Angry hen

[Scarlet]

Creocote, is a friendlier version and isn't quite so horrible as creosote which is now a licensable product.

If you do find any, before powdering etc a good jet wash (it should dry quickly in this weather) will seriously reduce numbers if you haven't got the time to paint it just yet. It's worth having a good look though as mites can make them seriously ill.

[Verinda]

Oh I didn't know there was a more acceptable version, although it was a very (very!) long time ago that my dad used to paint the fence! I wonder if lime wash would be ok in the shed.

Well I had a search and still no sign of any mites. I thought I'd go up with the torch for another hunt but there doesn't seem to be any so far. I'll let you know if I find them.

I've just put the hens back in their run. They were out most of the day and no dog trouble. Maybe keeping them in yesterday has done some good somehow.

[Glutton4...]

It's worth dousing all the nooks and crannies with diatom this time of year, just in case. I've been lucky this year, so far, and have kept the coop well doused, but I still won't be surprised if I find some at the weekend, when I muck it out. Ruddy things.

[Verinda]

So once you get them it's hard to completely get rid of them?

Our guinea pigs have had mites a few times and our last dog had scabies (ugh) the vet says animals have these things all the time and the slightest dip in health or any stress and the mites will flourish

[kathyd]

I suspect mites are there all the time Verinda - I see what I'm sure are mites scurrying around sometimes when I move things, although the diamataceous earth hurled in the coop does seem to keep them out of there so far, touch wood. I figure if I can protect the areas they're sleeping, they're moderately safe. Our coop is in a huge outbuilding, so there's no way I can clear the entire building, just a mite-free zone. I put DE under their bedding in the coop, and into all the corners and edges, and on the roof and the roof bar where most of the birds like to roost. I also throw some into their dust baths occasionally. If yours all roost on a perch, smother the ends of the perch with vaseline - apparently this traps a lot of the mites as they try to crawl along it at night to reach the birds. You can buy sprays to use on a coop to kill mites, but when I tried it the mites were back within about 2 days... that's why I ended up with creocote, which is the safer and legal version of the old creosote, as someone mentioned on the previous page. Still pongs though, hence the couple of days' delay in putting the birds back in! However.. - it sounds as though the problem might be resolving itself anyway, without any need for panic! Fingers crossed that the peace continues! Keep us informed .

[Verinda]

Well I was at work today so the hens remained in their run, it is a substantial run just no greenery left. Although I do pick them grass. My friend said hens love lettuce too but mine turn their beaks up at it!
So anyway no hen v dog fights today! They'll be out tomorrow so I'll keep you posted.

I still haven't seen any mites. My granny used to keep her hens in an old van that was almost never cleaned out (back in the 60's) the hens were free range all day, I wonder if she ever had mites, pity I can't ask her. I'd better get some diamataceous!

[Glutton4...]

Well, sadly, I spoke too soon, Verinda - I mucked my hen-house out this evening, and got covered in the ruddy things.

Good luck with yours. Forgot to warn you Diatom isn't cheap, but it works.

[Verinda]

Oh how horrible for you and the hens, it seems once they start it's really hard to get rid of them. I'd better keep my eyes peeled.

[Scarlet]

My granny used to keep her hens in an old van that was almost never cleaned out (back in the 60's) the hens were free range all day, I wonder if she ever had mites, pity I can't ask her. I'd better get some diamataceous!

It was probably crawling with them! Some people that keep chickens turn a blind eye to mites and then wonder why the hens are listless, that they no longer lay eggs, or that the eggs can be found in odd places outside.

[Verinda]

I remember, as kids we used to use the van as a sort of horribly smelly camp and chat away in there, but didn't get covered in mites which I presume we would've done if there was loads of them...but who knows. I remember my granny calling them for their tea and the hens hurtling down the hill at a remarkable speed, they looked pretty healthy and she loved them. I'm not saying there was no mites, just what I remember.

[Glutton4...]

One of my ex-Bosses kept hens. They were always confined to their little runs, three or four hens in each, all cobbled together with a tarpaulin over the top to keep the worst of the rain off. Poor things lived in their own sh!te day in day out, never cleaned, never let out on the grass. He'd give them weeds to eat, and corn, but they were always riddled with scaley leg, mites, and heaven knows what else. When he went away, and I looked after them, I always came away crawling.

[Verinda]

Oh, it's awful to think of all the hens who lead terrible lives just like that. I despair of human nature sometimes. Did those hens still lay eggs despite their horrible conditions? Otherwise why would your ex boss bother keeping them at all?

[Scarlet]

Yes, they probably laid until they dropped dead with lack of blood! Some people just ignore the other symptoms or perhaps just don't see them. I often have conversations with other hen keepers and they say they feed their hens with fresh cream for breakfast, cooked dinners at lunch cos they don't like the chicken food! Madness, they think they are good chicken keepers, similar story to dog lovers that feed their dogs until they are huge and can hardly walk!

[Verinda]

Ever since this thread I've been hunting for mites and today I found some!! Eeek horrible! I don't think there's that many as I've scrubbed the entire hen house and didn't find anymore, there was just some on the nest box. Next I am going to lime wash everywhere and treat the hens and throw some powder in their dust holes.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice, I really appreciate it.

And just an update on the angry hen she recovered her good humour quite a while ago and stopped attacking the dog which was a relief all round

[Scarlet]

Just a case of keeping the numbers down Verinda...at least you know what you have to look for now.