Neem oil for mites

[ChickensAreSweet]

I am starting this thread for neem oil.

Has anyone tried it? If you do try it, feel free to post your experience here.

Fortunately my chickens are mite-free right now. But I am really considering buying this neem oil.

Here
http://www.amazon.com/Dyna-DYNEM032...A08C/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1294261673&sr=8-6

The thread this came from (see post #16):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=436251&p=2

 

[BigIslandChicks]

normally neem is not used to KILL bugs, im sure it could especially in a bath, but neem actually stops the bugs from reproducing and/or aborting or making the eggs infertile. we have neem trees here and a very large book on neem. it is a very effective natural birth control and therefor makes the bugs sterile i guess. you are not supposed to use or spray neem if pregnant or trying to get pregnatnt - just as a precaution. this is of course if you are using the cold pressed oil.. it has so many uses.. and is becoming more popular and well know just how amazing this tree is. toothpaste, we have some neem bug spray made locally on da island, insect/ pest control and more im sure of but cant think of now...

im gonna check out the links....

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have used neem oil on plants to get rid of bugs, but I noticed that my chickens seem to be scratching a lot, and the feathers around their vent look a little like q-tips, so I am assuming it is mites or lice...So I sprayed the coop with neem oil earlier today...my whole yard now smells very very like whatever neem smells like...something like a cross between an orange and a pine tree...Either way I didn't spray my chickens directly, but I did spray the nest boxes and then watch a hen go in and have a nice seat, so she surely got a little on her...I just know that neem oil sticks to everything, so it seemed like putting it on a creature that uses it's mouth to clean itself would be cruel and unusual...I'm going to get some poultry dust when next we have some money...but until then it will be neem oil and ashes.

I've used neem oil on my chickens 2 Tab. to 1 gal. of water. http://www.discoverneem.com/about-discover-neem.html

 

[starlingdaly]

Hello! Just wanted to add my input on neem oil for chickens.
I have been using it for about 6 months with great results. I haven't used it in the warm months yet so that is yet to be tested, however:
I mixed 1 part neem oil, 1 part macadamia oil and about .05 parts oregano oil and applied one drop under each wing of all my chickens. 2-3 drops under my turkey's wings. I did this once a week at night when they were roosting for 3 weeks and I did not see any mites or lice on them after those three weeks. It seems that in winter it only needs to be applied every other month or one application per month for maintenance.
For heavy infestations, I would suggest an additional drop among the tail feathers (touching the skin) as well as a drop behind the neck.

And so far my rooster is not sterile as we just hatched 14 chicks by him.

 

[Chukchuk]

With regards to practising prevention, this is important indeed. Sometimes though I think that there may be an underlying health problem that the presense of lice reveals. I personally try and use the most organic treatments if at all possible to prevent these out breaks so every 2 week my little house - in which I downsized to keep only 3 chickens in - has diatomaceous earth sprinkled in their favourite areas and entrance plus barrier red mite and louse powders. I have only ever had lice pre-existing on new hens bought in and had a red mite infestation once in 9 years. So not too shabby. In case there is any other disease in the house it was hoovered! steam cleaned! and soaked for an hour with 1% hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant which was then pressure washed off and the house dried nicely in the sun.

With regards to Sevin. This is banned here in the UK (and in alot of other countries) as it's active ingredient is carbarly which is nastily toxic when even small amounts enter the nervous system and is a carcinogen see for instance here. It is not something that I want myself or chickens exposed to.

I have also researched neem oil which has not been banned despite there being a big clamp down on "natural" health products here in the uk and is registered as generally safe to use to spray on crops. That is not to say that it has no toxicity at all. Neem contains an aspirin like substance and the seeds are toxic in large doses in children and deaths have beed reported, but thats not what we are suggesting to do here. Clinical studies show anti-carcingenic properties too. Look here.

Anyway the information here is presented in order to help contirbute towards people making informed choices.

 

[CazzaJayne]

I swear by Neem seed oil. Keeps my kids lice free and my dogs flea free. I googled to see if it can be used on chickens and it brought me to this thread. I hope you don't mind me putting my 20c worth in to the discussion.

I believe I've read somewhere that Neem, once mixed, doesn't have a particularly good shelf life and will lose its effectiveness quickly (Please don't take my word for this though, I'm sure the information is out there if you'd like to check for yourself).

To use it on my kids and my dogs (and their bedding) I use it in a preventative manner. It works a treat. I take about a tsp of 100% Neem seed oil and mix it with the same amount of liquid soap (shampoo for the kids, flea control shampoo for the dogs) so that it will disperse in water. If you don't mix it with the soap of some kind, it will just float on top of the water and not mix. I then put it in to a spray bottle (roughly a cup in volume I guess) and fill it with water. Shake it to mix and spray away.

I find I don't need to get it on their skin, although I am certain some would find its way to their skin. I do however rub my dogs once I've sprayed them to spread it over their coat. The kids get a spray at the base of their hairline at the back, a spray above each ear and one in the middle/top of their head. Went from having regular occurrences of nits/fleas to NONE EVER once I started spraying the kids each morning before school. The dogs and their bedding just get sprayed when they are bathed (I also mix some Neem in to the dog shampoo I use and leave the lather on for a few minutes before rinsing).

I would probably use it on my chickens now that I've read this thread. Perhaps oiling the roosts/coop/nesting boxes and then a drop under their wings and back of their neck to start the preventative ball rolling and then the watered down spray, directly on to the chickens to maintain.

Trust me, you don't need much at all - I think that even a mix of 10% Neem to 90% of a cheaper oil might even do the trick. It's pretty good stuff!! A lesser mix might also suit those that still have concerns over it's toxicity. It does stink, but I find with the spray on my kids and dogs hair that the smell goes away as it dries and you would have to put your nose directly on the sprayed area to smell it. Either that or I just become accustomed to the smell after the initial heavy waft of garlicy scent when I first spray haha.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Since built I've sprayed my coop with neem oil. So far no evidence of mites. What do you do with ashes? Could you explain?

Use wood ashes to dust your birds also in nest boxes. I put ashes in a rubber tub along with sand [play] to give them something to dust bath in during the winter when the ground is frozen or snowy they also eat them along with the sand.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just a Warning for those using wood ashes for the first time, Please make sure those ashes are completely cold before throwing them into your coop or run. Looks can be deceiving and they may still be warm underneath. I run my hand through them to be sure.

 

[starlingdaly]

I would say yes, that should work just fine! Remember that neem doesn't kill instantly, it kills in a couple of days since it causes hormone imbalances in insects that cause them to stop eating and reproducing.
I would also suggest reapplying in a week to make sure you got them all.
I've mixed equal parts neem with macadamia oil. Olive oil would work the same way.

 

[joolz68]

I have neem oil for my plants,i used in my small coop about a month back when i found red mite,i rubbed that mixed with a few drops of thyme oil in wood for a few days and its solved the problem

Im a huge fan of neem oil,it worked well for my horses..no fly likes it much it proper stinks