s no need to measure, this isn’t exactly rocket science!

Stir the wood ash and DE to combine, being careful not to disturb it too much or it will go airborne.

Step 2
This step is much easier with a partner. Chickens magically develop super strength when they’re stressed out, and this step absolutely will stress them out. It’s tough to hold the chicken and dust her at the same time, if you can find some poor sucker who’s willing to help with this step, do so!

Gather one chicken at a time and bring them to the dusty bin. Hold the chicken’s wings against her body and put her head under your arm. Putting the hen’s head under your arm will make her feel calmer and you’ll be less likely to get frantic flapping chicken wings in your face.

Starting with the vent, dust the chicken generously with the DE/wood ash mixture. Hold the chicken over the box while you do this, so any excess dust falls back into the box. The hen does not need to be in the box, and it’s probably better if she isn’t because if her feet touch solid ground she’ll no doubt use that against you to try to escape.

Next dust under the chicken’s wings, along her abdomen, and across her back. There’s no need to get the dust all up her neck or around her face, you want to keep as much as this out of her lungs as possible so focus mostly on the body. While dusting make sure to ruffle the feathers so the dust gets on the chicken’s skin as much as possible.

Step 3

The previous step helped to kill the lice that were already on your hens, but guess what? Before you killed them, those lice laid eggs, and those eggs are going to hatch into new lice. If you look carefully at your chickens feathers you may see the eggs, they’ll appear as a white cluster around the feather shaft. Unfortunately there’s no easy way to kill chicken lice eggs, so you’ll have to wait until they hatch and then wreak havoc on them.

Repeat step 2 once every week until there are no more signs of lice on your chickens. This usually takes 2-3 weeks of treatments. I know it’s an disgusting job and no one wants to do it, but if you don’t keep up with treatments every week the lice will never die.

To prevent future outbreaks of chicken lice, you’ll need to help your chickens do what they do best, take dust baths! Set up a dust bin/box in the chicken run with equal parts wood ash, Diatomaceous Earth and soil or sand. Cover the dust bathing area to protect it from rain, wood ash and rain don’t mix well! Having a dust bathing area available will encourage your chickens to bathe more often, which will help keep lice from ever becoming a problem again.
Please comment below if you have use this natural cure before or you can drop and you have use that is working for you.

A-Z ABOUT BACKYARD CHICKEN FARMING

What are backyard chickens or Free range chickens

Free-range chickens are birds that are provided regular access to the outdoor, with an abundance of sunshine, fresh vegetation, and room to maneuver.Federal ordinances forbid the use of hormones in raising pork and poultry. The animal’s organic forage cannot contain animal by-products, antibiotics or genetically engineered cereals. Also, the food must not be grown using tenacious pesticides or chemical fertilizers. It solely means that the chickens are permitted to wander freely and devour food that is native to their diet. Farming of such chickens is known as free-range chicken farming.

Young chickens experience fresh pasture and are not bound in any way.

Eggs laid by free-range chickens

The eggs produced by free range chickens have a much greater nutritional content than the eggs bought from stores. Free-range eggs carry double the amount of Vitamin E and six times the amount of vitamin A. They also contain limited saturated fat and four times the omega-3 fatty acids. The cholesterol content is half as much as eggs laid by hens raised in factories and shelters. If you consume the meat of free-range chickens, it considered much more nutritious than the meat of factory raised chickens.

Why free range chicken farming over traditional chicken farming?

There are several reasons why people go for free range chicken farming these days.

1. Supply of high-quality food

Free range chickens give you an unlimited quantity of high-grade food. Since these chickens are raised in a natural environment and not fed unwanted chemicals, the eggs laid by them are rich in nutrition, and their meat is also very healthy.

2. Little space requirement

Since these chickens wander in the open during most of the day, they do not require large spaces for living. An individual living in an apartment can also purchase a portable chicken coop and raise free-range chickens. All you need to do is take them out in the open for food, water, and the sunshine.

3. Low cost maintenance

Free-range chickens depend on natural vegetation for food and hence their maintenance cost is low. No chemicals or chicken food is required to raise them, resulting in limited spending.

