Help! Little yellow rice like things crawling all over my hens!!!

[welasharon]

Quote:
As much as I like using seven I don't see any sense in using it unless you see a problem. A lot of people use DE as a preventative. You may want to look into that. That way there would be no issue with pests becoming immune to the products.

 

[cottagechick]

Quote:
Well I do take your point...(The blanket might suffocate you if you wrap yourself in it...though

) But my point is if you sprinkle it all over your chickens or coops like people were saying they do the chickens are going to breath it and eat it and basically swim in it....and they are ALOT smaller than us...is it really safe for them?

In my opinion...yes. I prefer to use it (I don't mean using a ton of it though) and kill the bugs (so satisfying to see them drop off the bird dead) because the bugs will kill the chickens if left untreated. It has been used for years. I don't fling it around all over the place. I shake a bit under each wing or if it is a small bird like a serama I put a pinch (with my bare fingers) under the wings, at the back of the neck and underneath and around the vent area. Then I sprinkle a bit in the nest boxes. I don't have a true coop so I don't have to treat it. Then 10 days later do it once more. No egg withdrawal either.

Ok, thanks for the info.

 

[cottagechick]

Quote:
As much as I like using seven I don't see any sense in using it unless you see a problem. A lot of people use DE as a preventative. You may want to look into that. That way there would be no issue with pests becoming immune to the products.

Honestly, I bought DE and although it was different pests I was worried about at that moment (mainly flies) I haven't seen any difference in the amount of flies before/after de... I haven't seen other pests but I've only had them six weeks so I can't really say it is the DE or just chance. I have heard mixed reviews of the DE though. Some swear by it; some swear it is a scam...no idea.

 

[welasharon]

Yeah I bought the DE too....was a complete bust for me. I won't be wasting my money on it any more but some do say it is good as a preventative just don't count on it taking care of an infestation.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
I have that for the dogs, so i practically just bath them with it? Or use it like a revolution tap on cats? Where you get a dropper and just stick it on them.
Do I put it in there mouth?

On their backs, much like "frontline"... just make sure it touches skin

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
I have that for the dogs, so i practically just bath them with it? Or use it like a revolution tap on cats? Where you get a dropper and just stick it on them.
Do I put it in there mouth?

On their backs, much like "frontline"... just make sure it touches skin

This is the best solution, IMO, the invermectin pour on. Just wormed my entire flock with it and the side benefit would be if any had any nasties on them (though never saw any on any of my hens the entire six years of keeping birds, so must have stayed ahead of it with the DE in all the nests and bedding)

I do use DE in the nests and on my birds, never had ANY lice or mites on my birds, but when I bought a rooster years ago, he came with his own collection of nasty lice. While in quarantine, he was dusted along with his bedding and it did kill every one of them. It is not instant because it dessicates the soft bodied insects, it's not a poison. That's good for one or two birds separated, but if you have a coop-ful of infested birds, best to use the "big guns".

So DE does work, yes, though not instantly, BUT, if you have lice or mites on all the birds, they are also in cracks and crevices in the coop. For that, I use Orange Guard spray insecticide, which is citrus oil based and safe for the birds. I spray all around the roosts, in cracks where a powder cannot reach. It smells good, too.

 

[86121]

Quote:
On their backs, much like "frontline"... just make sure it touches skin

This is the best solution, IMO, the invermectin pour on. Just wormed my entire flock with it and the side benefit would be if any had any nasties on them (though never saw any on any of my hens the entire six years of keeping birds, so must have stayed ahead of it with the DE in all the nests and bedding)

I do use DE in the nests and on my birds, never had ANY lice or mites on my birds, but when I bought a rooster years ago, he came with his own collection of nasty lice. While in quarantine, he was dusted along with his bedding and it did kill every one of them. It is not instant because it dessicates the soft bodied insects, it's not a poison. That's good for one or two birds separated, but if you have a coop-ful of infested birds, best to use the "big guns".

So DE does work, yes, though not instantly, BUT, if you have lice or mites on all the birds, they are also in cracks and crevices in the coop. For that, I use Orange Guard spray insecticide, which is citrus oil based and safe for the birds. I spray all around the roosts, in cracks where a powder cannot reach. It smells good, too.

What is DE exactly?

 

[speckledhen]

It's Diatomaceous Earth, food grade ONLY! Never use the pool filter type of DE around the birds or the regular insecticide DE, only chemical codex food grade. Perma Guard is one of the more common brands.

http://www.custommilling.com/DiatomaceousEarth.html

 

[86121]

Quote:
Ok, thank you very much!