Best Products to treat Mites

[jburd]

Hello folks!

I was draining the ascites from one of my chronic 'poor-doer' hens tonight (she is very happy and eats well, so I'm giving her as much time as possible) and soon found nasty little mites crawling all over my arms! I assume that they are the red roost mite since I've never seen them during the day, and I always inspect my ladies closely in the morning and not so much at night. I'm not sure how they got them since they have never been in contact with other chickens and I've never introduced an outside bird. They are exposed to wild birds , , , not sure if that would do it though.

These are 6 free-ranging backyard laying hens that are basically my pets. They roam free in my backyard during the day and then come back into the coop (a large garden shed with roosts, nesting boxes, etc.) at night. I wash their waterers every week. I dust the coop, clean out the old wood shavings, and change the nesting boxes once a month. I feed Layena lay crumble 'laced' with oyster shell, omega 3, and sea kelp.

Anyway, I've read a lot about different treatments, but not a lot about what the best, or rather, the most recommended ones are. I'd be interested to know what people's opinions are

 

[welasharon]

You will get different opinions. I like seven dust. Use it carefully as it kills bees. I dust in the pen at night and use it sparingly. I like it because it kills them on contact. 10 days later dust again to get hatched eggs. I have used ivomec pour on but it just is easier to dust. I tried adams spray...the chickens didn't like the noise of the spray bottle and I didn't like the wet chicken. DE ...ha? wasted my money on that.

 

[jburd]

Thanks welasharon! Sevin dust seemed like a favorite treatment, but I thought I read it is prohibited in animals producing food for human consumption. Since we eat their eggs, can we still use the Sevin dust?

 

[welasharon]

I eat the eggs. I have no allergies. I am neither pregnant not intend to be...not nursing nor is intend to be. I just don't think it's an issue with seven. You use it on tomatoes and other vegetables and then eat them.