4. Reduced transmission of diseases

Since the chickens are not caged together or held in a coop, there are minimal chances of them getting a contagious disease.

  Helpful tips for free range chicken farming

If you are planning to take the free range chicken farming route, here are some helpful tips for you:

1. Make sure you buy high-quality chickens from a certified farm or  dealer

The first and the most important step in free-range poultry farming is purchasing chickens from a certified dealer. Carefully examine the breed you want to raise and ensure that it is free of any disease.

2. Take good care of the chickens until they are mature.

Keep the chicks inside a brooder till they have reached a grown period where they are ready to be brought out into the open.

3. Build a protective fence around their roaming area

Design a fenced area where the chickens may wander freely. Ensure that you keep it reasonably high to prevent the entrance of domestic hunters like cats. It does not have to be big space, but make sure that it is sufficient for the numbers of chicks that you are raising.

CHICKEN EYESIGHT

As beautiful as chicken is,  and profitable as chicken business can be, we as a chicken owner's should know the information on chicken eyesight.

Chicken eyesight is amazing! These chicken can see better color than humans, they can detect and see light and color shades better than humans, chicken have three eyelids, they can move each eye independently and have a 300 degree field of vision without turning their head before the can see.

Chickens see the same way we do. Light comes in through the cornea and iris and then stimulates nerve endings in the retina at the back of the eyeball. One of the big differences, however, is that chickens have tetra-chromatic vision, while we have tri-chromatic. Chickens have four wavelengths (blue, red, green and ultraviolet light) while human can only have three (blue, red and green.)

Chickens’ color vision is different from human because they have colored filters mixed with nerve cells. They are like little drops of oil filtering out different wavelengths and act similarly to wearing yellow goggles.

The fact that chickens see an extra sector of the light spectrum means that everything they see looks different from what human see. We have no description or idea for how much ultraviolet light is reflected from any substance. Chickens also have better motion sensing ability than we do. This is good to know if you use or plan on using artificial lights in your coop. These lights flicker on and off at a rate above what we can see. This is very annoying to your flock and may cause them to start bullying .

Birds as well as other mammals have a structure called a fovea in their retinas. It basically is a small pit that, because of its shape, acts as an image enlarger. Chickens have two foveae, which act a little differently. One is for distant vision, and one is for close up. The interesting thing is that the up close one is oval and sideways and that’s why, when you approach your chicken, they will often bob their heads and tilt their heads sideways to get the image of you into a clearer view. Shockingly, chickens actually can’t really recognize flock members until they are within about 24 inches.

Now don’t go drawing any conclusions that chickens are the best seeing creatures on the planet! Chickens, like humans and other animals, are blind when its completely dark. We need color and/or light to see so when there is no light we cannot see. Chickens, however, are blind when it is not completely dark. Regarding this issue, since chickens are like zombies at night, it makes them highly easy target to predators at night.

Sometimes when we take a picture of our chicken we see that the chicken’s eye is hazy-looking. At first glance this looks like a glitch in the camera but actually, this is the chicken’s third eyelid called the nictitating membrane. The nictitating membrane is positioned next to the eyeball, underneath its other two eyelids and works independently from them. It operates by sliding from the front to the back of the eye. It has two purposes: cleaning and protecting. When a chicken takes a dirt bath, you will see the nictitating membrane appear. This is because it is protecting the eye from dirt entry. Another time you may see it appear is when your flock is sleeping. They sometimes don’t close their eyes completely and thus, the nictitating membrane covers the eye instead.
Don't forget, looks on your chicken eye can help to detect sickness in them.

HOW TO KEEP CHICKEN COOL DURING HOT WEATHER

During hot weather there some few simple little things that we do inexpensively to help keep our chickens healthy, happy, and comfortable during the hot weather.. The last thing that I want is for our chickens to suffer or get ill from heat exhaustion. That’s why learning how to keep your chickens cool in summer is so important for anyone who raises backyard chickens.

