If your chicks go outside do you dust them for mites?

[pattee]

I'm really curious? Mine have been in a run for a few weeks (and the coop) They are 9 weeks old.

 

[americana-chick]

i have never heard of having to dust your chicks for mites.. i have had many chicks and right now i have 9 of them and they are outside, i have never had to dust any chickens for mites in all my time with chicks so i dont think you should be worried.

 

[pattee]

I've heard of something D..... I can't remember what the name is but you can dust your chickens and your garden ~
Hmmmm....

 

[CoyoteMagic]

You can provide them with a box or a washbasin with DE so they can dust themselves. I just fling the DE all over the coop, floor, walls, roost, next boxes, ramps and any chickens that get in the way. I've never had a problem with mites

 

[LynneP]

I do the same thing with the DE. before I let them out I dusted the floor of the run. before I put them in the coop I dusted the plank floor over concrete. I put it in the play sand I use for dust baths. I'm hoping that the DE and an occasional addition of Sevin or Dri-Kill will keep my birds from infestations. I also have a No-Pest Strip (pyrethins) in the indoor coop.

 

[kees]

I know that all squirrels on the ground will have mites so I would think that all chickens would be prone to these too.

 

[lovemychicks9]

I put a little pile of DE in the run where the girls take their dust baths and they love it ! They all roll around in it and take good old dust baths in it and get protected from bugs at the same time. I also sprinkle it in on top of the shavings where they roost and it dries up the poo and they spread it around for me and agian get the benefits of the DE at the same time.