Bug Repellant vs Fowl Pox

I would not put bug repellent, either synthetic or holistic, on my chickens combs.
Birds are very sensitive to aromatics, not to mention the risk of getting it their eyes.
But...I don't have much problem with dry pox, all bugs die here in the winter, get a bit once in awhile but not enough to be concerned with.
 
I have never put anything on my chickens. I have found that during mosquito season I put fans in the coop that move the air over the roosts enough to make it hard for the mosquitos to fly and land on them, and my incidents of pox went down to near zero. They are much more likely to be bitten when they are still, on the roosts, and the mosquitos are more active at dusk and dawn and night when they are in roosting. I know of others around here that have spent the entire season dealing with pox. I had one case last year, and that was my first in 5 or 6 years, and was likely because the fans were off due to some modifications going on in my coop. I mount the fans in the eaves of my coop, orienting them pointing down and over towards my roosts, so no birds can get close to them and be injured. If you have windows or ventilation openings you could even mount fans there, as long as they move the air enough to disturb the flight of the mosquitos.
 
I agree, I would not apply anything to the combs and wattles.

@ChickNanny13 is Fowl Pox a big problem in HI? If so, then you may want to consider vaccination as @biophiliac suggested.

I do as @coach723 and run fans to keep the air moving - one in the coop window and a couple in the covered run pointing in different directions.
 
I do use a fan in window late in day to push cooler air inside,
not sure how much that may help and it's not left on all night.
We had almost no mosquitoes this year, just a couple of hatches,
probably due to very little rain, it was weird but certainly pleasant.
 
Here in the Ohio valley, we do not seem to have that much fowl pox. I have seen only one or two single scabs on my flock since 2011. We have barn swallows and bats who seem to take care of many mosquitoes. We tend to prevent areas where water can collect and serve as a breeding ground for mosquito larvae. So that also includes emptying and refilling waterers daily, and keeping mudholes filled in. Dawg53 posted to use screen material cut into strips across his coop door to keep them out. I also use a fan on one end of the coop to pull air through to help circulate. I would not use a repellant on my chickens, but just look around and see how I could prevent in other ways.
 
DO NOT USE BUG SPRAY!!! I was just curious, would NEVER do anything until researched which I did today. Just thought I'd take a 'short cut' and ask you all :bow

Mosquitos are a problem here due to all the rain we get, last year was really bad but this year hasn't been bad. One of my girls got a bite but the scab fell off & she's fine. Seems like she's the only one that got bit, besides me. We just had a couple of weeks of heavy rain. Love the fan idea, screen would work but the shade cloth I have hung on two sides needs a wash down weekly, think screen would be daily wash down. My outside brooder is totally screened, years ago lost couple of chicks due to mosquitos :(
 
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