We live in an area where we are not only graced with hot temperatures during the summer, but we also have a lot of humidity. It can become very uncomfortable for not only human, but also our animals as well. The heats may be unbearable to our chicken if correct measure is not taking.

THESE ARE THE TIPS FOR KEEPING CHICKENS COOL DURING HOT WEATHER

1. Provide fresh cool water and change the water frequently, especially during exceptionally hot days.

2. Give your chickens some shade to hide out and stay cool. The shade will help the chickens to stay cool.

3.Ensure that the chicken coop/housing is well ventilated especially during hot weather

4. Avoid foods like corn, scratch grains or anything that is harder to digest during the hotter days. Since these types of foods are harder to digest, it creates more body heat for the chickens.

5. Provide frozen treats, such as, frozen water melon, grapes, or blueberries. I like to freeze cucumbers in these silicone muffin cups with water for a little summer time treat. These will helps the chickens to cool their temps.

6. Other frozen food ideas: freeze fruits, veggies, and a little bit of herbs with just a little amount of water in these silicone muffin cups. Then, I’ll chop it up a little to create a simple slushy treat.

7. Create a chicken piñata by using a head of iceberg lettuce (big on water content) and hang with some twice. It creates fun entertainment for the chickens, too!

8. Fill a kiddie pool with just a couple of inches of water for chickens to cool off in. Chickens can’t swim, so only a couple of inches is needed.

Most chickens don’t like the water, but there are a few of ours that enjoy the kid pool.

Remember, to much heat can make your chickens sick and it can lead to death.

TEACHING CHILDREN HUMILITY

How to teach your children humility

1. Give praise when it is truly deserved.
If your children score well on a school test, commend them  if she get a low grade , do not automatically blame the teacher. That for actual accomplishments.

2. Give correction when necessary. This does not mean that you should criticize your child for every mistake. But serious error should be corrected , the same can be wrong attitudes. Otherwise, these may become more deeply ingrained.

3. Encourage your children. Prove to your child that, there is more happiness in giving than receiving.
You and your children can prepare a list of people in need of help with transportation, or repair work. Then
take your children along as you assist some of them. Allow your children to see your joy and satisfaction as you care for the needs of others. That way you will teach your children humility in the most powerful way.

4. Prepare your children for life's realities. Indulging a child's every wish can cause him to feel entitled. for example , if your child wants something you cannot afford, explain why it is necessary to live within a budget . if you have to cancel an outing or a vacation , you could explain that disappointments are part of life and perhaps discuss how you deal with such disappointments. Rather than shield your children from every hardship, prepare them for the challenges they will face as adults.

WHAT MAKES A MARRIAGE , A MARRIAGE GOES BEYOND BRIDE PRICE

Some men think the fact that they can pay bride price, means they are ready for marriage, this is a big lie.
Some believe that as far as they have their house, car and job, they are ready for marriage, which is another big lie. Marriage goes beyond all this.
Marriage is a ministry and you need the Grace of God to succeed. You don't go into marriage based on how much you have in your bank account or the house and the cars you have. Your marriage is supposed to be a place that heals your spouse and not one that inflicts more pain or sends them to the past. It is supposed to be the arms that mend and not the one that damages.
The fact that you can pay for something does not mean you can afford it. Affording comes with maintenance and responsibilities. You can pay for bride price but the real question is, can you afford to keep your woman in love with you till the end of time?
You have a big and nice house, can you and your spouse live in that house in peace and continue to love each other until the end of time? It is not about having the latest or most expensive car, it’s about riding happily and laughing together as you journey.
Marriage is not about impregnating her, but being a good example to the child you bring into this world, by first respecting the woman you call your wife, loving and caring for her, cherishing and appreciating her before diapers and wipes.
Young woman, marriage is not about how beautiful you are or how good you are in bed, but how you talk to your man, respect him, make him feel like a king, how you turn that house into a palace for him, how you praise and honour him.
The most handsome crown a man wants to wear is the woman who respects him and knows how to talk to him, who makes time to pray for him, who encourages him.
The most beautiful clothes that can dress up a wife are the arms of the husband she loves, which make her feel like a queen. Arms to which she is the sole proprietor, arms that are comforting, assuring and forgiving. Yet are strong, protect her and won't leave her.
Young man, dating her does not end when you get married to her. You start losing her when you stop doing that in the marriage. You never stop dating your wife, you make time and take her out occasionally, make time to walk and talk with her. Let her always look forward to seeing you. Don't replace that time with job or friends because you are married to her and she is your wife. Wife goes beyond the home.
Young woman, flirting does not stop when you are married to him else you are teaching him to look for that in a single woman elsewhere. You can't keep a mistress and girlfriend in your marriage. Marriage is very honourable. You are the mistress, the girlfriend and same as a wife. You flirt with your husband.
Marriage goes beyond what you see, you never stop what he saw in you which made him pursue you, you don't stop what you did for her to fall for you. You need the grace of God and His wisdom to keep your marriage. So never stop seeking Him when you are married. Marriage is work, the more you work, the more enjoyable it becomes.
In conclusion "And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own.

