Hen Mites

[Alison1]

Hello,

We are new to keeping hens, need some advice please. We live in the U.K., is it necessary to spray monthly thru-out the year for poultry pests?

Thanks

 

[cafarmgirl]

No need to treat that often. Many chicken keepers go for years without a lice/mite issue. I have never had an outbreak in my flocks. All I do is twice a year, when I strip my coops, is to treat the coops with poultry dust before I put down fresh bedding. I also check my birds over carefully on a regular basis so I can catch any problems before they get out of hand.

 

[Eggcessive]

I don't believe in using any kind of mite or lice products unless there are mites or lice. You can provide dust bathing areas with dirt, sand, and wood ash that should be sufficient. Once a week you should grab a couple of your chickens and inspect them for mites. In 3 years I never had anything on my chickens until I was given a new rooster by a breeder friend. He brought in a case of lice which I have gotten rid of. Mites are the hardest things to fight if you have an infestation. Poultry dust or carbaryl are very good to use, and sprinkle a little in the dust bath too.