For those of you interested in how the chickens fared, they really look better. They’re still pretty bald, but they’re skin is no longer inflamed and instead of screaming when I come into the barn, they call “Bup bup bup.”They really enjoy cantaloupe and watermelon.
I put wolf’s urine on scent tags in the barn to keep out the raccoons and possums, ferrets, coyotes and the local pit bulls. I bought it from a company called Predator Pee.com. It’s wonderful. The chickens don’t seem to notice the smell at all, but all the varmints that used to hang out at the farm have sure taken flight. What a relief. Anyone having varmint problems should look at this guy’s site.
As for the black widow spiders, the chickens are starting to make a dent. 85% of a free range chickens diet is composed of insects. Why eating black widow spiders does not affect bird’s is one of God’s mysteries. The longer the chickens are in the barn, the more they will feel it is their territory and protect it from insects.