HOW TO RAISE CHICKENS DURING WINTERS AND COLD WEATHER

These are Tips and Tricks you can use when raising chicken in cold weather
We often asked how to raise chickens in winter or cold season when the temperature  drop and the snow starts to fall, The truth is that raising chickens in the winter is very easy, they only need a few accommodations to be healthy and happy in the cold winter months.

We learned that chickens natural physiology combined with several strategies on our part are all it takes to keep our chickens happy and healthy through the bitter cold winter.

These are five steps to safely and inexpensively to keep your birds warm during cold weather.

1. Make aure you get the right chickens for your climate

The very best thing you can do to ensure your birds will be fine in winter is to start off with cold hardy chicken breeds. Cold hardy breeds have very small combs and wattles, making them less susceptible to frostbite. They also tend to be built a little on the hefty side, which keeps them warmer when the temperature drops.

The best cold-hardy chicken breeds:
Ameraucana
Australorp
Brahma
Buff Orpington
Cochin
Delaware
Dominique
New Hampshire
Plymouth Rock
Rhode Island Red
Speckled Sussex
Wyandottes
Many of these Chickens are foreign and they are common in particular country and states.

2. Insulate the coop

It’s so important to insulate the chicken coop as best you can before winter sets in. You can do this in many ways. If you have the money, you can use foam or fiberglass insulation in the walls of the coop then cover them with plywood. Just make absolutely sure the insulation is completely covered, because chickens will pick it at. Always remember that insulation doesn’t mean make the coop air-tight. Every coop needs proper ventilation, for polluted air and moisture to escape and fresh air to get in.

3. Close off a portion of the coop

The coop interior gets warm on cold winter nights from the chickens body heat releasing into the air. If the amount of space inside the coop is smaller, there’s less airspace for the chickens bodies to warm up. If your chicken coop is on the larger side, it will pay to make the usable space a little smaller in the winter.

This can be done by hanging plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling, or putting up a temporary wall.

4. Provide quality feed and water

Chickens eat more feed in the winter to regulate their body temperature and put on some insulating fat. Make sure that the feed your chickens are getting is quality feed and give them a bit extra this time of year. We also like to toss chicken scratch on the floor of the coop to give the birds something to keep them busy and add a little winter fat to help keep them warm. Feed your chickens a little extra when it starts to get cold, and more importantly, provide them with fresh water at all times.

Drinking water helps with digestion, which helps with temperature regulation. If your chicken’s water source is frozen for even an hour during the day it will affect their ability to stay warm. If you can’t check on the founts several times a day, consider using a heated water bowl or a Water Heater Base for your fount in the winter.

5. Provide quality roosts

Roosting helps keep chickens warm by getting them up off the floor and allowing them to huddle together to keep warm. Roosts need to be big enough to accommodate all of your chickens, if you see chickens on the floors or nesting boxes at night, more roosts are in order.

The roost surface should be big enough so that a chicken can completely cover their feet while sitting on it. If the chickens can’t wrap their toes all the way around the roost, they are likely to get frostbite on toes that they can’t cover.

These tips will help in raising your chicken in winter or cold weather.