Here is a link to our latest YouTube on how to clean out your chicken pen.
We think that at least every 3 months chicken pens need a good clean. We move the chickens out for the day while we clean their house. We remove the items from the pen. Remove the old bedding, spray with Maldison 50, dust with disinfectant powders. We then replace bedding, perches (which we dust for mites) and return feeders nesting boxes and water.
Great results for Evans Chickens at the 2021 Hawkesbury Show. We took first & second place in light sussex cockerell (male) & pullet (female), first & second place in dark barred plymouth rock cockerell (male) & pullet (female) as well as best in breed, and second & third in australorp cockerell (male)
We also received first & third place for our eggs.
I had fun sewing some recycled bags and was honoured to receive 2nd place.
This is our daughter Ruby’s interview of Evan s Chickens with the Richmond Centre for Excellence. Sound was not as good as it could be as it was created in lockdown without a wireless microphone.
‘Mallophaga’. Lice are light sensitive and scurry away when the feathers are parted. Young lice are pin head size and white, while adult lice are usually a brown colour.
Areas to look for lice are under the wing, around the parsons nose and around the feathers below the cloaca. Lice are transmitted between birds by direct contact. There is no part of the life cycle away from the birds. Eggs hatch within a few days, and the eggs are usually visible in chronic infections as fans of eggs, particularly under the wing.
MITES:
are also known as red, grey, and roost mites. They can live in the human home. They can also lead to anaemia, causing pale wattle and combs. Sometimes chickens will refuse to lay in nesting boxes infested with mites. They easily kill young chickens and broody hens. As they are nocturnal, you will not find them on your chickens during the day. Instead, during daylight hours, they hide in the nooks and crannies of your coop. Once laid, they grow to adulthood by day 10. They can live in a vacant chicken coop for up to 5 months. They use poultry as a mobile cafeteria and suck blood during the nights, so they are not usually visible during the day time. These poultry mites are pin sized.
Here at Evans Chickens we have families of pure breed Australorp, Light Sussex and Dark Barred Plymouth Rocks chickens who are enjoying the grass that has grown after the recent rain. Many of our chickens have or are in the process of molting and as a result are not laying any eggs – all of their energy is being put into growing feathers and restocking vitamins in their bodies for the coming breeding season.
Light Sussex
Some of the young pullets that we kept from this year are just beginning to lay, but this is mainly the Australorp pullets. The Light Sussex and Barred Rock breeds seem to be very influenced by diminished daylight hours and as a result we are seeing maybe one barred rock egg a day and no light sussex eggs.
Barred Rock Hens in Molt
As a result we are not currently incubating as we are not collecting enough eggs to justify the cost of running the incubators, brooders and purchasing vaccines (which usually is a minimum quantity of 1000 doses). Hopefully by July we can again fill the incubator and have some chicks available for purchase.
We are missing the opportunity to enter the agricultural shows this year as some of our birds are looking magnificent. COVID-19 has certainly had an effect on our lives – seems that everyone has finally had time to put in the chook house that they where always going to build.
We have supplied chickens to Lord Howe Island after the chickens on the island where removed as part of the rodent eradication program.
Our chickens have become the islands newest residents and will be the producers of the islands eggs for the next few years. Interestingly there are no foxes or predator mammals on the island so the girls should live a sweet life.
Waiting for our flight…..
We were chosen to supply Lord Howe Island as we could meet their requirements of vaccination, disease free and parasite free pullets and were able to safely deliver them to their flight from Port Macquarie to the Lord Howe. The pilot of Eastern Air did a great job of flying them at low altitude but was a little put off by their aroma after 2 hours in the cabin with them.
We hope to get some pictures of the ladies in their new home and will share with you when we receive them.
Evans Chickens are presenting a Poultry Keeping Workshop March 27th, 2020 in conjunction with Greater Sydney Local Land Services.
The workshop will cover the following topics: • Housing and nesting • Chicks and roosters and how to manage them • Pest control and general care • Feed and nutrition • Biosecurity (Health and Disease)- GSLLS Vet on hand • Live handling of poultry and pest treatment Details: When: March 27 2020 12pm – 3pm (lunch included) Where: Greater Sydney Demonstration Farm – 40 Edwards Road, Richmond Lowlands Cost: $85 per person Register: https://greatersydney.lls.nsw.gov.au/resource-hub/events/2019/small-scale-poultry-keeping-workshop Places are limited so register early.
We are now carrying a range of treadle feeders to help you combat rodents accessing your chicken food. These metal treadle feeders come in 3 sizes – 5kg, 10kg & 20kg and start at $80.
5kg
Your chickens will need a week or so of training to use the feeders but then these feeder will reduce the number of rodents using your chicken pen as a snack bar.
10kg
Assembled for your convenience. Contact us to purchase.
