Deep litter method Vs. Traditional Cleaning

[cluckcluckluke]

Guys...what about the dreaded MITES & LICE!?!?!
After all that, sometimes expensive bedding material to be put down to then get Lice or worse Mites would be an awful sham, would it not?
I have never seen anyone mention this subject with the DLM, does it not happen then??

Thanks, Lucas.

 

[MoonShadows]

I didn't have a problem with mites or lice during the summer, and now it's too cold for them. I'll have to see what next summer brings.

 

[1876 Farm]

Here's an interesting article on the benefits of DM Earth...

http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com...arth-Free-Range-Organic-Laying-Hens-Study.pdf

I'm still researching what it does to your compost pile... - too much high school homework last night (my child, not me. ;-) )

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Here's an interesting article on the benefits of DM Earth...

http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com...arth-Free-Range-Organic-Laying-Hens-Study.pdf

I'm still researching what it does to your compost pile... - too much high school homework last night (my child, not me. ;-) )

DE is one of those things that some swear by and others don't. It's true it will get rid of bugs and I've used it around my plants, especially to keep slugs off hostas. It's great for that. I'm not convinced of it being effective as an internal de-wormer in chickens as it seems to me that it would lose its effectiveness when it becomes wet. But, hey, that's just me.

As far as what it does to deep litter and composting, the following is a post from another thread on Deep Litter that is most descriptive.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...year-with-deep-litter-method/20#post_10931808

 

[OScarlet]

eh, I've been adding DE to my coop/brooder bath since I got the chicks in August. My compost is doing just fine. Lots of worms and bugs in it, no particular smell. We just emptied a bin this weekend and sieved it and apart from some stubborn squash seeds and a coconut shell everything came through fine. My compost is damp though and gets a spin every time I add new stuff so the DE is wet from the get go.

The poster linked to said that she had dead smelly layers as she dug through. Not a huge surprise, if she left it alone she had anaerobic decomposition going on. That doesn't smell or look good or work particularly well, that is why you are meant to turn compost, to aerate it.

 

[donrae]

Guys...what about the dreaded MITES & LICE!?!?!
After all that, sometimes expensive bedding material to be put down to then get Lice or worse Mites would be an awful sham, would it not?
I have never seen anyone mention this subject with the DLM, does it not happen then??

Thanks, Lucas.

I've never has a problem with either

I honestly believe parasites are mainly a problem for incorrectly managed animals in general. Over confinement, improper diet, other things that stress an animal and make it susceptible.

I do use wood ashes for my birds to dust bathe in, they're reputed to be a natural parasite repellant.

 

[1876 Farm]

I also have never had a problem with mites or lice... the only time I saw some type of problem was when I adopted a rooster and then all my chickens started to scratch a lot. I never did find any lice or mites on them and then after 6mo or so they stopped picking at themselves.

But, my philosophy on this is to NOT add birds from other flocks unless they are quarantined for a while. - just to be on the safe side!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Quote: hmm...well I look after my birds correctly to a phenomenal state and I have just receive a lovely lot of lice.....I think they come from the bloody birds that come to the coop.
I keep all food cleaned up and away and they still come. Mostly to feed off bugs and such from the big mulberry tree in their coop.

I have tried laying DE down where the chickens nest, but they don't like it, they move on to a new spot. Also my birds like to scrub-up out side, so when it rains anything laid down get washed away. But I have not tired wood Ash. I am assuming wood ash is just as the name suggests??

I also have never had a problem with mites or lice... the only time I saw some type of problem was when I adopted a rooster and then all my chickens started to scratch a lot. I never did find any lice or mites on them and then after 6mo or so they stopped picking at themselves.

But, my philosophy on this is to NOT add birds from other flocks unless they are quarantined for a while. - just to be on the safe side!

Perhaps it is just my area then. Every flock is different.
I too have learned from my mistakes with new birds. I don't even do the quarantine thing any more, only hatching eggs.

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

i did this with one bottle about two years ago. I had an extra bottle of lice shampoo, for people its the same stuff, from a mission trip we had taken so i mixed it in a used windex bottle, cleaned out of course, and i sprayed it on the roosts just before dark, didnt have any lice but i thought well i got this extra bottle why not use it. So you might try something like that.

 

[donrae]

I have a flock of around 30ish sparrows that live here year round. They're in and out of the run all the time, plus the scrub jays, doves, etc. No parasites.

Wood ash is just that, ashes from my wood stove. When it's dry I put them in the run, but during the mud season I pick a spot in the coop and use that. They will turn your light colored birds interesting colors!