Never a dull moment on the farm! Today the plan was to clean the chicken coop as one young chicken died a couple days ago and several had a nasty cough and didn’t look too good. We were preparing to clean, step 1 gather the eggs. Opps! Pause. The first blue egg laid by this years chicks! That was great news! The next moment “what are those tiny black spots?” Ewe! They move! Next call the vet! Vet report: your chickens have chicken mites? Double ewe! How do we treat it AND how do they affect humans? Clean the coop, sprinkle with Garden and Poultry Dust, spread wood shavings in the back part of the coop (learned the chickens will spread it around), sprinkle with more “dust”, stuff straw in the nesting boxes, sprinkle with dust. Then tonight when they roost we will go out and sprinkle them with dust! Wow! And...mites don't live on people. An adventure extraordinaire!
Remember all the time I’ve talked about Poultry Dust? Well you have to "have" Poultry Dust in order to spread it! So Bekah started making the calls to Bomgaars and Tractor Supply stores within a 45 mile radius. One place had one container, “please hold it for us!“ Two more didn’t have it any. But the good Swedish town of Gothenburg had 3 canisters! "Please hold, we are on our way!" Off we went, driving gravel roads, black top, more gravel, temporarily slowed by a road grader at work! Several hours later we are back at the farm to continue our project.
This morning we cleaned the coop, we were hot and sweaty, feeling we had critters crawling on us. When we finished cleaning we headed to the house, immediately stripped our clothes and headed straightaway for showers to make sure we didn’t have any critters crawling on us. Before heading to pick up the precious dust, it was time for lunch. After the morning we had, the perfect lunch was homemade peach ice cream made last night! So refreshing!
We were about to start the restoration process upon our return when Bekah said “Aunt Karol, don’t step backwards. There is another dead chicken behind you!” I started sprinkling the dust while Bekah took a hike to the pit of death...far far away. She was back 10-15 minutes later and we had one in a corner start flapping its wings and watched as it kept flapping, flopped on its back and bit the dust! I kept sprinkling dust and Bekah headed back out to the pit of death. 😢
Just in case you are wondering! It is NOT the bird flu! Just want to be crystal clear. Several hours later Bekah went to check on the chickens again, AND...another one bites the dust! All of the chickens dying are young ones from this year.
It is nearly 7pm but we still have yet to make some homemade pizza (made with sourdough starter), dust the chickens, play some Farkle (dice game) and I'm sure there is another bowl of homemade peach ice cream coming later tonight! (Late breaking! Yes, more peach homemade ice cream!)
Tomorrow...Farmers Market, pick up more "dust powder", pick up Bekah's car and...the unknowns of farm life!!!
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