Gnats! Mosquitos! How to keep them off of my chickens??

[Ms Clucky]

Diatomaceous earth food grade. Make sure it is food grade. You can put it in the coop and in their favorite dusting spots and also a little in their food. It helps with bugs and worms. You might want to look up how much to put in their food though. Also, be careful how much you put around the little babies if you have some. It tends to kill them if you put to much.

I live in the hot and humid Southeast Georgia. With all the rain and humidity upsurging lately, flies, gnats, and mosquitos have swarmed in. Watching my chickens today, the poor things are CONSTANTLY flicking their heads due to gnats absolutley swarming them. A few of them have tiny blood specks on their combs from scratching and bites. I moved their pen today all the way across the yard so the bugs would be more attracted to the poo smell rather than their new spot, but I feel this won't last long.

I've researched a couple ways to keep them off, such as planting citronella plants around or citronella oil, but it hasn't said how to apply the oil or if its safe for chickens. What are you guys methods??

Also another quick question. My chickens are showing no signs of worms, but should I worm them anyways? And if so, what dewormer do I use? How often am I supposed to worm them? And how?

Thanks!

 

[dawg53]

Diatomaceous earth food grade. Make sure it is food grade. You can put it in the coop and in their favorite dusting spots and also a little in their food. It helps with bugs and worms. You might want to look up how much to put in their food though. Also, be careful how much you put around the little babies if you have some. It tends to kill them if you put to much.

DE does not prevent nor treat worms and does very little in treating external parasites. DE can cause respiratory issues in poultry and is a waste of money.

 

[dawg53]

I'm in the Navy as well, and my contract is for 8 years so I was actually hoping to apply for off-base housing so I could keep my dog with me and possibly my chickens too.
If I get on base housing I could just keep my noisy laying chickens and two roosters inside without them knowing

Brantley is nothing to write home about though, there are only two traffic lights in the whole county, no joke! Im hoping to get stationed somewhere drier with better and more diverse views than pine forests lol

That's what Kingsland and St Mary's was like when we first got there in 1979, not anymore.
Then I moved to Jacksonville on the westside. Now we live out in the backwoods/swamp in Baker county. Peace and quiet and can see all the stars and planets at night. We love it!

 

[cmom]

I use permethrin and spray in and around the coops and it has helped and there is no egg withdrawal period and it won't bother the birds.

 

[chick filet 49]

I live in the hot and humid Southeast Georgia. With all the rain and humidity upsurging lately, flies, gnats, and mosquitos have swarmed in. Watching my chickens today, the poor things are CONSTANTLY flicking their heads due to gnats absolutley swarming them. A few of them have tiny blood specks on their combs from scratching and bites. I moved their pen today all the way across the yard so the bugs would be more attracted to the poo smell rather than their new spot, but I feel this won't last long.

I've researched a couple ways to keep them off, such as planting citronella plants around or citronella oil, but it hasn't said how to apply the oil or if its safe for chickens. What are you guys methods??

Also another quick question. My chickens are showing no signs of worms, but should I worm them anyways? And if so, what dewormer do I use? How often am I supposed to worm them? And how?

Thanks!