Exact Dustbath Recipe

[RonnieJB]

First I apolgize if this actual thread exists but I need clarifications. So here I go. I bought a little blue kiddo swimming pool, size 46". 2 40 lb bags of sand, seems kinda fine however so I'll call it play sand. I then bought 2 containers of sulfur.I only used 1 container. Its 1lb of the brand Hi Yield, with there is instructions for dusting animals with it. btw I have dusted a ranch dog with it before for fleas. and then a bag of diatomaceous earth with which I used half apprx 2 lbs. I mixed it all together and om waiting to see if they will use it. The main reason is I suspect my RR rooster, his name is Mr. Biggers, may have mites, as he has been defeathered and is very red on his rumpus. I'll post a picture later of said region.
What Im wondering if there is an tried and true exact recipe to use. Such as add x amount to x amount. I haven't exactly found it on the web but have read numerous articles on using combining them and using it and in here as well. (Btw I rarely have any wood ash so none on hand or I would have added that too.) The is outdoors and in my 10x30 chainlink covered kennel now serving as my chicken compound coop. Is this combination too much of 1 item, if so I can remove and adjust recipe.

 

[DobieLover]

A dust bath should be just plain dried dirt. Putting the DE and sulfur in it can cause respiratory distress. If you suspect your rooster has mites you should treat him directly with a spray on permethrin based poultry spray. And if he does have mites, everybody else probably does too. They should be treated as well. And your coop needs to be stripped down, treated with the permethrin spray and re-bed. Everything needs to be repeated in 7 days and possibly again in 14 days depending on how bad the infestation is.

 

[nuthatched]

I don't think there is a recipe for dust baths, at least not that I've heard of. plain old dirt is fine, you can mix with sand. Skip the de, it's not safe for your (or you) birds to breathe and isn't effective for pests. If you suspect lice or mites, get some permrethrine poultry dust.

 

[RonnieJB]

Tomorrow is my day off and the pyrethrum spraying for the run and chickens is what I am planning to do. I can get the plain ole dirt from the ranch and haul it back home too. Thanks for the quick replies. here is his tender parts. And a nice side view. Here he's doing his bathing in my tree well. Right now. >_<

 

[RonnieJB]

Alright today I started out with the striping of the coop run. I raked everything out. Raked behind and around the outside. Then I cleaned out their rests. Then I sprayed permethrin everywhere. Til it was dripping. However Im not so sure as to the effectiveness because we finally had some rain, it was a tremendous downpour. Flooded backyard and front. Not so much as the run itself because of the cover but it was still really wet. Not sticky or standing water. so maybe I will have to repeat spray tomorrow after my work shift is over. I did catch the chickens 1 at a time. Took a long time, agile witches. Except for Mr. Biggers, he doesnt mind getting caught so much as he knows he gets lots of attention. Btw he is someones chicken that we dont know who he belonged to....someone thought the ranch should have...aside from the fact we have about 25 chickens plus several roosters that have gamefowl genes.... I brought him home to my little flock about a month ago.

Now the 1 cochin, 1 cinnamon queen, 2 easter eggers, the sumatra, the 1 spitzhauben, and last but not least the very gentle but silly sultan. These will be 16 weeks on the 4th of August. There are 4 austra whites, these 4 put up the biggest challenge, and were the noisiest squawkers. My husband thought I might be killing them or they were killing me....I'm traumatized, they're all a bit traumatised, as well, I'm sure. But I put them 1 at a time in a handy horse cake tub and dusted them on all butts, under wings, chests etc...felt like I was dusting myself with the fight they put me through. 0_0

Last but not least the 4 youngest chicks.. theyre 4 wks. Ill catch them more gently as night falls and dust them tonight.

 

[TOR]

Make sure you dust them a second time, after about 10 days for eggs.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

I toss a bucket of garden compost, a bucket of sand and a bucket of field dirt in a pile and within a few days they have it mixed together and happily making a mess.

 

[RonnieJB]

I feel like this os how 2nd round will go down.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

It was wise guy response.

Pyrethrin or whatever it is will be your most efficient way to get rid of mites. Terrible for bees and bunnies, but anything else just plain doesn’t work. I personally do three treatments 10 days apart to make sure they’re gotten rid of.

The dust bath recipe still stands though.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

And I’m talking spray. I spray top to bottom on coop, run and chickens. Make sure it’s in the feathers and on skin not just on the feathers.