Could someone post a video of dusting a chicken?

[marthalazar]

I think my girls have mites and have read all about dusting them. Well, this city girl has no clue what that entails. I've looked all over the internet to try and find a video of someone dusting their chickens, but found nothing.

Would someone be so kind as to post a video? I could really use the help!

Thanks,
Infested in Brooklyn

 

[chickenchickenbulkbulk]

Go to the feed store and buy some D. earth. Put it in a shallow box, then put it in the coop. Your hens will know what to do. My sis-n-law Angie had the same problems and this is what she did and it took care of the mites. Be careful not to breath any of the dust. I hope this helps. DJ

 

[Sunny Side Up]

If you didn't know better, you'd think "dusting a chicken" meant Martha Stewart using a feather duster to restore the natural shine to her hens.

I don't know how to post a video, but I'll try to describe it to you. I use 5% Sevin Dust (sold in the garden sections of stores) and put about 1 cup of it in a shaker can (like an old parmesean cheese container) or about 1/2 cup in the toe of an old stocking.

It's best if you have a helper to hold the bird, but it can be done alone. Wear old clothes and a dust mask or at least a bandana over your nose/mouth. Plan to shower afterwards.

Hold the bird by the legs and lay her on the ground. Sprinkle the dust up under the feathers on the back of the neck, on her bottom around the vent and in the butt-fluff, and under each wing. Then release the bird & stand back. I do the wing-pits last, because they usually flap & fuss and that makes the dust go everywhere.

Those are the places the mites like best. The bird will spread the dust to the rest of her body. Unless she has a severe infestation, that should be sufficient to get rid of her company.

Some people make dust-bath boxes, a pan or tub filled with dry dirt and Sevin Dust or DE, for their birds to use. Or you can sprinkle some Sevin Dust in the craters where they usually like to bathe.

One benefit is that after dusting your chickens, you should also be rid of any of your own external parasites!

 

[Lollipop]

Dunno if you`ll find anyone with a video on dusting, Martha. First ya gotta determine if they actually have lice/mites. To do this, pick one or two off the roost at night and look under the tail and around the vent. If you see and tiny bugs scurrying for cover, you got`m. If one has it, dust them all, the coop, the nests, etc.

So now you need some Sevin Dust. I used a shaker, like the ones you shake parmasan cheese from on spagetti, but you can do it with just your hand. Got it at a restaurant supply store. Hold the chicken upside down, by the legs. Won`t hurt them and they will hold still for you after a couple seconds. Shake the Sevin under the wings, legs, on the back and breast, and neck. Then just kinda fluff it through their feathers with your hand to get it close to the skin. That`s it. Very simple.......Pop

 

[CityChook]

Martha, I just dusted my 4 girls last week for the first time. I really put it off because I didn't have a clue how to go about it, but it was very simple.

I used the Sevin dust, found at the feed store. It has a very light texture, much like talc powder. Super fine.

I pulled a lawn chair into the coop and laid a chicken on my lap, breast up. They didn't like it at first, but relaxed quickly and sat still. I agree with an earlier poster that this probably would have been easier with two people, but I was able to manage it on my own. I sprinkled the dust straight from the canister (it had little holes like a parm cheese jar), and then used my fingers to ruffle it into their feathers and down to skin level. Next time I do it, I'm going to either find a powder puff (like your grandma used to have!) to use or do the toe of a stocking idea (thanks, Miss Prissy). I think it would be less wasteful, as I ended up with dust EVERYWHERE and handling the big canister was cumbersome with a chicken on my lap.

I am no expert, but it's probably a good idea to empty out your shavings and get new shavings into a clean coop. Sprinkle the shavings (nest included) with some Sevin as well. I like to put a light layer of DE over the shavings once or twice a month just as a preventative.

Good luck!!

 

[marthalazar]

Thanks to everyone with their ideas. I guess I'm probably treating my gals too gingerly. When they get ticked off, I tend to relent. I read on some of the posts about chickens dropping dead from fright and I probably took it much to heart.

I'm going to the Berkshires this weekend, which is about as country as I get to from NYC. I'll look for some Sevin. I've been trying to dust with DE, but they still seem to be scratching and missing feathers around their cheeks and necks.

How long does it take to grow these feathers back? Will they just come in, or will they not get replacements until the Fall molt?

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I find the Sevin Dust in most of the big box stores, in the garden section with the other insecticides. There's 5% & 10%, most folks use the 5% on their animals. It comes in plastic bags, about 3 pounds worth (?) and also in a shaker can.