Tag Archive for: portland metro area

Understanding Your Chickens During Molting Season

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Understanding Your Chickens During Molting Season

Is your flock causing a bit of chaos when you step into your backyard, resembling a scene from the Royal Rumble of pillow fights? Don’t panic; your hens are simply undergoing their molting phase! That’s right, those fluffy beauties are shedding old feathers and sprouting new ones, which are composed of an impressive 80-85% protein. This means they require a protein-packed diet to regrow their luxurious plumage. Curious about molting?

 

What is Molting?

Molting is essentially your chickens’ version of a makeover. It begins with stylish changes starting from the head and neck, gradually moving down to the wings and tail. Here’s a fun tidbit: they will experience two mini molts before their significant annual molt! The first mini molt occurs when they’re just tiny chicks, around 6-8 days old, while the second takes place between 7-12 weeks, when they begin to show off their vibrant rooster feathers.

Molt Season and Its Effects

Prepare yourself—molt season is here, if it hasn’t already made its presence known in your coop! As the days shorten (cue the sad trombone), egg production dips, and feathers scatter as your hens shed their old attire. But don’t lose hope! With the arrival of spring and longer days, egg-laying will make a comeback.

 

Supporting Your Hens Through Molting

To assist your hens during this feather fiasco, consider enhancing their protein intake with a high-protein feed, such as Purina High Protein. They will appreciate the 19% protein goodness, featuring black soldier fly larvae and the Oyster Strong® System. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you might want to add some supplemental light to your coop to encourage egg production during the darker months.

It’s also important to avoid changing their living arrangements or introducing new companions during this sensitive time. Keeping stress levels low is crucial, so consider providing a Flock Block or the new Farm To Flock Block for added enjoyment!

So, while your feathered friends may appear a bit down during molting, rest assured it’s merely a part of their natural beauty regimen!

Must Haves For Managing Bot Fly Season

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Bot Fly Season

We’ve received feedback from our equestrian clients indicating that bot flies appear to be more prevalent this year. Here are some strategies to help address this issue.

The Problem

Bot fly eggs are typically observed in late summer and early fall when adult female flies are actively laying their eggs. The warm weather and extended daylight create ideal conditions for flies, making horses in pastures easy targets. During this period, adult females deposit tiny yellow eggs onto the horse’s coat, which the horse inadvertently ingests. The bot’s life cycle is adapted to overwinter within the horse. By laying eggs in late summer and early fall, the larvae can hatch, move into the mouth and digestive system, and then spend the winter attached to the stomach or intestinal tissues. This ensures their survival until they are excreted in manure and pupate the following spring. As summer progresses, more adults emerge from soil pupae, leading to a surge in populations, particularly from August to October, which marks their most active egg-laying period.

The Treatment

To combat this issue, utilize a deworming product that targets bot fly larvae after the first hard frost, when adults die off but larvae remain inside the horse. This timing disrupts the life cycle before the larvae can pupate in the soil. Ivermectin dewormer, which often contains a boticide, is the most popular option. Additionally, during this time, bot knives or abrasive grooming blocks can be used to remove the tiny yellow eggs from the legs and body. Remember to wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after egg removal.

The Source

Burns Feed Store stocks Ivermectin Paste Dewormer, as well as bot knives and grooming blocks in the grooming section.

In Summary

  • Bot flies lay hundreds of eggs each summer, and their larvae migrate into the horse’s gastrointestinal tract.
  • Bot fly activity peaks in late summer and fall, driven by warm weather and increasing populations, prompting females to lay numerous eggs on horses.
  • Effective control involves removing eggs in the summer and deworming in the fall.
  • A bot knife is a useful grooming tool for managing infestations.

Proactive grooming and parasite management can disrupt the bot fly cycle and ensure your horse remains comfortable throughout the season.

Certified Weed Free Orchard Grass & Straw at Burns Feed Store

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Why Weed Free Forage?

Using weed free forage is a proactive method of preventing our natural and working lands from invasion by noxious weeds. Our natural and working lands are especially vulnerable following catastrophic events like wildfire and flooding and using weed free forage can help mitigate the risk of invasion during recovery. Using weed free forage also ensures that you are providing the most nutritious and palatable version of a product to your livestock, free of undesirable and sometimes toxic weeds. For producers, ODA’s Weed Free Forage and Gravel Program provides an opportunity to add value to your products while contributing to overall ecosystem resilience.

Certified weed free hay and straw are in high demand in Oregon and throughout the western states. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Weed Free Forage & Gravel Program, as part of an integrated weed management approach, helps limit the spread of noxious weeds and protect Oregon agriculture. The ODA follows the standards set by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA; www.naisma.org). Additionally, inspections include Oregon’s listed ‘A’ and ‘B’ listed noxious weeds which can be found at www.oda.direct/NoxiousWeedProfiles

In Oregon, individuals utilizing livestock, horses, or pack animals on U.S. Forest Service land, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and designated Wilderness Areas are required to use certified weed-free forage. This regulation aims to prevent the spread of invasive plant species. Additionally, this requirement extends to contractors engaged in public projects, recreational outfitters, and anyone transporting hay or forage across public lands for any purpose.

 

Planning Your Straw Bale Garden for Next Spring

Gardeners, are you already preparing for next spring’s Straw Bale Garden? Here’s something to consider: it’s crucial to use weed-free straw bales for your garden. Weeds are one of the main issues this gardening method aims to combat. Conventional straw bales can contain unwanted seeds that may germinate once the conditioning process begins.

Benefits of Straw Bale Gardening

By selecting the right bales and conditioning them correctly, you can fully enjoy the benefits of straw bale gardening:

  • Fewer weeds:The most significant advantage is a substantial reduction in weeds, as you’re not working with traditional soil.
  • Less soil trouble: This method is ideal for areas with poor or rocky soil.
  • Reduced pest and disease issues: Planting above ground can help minimize problems associated with soil-borne diseases.
  • Improved accessibility: The elevated height of the bales makes gardening easier on your back.

 

At Burns Feed Store, we currently have in stock Certified Weed Free Orchard Grass as well as a Certified Weed Free Straw.