Kacey's Krazee's
Songster
I am not sure I am posting this in the correct location, so if needed please move to where it belongs.
I have raised some chicks for a friend, we are splitting the flock here very shortly. My new coop isn't large enough to hold 24 adult birds. We originally were going to split them 12 and 12. Well my DH knows I am having problems with giving up the girls. Not only due to affection that has started with raising them, but also due to the coop they are going to end up at. My husband did some electrical work for our friend, and charged him 5 hens. So instead of 12, he is getting 7. He also already has 5 hens and a rooster who are older. okay now the problem.
His coop is about 35-40 years old. The floors are wood, and I can't begin to tell you the last time they were cleaned, if ever. He has raised pigeons, turkeys and chickens in this location over the years. Maybe others as well. The boards have begun to rot, and other boards have been laid on top of those. It appears the rooster has mites on his legs, and their molt has been lasting for a long time now.
maybe since July? I know his birds and his coop are not well. He is out of town for most of this week, and my DH wants the chicks to be moved to his coop, to give our girls their space when he returns. My problem is, I want to do something quick and complete to help with the probable mites and other issues in the coop before they get there. He isn't planning on putting them together for now, but they are going to be placed in the location the original flock is in currently.
They will be moved to the other side of a fence in the same coop until they merge together. I have heard that the DE is not good to use to kill bugs that are there already. So, what should I be using to clean, and kill the mites, lice or whatever maybe living there, that shouldn't. I can let the original flock out to freerange during the day I/we are cleaning it. Should I get a heavy bleach/water mix and spray it all over the boards and try to get inbetween them with it?
Please advise, as I would love to get busy on doing something positive, not only for the new birds, but to make life nicer for his poor birds right now.
Thanks.
I have raised some chicks for a friend, we are splitting the flock here very shortly. My new coop isn't large enough to hold 24 adult birds. We originally were going to split them 12 and 12. Well my DH knows I am having problems with giving up the girls. Not only due to affection that has started with raising them, but also due to the coop they are going to end up at. My husband did some electrical work for our friend, and charged him 5 hens. So instead of 12, he is getting 7. He also already has 5 hens and a rooster who are older. okay now the problem.
His coop is about 35-40 years old. The floors are wood, and I can't begin to tell you the last time they were cleaned, if ever. He has raised pigeons, turkeys and chickens in this location over the years. Maybe others as well. The boards have begun to rot, and other boards have been laid on top of those. It appears the rooster has mites on his legs, and their molt has been lasting for a long time now.
maybe since July? I know his birds and his coop are not well. He is out of town for most of this week, and my DH wants the chicks to be moved to his coop, to give our girls their space when he returns. My problem is, I want to do something quick and complete to help with the probable mites and other issues in the coop before they get there. He isn't planning on putting them together for now, but they are going to be placed in the location the original flock is in currently.
They will be moved to the other side of a fence in the same coop until they merge together. I have heard that the DE is not good to use to kill bugs that are there already. So, what should I be using to clean, and kill the mites, lice or whatever maybe living there, that shouldn't. I can let the original flock out to freerange during the day I/we are cleaning it. Should I get a heavy bleach/water mix and spray it all over the boards and try to get inbetween them with it?
Please advise, as I would love to get busy on doing something positive, not only for the new birds, but to make life nicer for his poor birds right now.
Thanks.
