Mites in Chicken Coop..

[dooleysm]

It's not uncommon for mine to get mites in the winter. I add a bit of Sevin dust to the coop, but normally they clear up on their own once the weather turns suitable for the chickens to dust bathe themselves.

 

[Soundguy]

yeah..

They make the 'booms' for cattle that you put on gates they egress.. but I've never seen lil booms for chickens or rabbits and other small animals. all they are are long 'socks' stuffed with some absorbant material, tied ont he ends.

and since permethrin water emulsion mix lists mix % based upon livestock type, including dogs and poultry, swine, sheep/cattle, equines etc.. I figured it would be an easy thing to make. i made some from old tube socks with the toes worn out.. or heels gone. worked great.

am pretty sure it was the permethrin killing hte bugs and not my old stinky foot odor.. but hey.. whatever works..

soundguy

 

[scesnick]

Is there any way you can create a little dust bath for them in part of the area?

yeah, Once researching this further, I put my woodstove ashes out in the run this morning for them. I am working now and won't be able to clean the coop till this evening.

 

[forgeblast]

I have used the talstar what about diatomaceous earth?
Raising BackYard Chickens, Build a Chicken Coop, Pictures of Breeds

 

[Western]

what about diatomaceous earth?
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That's what I was thinking, DE too. Works on fleas and I think it would be great for a "dust bath"

 

[Soundguy]

works awesome on fleas that's for sure!

soundguy

 

[dmccarty]

Do you not have to be careful with DE?

Seems like there is two kinds one being allowed around food. The other DE type is supposed to be bad for you to breathe.

I "assume" one would need to use the food grade DE around the chickens?

Later,
Dan

 

[SandburRanch]

Common chicken mites are mostly nocturnal often staying on the roost in daylight hours waiting for the bird to come back to roost in the evening.

An old remedy was to wash the roost with lye water. I've heard lye isn't available anymore because of the dope heads so you'll have to go for the draino.

A solution of chlorox (bleach) may be just as effective but I've never tried it.

As mentioned earlier, a dust bath of wood ashes available is always a plus for the birds health it seems.

 

[sal64]

I seem to have an infestation of mites in my chicken coop. I went into the coop last night after dark to see what's wrong with the light timer and noticed a ton of little bugs crawling on the light timer. No doubt mites.

I have noticed in the last few days that my birds have almost quit laying eggs all together.
They also seem to be eating less. I guess now I know why.

I have done a bit of research and see that Sevin Dust is a good treatment but I would really like some kind of liquid i can put in my sprayer and spray the whole coop and the birds with. Any suggestions? I only have 10 birds.

clean the coop well then lime it good .

 

[Soundguy]

Common chicken mites are mostly nocturnal often staying on the roost in daylight hours waiting for the bird to come back to roost in the evening.

An old remedy was to wash the roost with lye water. I've heard lye isn't available anymore because of the dope heads so you'll have to go for the draino.

A solution of chlorox (bleach) may be just as effective but I've never tried it.

As mentioned earlier, a dust bath of wood ashes available is always a plus for the birds health it seems.

a good hardware store will have lye, and you can get sodium carbonate as a PH+ addative at pool supply places in bulk.. or in 1-2g (powderd) containers at walmart.

lime, as another poster mentioned works good to.. just don't breathe it.. nor the DE...

soundguy