Essential Oils

[silky ma]

Years ago I started using cedar oil and a Tri-Jet fogger to treat my coop when I found pests. I got mine off Cedarcide.com.

Yes the oil is expensive so I buy in bulk. How to use...Remove all hens from coop, remove old bedding food and water containers.
Plug all vents with wadded up newspapers, close all windows and all but one door for you to get into the coop. Wear a mask.. I first will fill a spray bottle with cedar oil and drench all mite hiding areas ....then I will turn the fogger on and hit all the walls, crevices , ceiling and boxes... then as you back out of the coop run the fogger till it looks like a bad foggy day in the coop and close the door. Let it sit for 2 hours.........After 2 hours .open up the windows and remove the paper wads and air the coop out for an 1 hour then add in new bedding etc and let the girls back in. Repeat in 5 days.So I don't transfer any mites or lice to a new area I always turn on the fogger..hold my breath and fogg my whole self then sit in a chair for ten minutes to make sure all buggers die. I wash my clothes like I usually do and go take a shower. Even after a shower I have a hint of cedar on me which I actually like.

The fogger and or oil can be used to kill all pests in home and out. PLEASE make sure you do not spray where bees go!!!

 

[aart]

Years ago I started using cedar oil and a Tri-Jet fogger to treat my coop when I found pests. I got mine off Cedarcide.com.

Yes the oil is expensive so I buy in bulk. How to use...Remove all hens from coop, remove old bedding food and water containers.
Plug all vents with wadded up newspapers, close all windows and all but one door for you to get into the coop. Wear a mask.. I first will fill a spray bottle with cedar oil and drench all mite hiding areas ....then I will turn the fogger on and hit all the walls, crevices , ceiling and boxes... then as you back out of the coop run the fogger till it looks like a bad foggy day in the coop and close the door. Let it sit for 2 hours.........After 2 hours .open up the windows and remove the paper wads and air the coop out for an 1 hour then add in new bedding etc and let the girls back in. Repeat in 5 days.So I don't transfer any mites or lice to a new area I always turn on the fogger..hold my breath and fogg my whole self then sit in a chair for ten minutes to make sure all buggers die. I wash my clothes like I usually do and go take a shower. Even after a shower I have a hint of cedar on me which I actually like.

The fogger and or oil can be used to kill all pests in home and out. PLEASE make sure you do not spray where bees go!!!

Aromatics can be hard on a chickens respiratory system...why cedar shavings are warned against...not sure fogging a coop with cedar oil would be a good idea.

But sounds like you've done it more than once.....so maybe not a concern.

 

[silky ma]

AART,

You are correct Aromatics can be hard on a chickens respiratory system ...... but that is why you must air out the coop before letting chickens back in. Before I even began fogging I ran it by my vet and the agreement was the coop must be aired out well before the girls go back in. If you follow the above directions and have enough constant air flow all will work out.
I have been asked how do you know if you have enough air flow? I always said that during hot summer days your hens that are broody should not show signs of stress and the coop should not have a muggy feeling. The more vents and windows you install the better!!

 

[Modesty]

I just recently washed my wyandotte with a tea tree oil bath. I used a body shop tea tree oil face wash gel. Next time I will dilute a few drops of tea tree essential oil in a tub of water. It worked fabulously and cleared up her lice infestation! I posted a thread about it if you are interested. My chicken was very happy afterward, not disoriented at all!
I wouldn't put the oil directly on her skin but a tea tree oil dip will do it. I got the idea from my mother in law who uses tea tree oil soap on her ponies.

 

[lifthiminsong]

Isn't that just crazy?! I had read that Tea Tree was fatal to chickens.

 

[Modesty]

Really? I never heard of that before! Well my little hen is doing quite well and is very much alive lol. Probably because it was diluted....I would not pure essential oil of any kind directly on her

 

[Boochdizzle]

We douse nest boxes and walls with a neem oil solution when we clean the coup, and near as I can tell it isn't harmful to anything other than bugs and mildew.

I've also rolled the dice and used a tea-tree oil solution for a baby chick covered in fleas. Yeah, the oil is dangerous for chicks, but its a powerful motivator for each and every bug to disengage and move on, and we managed to use it in a way that didn't seem to distress the birds too badly.

 

[Brahma Annie]

I use essential oils in my home also but am new to chickens. Saw that when you clean your coop you spray thieves. Do you dilute it and if so how much? Thank you!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Any suggestions on how much (what ratio to water) pure oregano essential oil to use on chickens?

Its a pretty mute point because oil and water doesn't mix by simply shaking or stirring the mixture.

 

[lifthiminsong]

When I spray EOs in my coop I use a 16oz bottle of water mixed with about 30 drops of the EOs. Of course, shake briskly before using so as to evenly disperse the EOs.