Help!!!

[barredbeans7]

I just attempted to clean my chicken coop of mites and lice and they got on me! I know you guys said that they can't live on me but it is still freaky! Do u think that my house could be full of chicken bugs and will that be a danger to me or my family. I also want your honest answer on something, my chicken coops seem to always get infected with bugs. Could it be that I live in a moist area with a pond? Or that my coops are wooden? Or that my chickens can come in contact with dogs, goats, and ducks? And if I get a different chicken coop what type should I get, wood, metal, plastic or other? I desperately need your help! Please help me

 

[barredbeans7]

Also, if this helps you, the bugs were on my chickens eggs! So I hope that helps you answer some Q's I asked

 

[cafarmgirl]

MItes/lice can be very, very hard to get rid of. You need to treat all the birds in the coop with Poultry Dust as well as spray the coop about every 10 days until you stop seeing the bugs. You can use Sevin to spray the coop. You have to break that hatch cycle, that's why it's so hard to get rid of them. Miss a few and they repopulate quickly. They do hide away in any little nook and cranny and in the bedding.

 

[barredbeans7]

Thanku for replying! Do u have any suggestions for a better coop? And do u think my moist environment is not suitable for chickens? Or do u think that my goats dogs and ducks are making it worse

 

[cafarmgirl]

I honestly can't answer regarding whether a moist environment has any effect on mite/lice populations, I do not know. Intestinal parasites definitely thrive in warm, moist environments so that is certainly something to think about.

As far as a better coop.... also hard to answer because I have no idea what your current setup is. I do know that chickens will thrive just about any place provided they have enough room and have access to a clean, dry coop. So it may just be a matter of trying to get on top of the mite/lice problem. I don't know if poultry lice/mites will move between chickens/goats/dogs, I am wanting to say they are probably species specific but I am not sure about that.

 

[barredbeans7]

Thanku.... My current situation is I have two small 4 foot long 2 foot deep coops that are supposed to house 14 chickens. I want a bigger coop because it would be easier to clean and would house my chickens comfortably. Plus right now my chickens are not even sleeping in their coops and they keep pooping on the coops which might be attracting the mites. I'm not sure though, hopefully now that I told u my situation u might be able to answer my questions

 

[adgcountrygirl]

I don't know if this will help you, but our dog's yard is 3/4 of the way around our coop. I take the dogs to a different yard and use that yard for the run on days that I am home. The moisture is no different with or without the dogs. As far as mites ect. go... I dust the coop, yard and dog house with Food Grade Diatamateous Earth. (I think that is how it is spelled.) It is safe for the chickens, dogs and cats if they consume it, and it is even good for their digestion if they happen to consume it, but it kills the bugs. Also, if the bugs are killed by it, and your chickens consume those bugs, your chickens are still completely safe. There are many pesticides that can do harm to your birds. I also use the Food Grade D.E. for my garden when I have one. The first year I had a garden, I used Sevin dust, and it was fine on the veggies, but if you use it on herbs and other tender edibles, it changes the taste of the plant, no matter how many times you wash it. My cilantro tasted HORRIBLE!!! I started to think, if it changes the taste of the herb that much, what are the chances that I am actually consuming Sevin dust that has seeped into the plant?! Another reason I now only use Food Grade DE. It is safe for humans if some is accidentally consumed as well. Just make sure it is Food Grade. The other DE has chemicals that could be harmful to your animals.

 

[barredbeans7]

Thankyou so much for your help!!!