1 teaspoon?

[ClareScifi]

The farm store clerk talked me into buying Pyrethrin poultry dust for my chicken. I have only 2 chickens. She said to put 1 tsp of the dust atop their dust bath dirt and mix it in. Does that sound right to you? Too much? Too little? She said she wouldn't recommend putting it directly on their bodies, that they will get enough of it bathing in it in the dust.

I'm not sure they know what they are talking about. She said the chickens pecking white specks off each other is them eating bugs, but someone else posted that it might be bits of feather shafts, instead.

The worker said mites were a problem here in my area this year. She thinks it's mites/lice, but I don't know.

I have mixed food grade DE in their dust area. She recommended half a cup (this is flour shell, not the more dangerous large-grained non food safe DE), but I mixed in only about 1/4 cup. Do you think that is okay? I also got wood ash from my neighbor.

The chicken was sitting in the dust bath when there was DE only in it, but when I put the wood ash in, she moved out. I wondered whether I could have gotten too much wood ash in it to suit her? How much would be the right amount for 2 chickens to dust bathe in?

Can I put the pyrethrin dust in with the wood ash/DE, or would that cause a chemical reaction that wouldn't be good, and are there certain temperatures when you shouldn't do this? It's about 90 F here today?

Thanks for everyone's help. I don't want to screw up things for the hens.

Clare

 

[Dar]

I think you will be fine here is a link to more info on the product

http://www.picaridin.info/pyrethrin.htm

 

[1livelychick]

I put the dusting powder directly on the birds. I start at the back of the head go along their spine under their wings and flip them over to get all around the vent......it's something that would be better to treat aggressively especially if they have an infestation. It won't hurt them to apply directly...however, please make sure you wear a respirator or a good quality dust mask! Good luck!