How to get rid of mites??? Please help me!!!!

[chickengeorgeto]

I cannot imagine putting a chemical on my chicks??!! Diorama crocus earth is prob cheaper too! Anything you can't put on yourself you shouldn't put on them.

A body cream that uses a 5% concentration of the insecticide permethian is sold over the counter to kill the tiny mites that causes scabies in humans. Do you mean to tell us that you would slather this body cream all over your birds to kill mites and lice?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

We also use Sevin dust. We also use a pour-on cattle dewormer (rotating Eprinex and Ivomec) that will get rid of both internal and external parasites twice a year.

If your chicken was sick, would you treat it with antibiotics or antifungals, or just cull it or let it die? Those aren't "natural" either. Many natural remedies will help to keep a parasite load down, but won't actually treat an ongoing infestation.

 

[Smf0723]

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO i need to get rid of them quickly cause im adding to my flock teally soon!!!!

 

[cinch920]

I would get some permethian from tractor supply or where ever and spray my entire coop down with it. Also, dip your birds in it up to their heads. Permethian is pretty potent stuff. Wear gloves when using it. This is the method that I use once a year. Sometimes twice. Every spring I clean my entire coop out. Take everything out. Then spray permethian all over. In all the corners, nooks, crannies, roosts. Then I dip all my birds in it. The permethian will pretty much get rid of all your bug problems. However, if you don't want to use chemicals, then disregard this post.

Here's a helpful link I found
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/2/2-5/Laura_E_John.html

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO i need to get rid of them quickly cause im adding to my flock teally soon!!!!

Buy some Eprinex and a syringe (no needle). Put .5 cc of Eprinex on the skin at the base of their neck (on top of the bird, not above the breast). Cease to worry.

Really. It's not something to stress about.

 

[JulyBlizzard]

No I did not mean anything personal.

For me it's not about natural. That's too simple. It's about seeing how organisms function in the world and not one organism functions independently. Consider how many bacteria live in and on you. If you remove them then you would have numerous other health issues. So it is with chickens and the soil. Chickens have as I am sure you know a very personal relationship with the soil. It's how they bathe.

You can do what you feel is right. But I think you will the cost is much greater using a product like sevin. It will not cure chickens of mites or lice long term. It only kills them in the short term and up they pop again.

I was just putting it out there that many things can lead to having mites and other pests that lead to infestations and problems; such as: over crowding, improper feed, not having clean water, imbalanced diet and not natural predators for the mites which can be cause by a number of different things.

We should strive to think outside the box and come up with solutions that help our birds the best.

Having said that I have no issues with you. I would not say you don't care about your birds because obviously you love them and chickens in general as you are here. Sorry if there was any confusion. Not meant to be an attack on you.

 

[JulyBlizzard]

We also use Sevin dust. We also use a pour-on cattle dewormer (rotating Eprinex and Ivomec) that will get rid of both internal and external parasites twice a year.

If your chicken was sick, would you treat it with antibiotics or antifungals, or just cull it or let it die? Those aren't "natural" either. Many natural remedies will help to keep a parasite load down, but won't actually treat an ongoing infestation.

Well anitbiotics are natural. They come come from fungi and other bacterium. It's the way they defend themselves against other bacteria.

Using those poisons actually doesn't treat the problem. Check out the research concerning wood ash, diatomacious earth and peat moss. It actually does solve the mite problem and other external parasites. It might be termed an enabler as it enables chickens to clean themselves more fully.

When you give them those dewormers that weren't made for poultry do you eat the eggs being produced?

If a chicken is sick it would depend on the illness and I wouldn't let it die I would end the suffering quickly. I am not claiming to anthropomorphize my animals. I love them and treat them with the utmost respect and humane care. But I breed my birds so that they can deal with the natural stresses of their environment. I wish I could believe in quick fixes bought in a store.

It once was said that arsenic and mercury could cure many ills but it didn't make it right then and I'd bet none of you would use them now.

I do not think I am better than you. I am not engaged in a competition. The result of life is death. The price for a breath of air is that one breath will be your last and so it is with all animals.

There are some medicines out there that might be useful. But thankfully so far I have not had a need for any of them. DE has worked great. My goats get it as well and they have great color.

My only point is that there's a balance(and it never sits still in nature), and many times illness, parasite infestations etc. come about because somewhere there is an imbalance. Weather conditions can lead to a perfect environment for some organisms and they take off. There may be a time when it is appropriate to use a poison. But if you do things right that should be a very rare time indeed.

Cheers and may you enjoy your flock.

 

[JulyBlizzard]

Maybe using sevin this time isn't the worst idea for you then. After that get a dust bath set up for your birds using the ingredients I mentioned. I believe there is another thread on here about the exact amounts and if not google it. Read the studies.

CHeck out how many chickens you have and how much space they are living in. Cramped living quarters, mud and manure replacing grass and other plants is a sure sign you are over crowding. Using a tablespoon per gallon of apple cider vinegar will also help in the future. My biggest qualm with using things like sevin is that it becomes the go to solution when you may have other problems going on that are leading to an infestation.

 

[JulyBlizzard]

Yes diatomacious earth prevents but does not get rid of an infestation right away. That is why it needs to mixed in the proper amount with things like wood ash also in the proper amount. You don;t want to over do it as both can cause respiratory issues if you have too much of the dust flying around. Peat comes highly recommended but it is not necessary.

 

[JulyBlizzard]

CHeck this link out and tell me you feel the same way. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-123/pdfs/0100.pdf

http://www.ehow.com/info_8497961_natural-alternatives-sevin-garden.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=nu...v=onepage&q=why was carbaryl invented&f=false

I do not mean to be flippant but I would think that would concern me. I don't know a lot about the stuff such as half life and if it can be built up in cells. I'm sure it can't be all that bad. Have you had any chickens born with deformities or a high instance of chick mortality or egg mortality? When do you think it would be safe to consume eggs or bird meat without consuming the stuff ourselves? Otherwise take it for what it was a suggestion to someone wanting to care for their chickens and not an attack on your morality or ethics. I can;t look in the mirro for you and vice versa. But we can share our love for birds. We can seek out what is the best and not worrying about our own petty little egos.