Red (Black) mites

[sqweek01]

Not got chooks yet (in the stage of house design) but thank you to you all for sharing your problems, and unfortunate heartbreaks. My heart goes out to those who've lost chooks.

It's good to know about these things before I start. I'd heard that mites can be problematic but now realise that's not strong enough a word!

Regards

Clare

[Hilary B]

Food and Drug Agency - if they don't recommend it then it's probably not safe for hens nor humans. They're the US dept that approval all drugs, chemicals and items that go into food stuffs, they're stricter than the UK counter part but it's no bad thing.

Over here things may be 'not recommended' because they haven't been tested for that species, rather than because there is an actual problem. I suspect the same may apply to FDA rulings, because they do seem to have approved the same active ingredient in a different form.
I would tend to double the 'withdrawal' period though, having used Oramec (same thing, but for oral administration to sheep) which has a 28 day withdrawal period.

[di]

Has anyone tried a sulphur candle or know of any reason why I shouldn't?
I've totally lost heart with Poultry Shield,I've sprayed the coops out thoroughly twice this week,with inbetween trouble spots blasts...still they seem to be winning.
Also,which lime should you use to limewash the coop,I'm guessing with that as opposed to creocote the chooks would be able to go in that night if we did it in the morning?

[Suechooks]

Has anyone tried a sulphur candle or know of any reason why I shouldn't?
I've totally lost heart with Poultry Shield,I've sprayed the coops out thoroughly twice this week,with inbetween trouble spots blasts...still they seem to be winning.
Also,which lime should you use to limewash the coop,I'm guessing with that as opposed to creocote the chooks would be able to go in that night if we did it in the morning?

I think somewhere - maybe this thread(?) - someone has mentioned using a sulphur candle. As far as I remember it worked well but you'd have to keep the chooks out a while and also block up all the holes while it was going (bit of a job if you use Onduline!)
Have you tried using Diatom as well in conjunction with the Poultry Shield?
Also there's Bramble's Smite. I got some today to use as in between treatment and carry on with the PS weekly.
If you can Creocote its definitely the answer. Never heard of the lime wash, sorry.

[di]

Tlck9, I also have a wooden coop with felt roof! No way I can get rid of roof and replace with another covering
Although, I haven't seen any since I lit the sulphur candle Saturday night, apart from millions dead on the floor once the candle had gone out! I then sprayed once again everywhere with the poultry shield, then once dried I powdered the diatom everywhere too and on the girls. I am spraying again today due to any mite eggs hatching and every 3 days after for a while then once weekly.

Seriously thinking of getting the plastic garden store that Wendy on forum has though, although that will scupper any plans of me buying a auto pop hole opener for the bleak winter time! Plus, I also have to think of how I will keep it cooler in the summer months.
Tina
x

I think somewhere - maybe this thread(?) - someone has mentioned using a sulphur candle. As far as I remember it worked well but you'd have to keep the chooks out a while and also block up all the holes while it was going (bit of a job if you use Onduline!)
Have you tried using Diatom as well in conjunction with the Poultry Shield?
Also there's Bramble's Smite. I got some today to use as in between treatment and carry on with the PS weekly.
If you can Creocote its definitely the answer. Never heard of the lime wash, sorry.

Sorry Tina...feel embarrassed now for missing your post!...How long did you leave it from the sulphur candle going out to when you let the girls back in the coop?

[Hilary B]

Limewash is definitely worth a try. If you can find the lime (in powder form), I can PM instructions on use (I've done cow byres, and also the old-house version which is rather different). You WILL need somewhere for the stuff to 'stand' after mixing. It takes anything from half-hour to overnight before it is ready to use, but once ready it keeps for weeks if you can prevent it drying out. You may want to do one coat a week for a while.
While lime would not be 'dry' very quickly (no quicker than washing the house), it would be chook-safe, even if they were daft enough to peck at it!

[di]

Thanks Hilary.

[MaureenHall]

I've just finished painting the new shed/coop with Creocote. How long should I wait before letting the chooks use it? I'm hoping it can be Wednesday if all the lining/sealing/perches made etc is finished, then I can move Rowan and his gang plus the big chicks into there, releasing the growers coop for Precious to use as a broody coop and run. Oh complications!!!! We're never 100% prepared are we

[Bramble-Poultry]

prepared - hang on i'll run and get the dictionary - not sure what prepared means!!!! Chaos now I know the meaning of that word.

If all else fails mo - use the viv!

[MaureenHall]

I can't fit 1 Welsummer cockerel, 5 Welsummer pullets, 1 Jersey Giant, 1 Black Minorca and 3 Vorwerks into the viv!!! Don't be silly No, got to move the JG, BM & V's somewhere pdq. Fingers crossed for Wednesday

[lizzylemon]

I can't fit 1 Welsummer cockerel, 5 Welsummer pullets, 1 Jersey Giant, 1 Black Minorca and 3 Vorwerks into the viv!!! Don't be silly No, got to move the JG, BM & V's somewhere pdq. Fingers crossed for Wednesday

Could you move the adults in on Wednesday and see how they get on for a day or two? And If all's well, send the babes in, or would that present pecking order problems....

[Bramble-Poultry]

I meant as a broody coop - to give you more time to sort out the others

[MaureenHall]

I meant as a broody coop - to give you more time to sort out the others

Hmmmmmm if the viv wasn't in the Conservatory then that could be a possibility, but the weather is supposed to be getting warm again in the next couple of days and the temp in there goes way up .................... I'd end up with poached chicken and eggs I think I'm going to aim for moving them all late on Wednesday night, after bedtime, and as the Wellies and the chicks will all be moving to a new location, then I think the pecking order problem might be a little bit reduced. Basil and his ladies will stay in the same place, and the ex-batts (except for Precious) will be staying put too. From what I've read on here from others who've had broodies with eggs to move, it seems to be better to do it at night and early on in the sitting too. I'll switch the spare incubator on just in case though

[Bramble-Poultry]

I always move my broodies to either coops or if i'm out i use the indoor rabbit hutches (i've got spare of those if you need it!) Never had one yet who has gone of brood - I wait until they have sat for a few days so have settled them in the evening just before all of the others go to bed, I feed her and she usually eats drinks and poos and then settles down.

To be fair if she gets up after moving she would never have seen the job through anyways, theres two spare incubators here if you need them - not because I'm not using them but beacuse they are new, only brought on saturday.

[di]

We ran out of Poultry Shield this week...panic!!!But to be honest,I'm quite pleased!
I've been diluting ***** fluid in my sprayer & using that & it's been doing a great job...really flushes the little blighters out & I then use scrunched up newspaper to wipe up the liquid/mites.The smell's nothing like as bad either!
Until I can work my magic on Andi & get him to build a nice new,crevice free coop,creocoting is tricky,so I've resigned myself that the best we'll do this year is stay one step ahead of them and from what I've found this week,***** does just as good a job as Poultry Shield,for a fraction of the price!(but in a squirter...not just scrubbing!)