chicken mites

[WTA]

I just noticed mites on our chickens yesterday. Actually I found a dead one and it was covered so I checked a few others and so were they. I have no idea where they came from but I have to do something about it fast. This is probably why all my hens quit laying. We have about a hundred chickens. All of them are free ranging but most go in the hen house at night on their own. Durring the day they are all out grazing the alfalfa field which is now dormant.

Any ideas what to sterilize the hen house with? I was planning on a stong bleach solution unless something else is better.
I need to dust all the birds somehow too and I'm really lost on how to do that and what with.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jimg]

Liquid Permethrin concentrate is what you want for the house. The directions will tell you what the mix should be. Youll need to first clean the thing *completely* and then spray in every nook/cranky.

Theres also a Permethrin based dust that can be used directly (w/o the need to mix). Birds naturally dust themselves so Id put some out in a large pan(s) of some sort and see if they use it. If you had fewer birds id say hose them down w/ Permethrin but w/ as many as you have Id see if theyd do it themselves first.

 

[WTA]

Thanks for the reply. I had a 2 1/2 gallon jug of that stuff that I was using on the horses. It was worthless on them for the flys btw. It sure killed mosquitoes though. I'll go get some more today and do it.

 

[jimg]

Which...the liquid or dust? If the later Id have to agree. I used it on my goats for a time and it really didnt work as well as the liquid. Also the dust was a flaming mess to apply.

 

[WTA]

I had the liquid concentrate. I was mixing it according to the instructions for horses and using one of those small pump up sprayers to spray them with. The flies would eat them worse it seemed after spraying. Mosquitoes dropped dead almost instantly though.

I sure miss the days when DDT was sprayed all over us. Really, the trucks on the bases I grew up on would come through in the evening and fog everything, even us if we were too close. We sure never had any bug problems back then.

 

[jimg]

Im surprised you still had bug problems w/ the liquid. When used on my goats everything stayed off or died trying o have a seat.

Im too young to recall DDT other than the media stories when they were set on banning it. I think newer research has shown it not to be the problem once thought.

When you hit the ag chem store you might also ask if they have a better product for the mites. I thought tho 99% of all bug remedies were Permethrin based.

 

[randy41]

Common External Parasites in Poultry: Lice and Mites, VME-0018-03
They recommend sevin.

 

[WTA]

I need an applicators license to buy enough 7 dust to do this place. I planned on spraying the whole back yard and barn area. I probably need it for the big jugs of pyretherin too but the feed store lets me slide on that.

My vet just told me use either sevin or pyretherin too. I hadn't even told him that's what you all said.

 

[Soundguy]

I use the permethren dust for my poultry. Works on mites in seconds.

I agree with JIMG.. the liquid permethren emulsion should work as well on the bedding and the coop..

I've had better luck dusting my chickets than spraying them.

Soundguy

 

[jimg]

Pyretherin is diff than Permethrin...its synthesized from a flower of some sort. I think also it decays over time, not sure about the other. Ive used Pyrethrerin in my garden though to kill off horn worms. ALthough I think popping them is far more entertaining. YUCK!