Newbie from France

[deb]

Hello,
I have just rejoined PKF after several years of silence. I live in Western France and keep chickens and geese. This is a huge change for me,being a career girl in a big city in the UK to very rural France. I am lucky enough to have plenty of land, so the poultry free range. I have just made the change from french farmyard hybrids and cou-nus, to Sussex hens. So far, they are doing well and are very rewarding, but I notice that one or two are wheezy and sniffly. I have started broad spectrum antibiotics for them and am keeping my fingers crossed. Also, does anyone know where I can get Diatom and ACV over here??
Many thanks.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Deb and welcome to the forum. We have just moved over here and taken our chickens with us. Cou-nu's are amazing birds. So big compared to the derivative TNN's which we have. But the eggs are the same size, so you need more space and feed for no gain in production, unless the Cou-nu's have had the broodiness bred out of them. I think they are meant for meat production primarily.

The French use potash, wood ash from the fireplace, to control red mite Deb. They would have no need for Diatom. Downside is the dust may be a problem as it is a vey fine powder which presumably chokes the mite. We have bought creosote over for the wooden coops and will add potash to the soil baths.

ACV- can you get it from the agricultural merchants for horse use?

If you have some going wheezy and snuffly check the ventilation in the coop and the dust in the bedding. We've got a Legbar going the same so, even though Lucy is 5 and gets special privileges, she will be taken out of the nest box she used to sleep in at night as it has no ventilation and that's the cause of the problem.

Whereabouts in Western France are you?

 

[deb]

Hi there,
I am in the Deux-Sèvres.
Potash is a good idea for red mites, I will try adding it to theis dust baths. But I also use diatom for worming the chooks and the dogs.
Thank you for your reply, though.

 

[chrismahon]

We bought a large tub of Flubenvet over with us which we will administer orally, rather than mixing it to the feed. The UK has run out and it won't be available until January now apparently. Not convinced diatom will do a great deal to worms though Deb?