How do you "dust" a chicken with Seven?

[write2caroline]

I think my chickens have mites. they do take dust baths in the yard and I have tried to provide them with chinchilla powder because the feed store told me that they can't get diatomacious earth - sounds like a tall tale since I know they use the non food grade one for pool filters - but that was the tale they told me and some thing to do with florida. I just looked at the guy like? Really? because diatemacious earth is inert and non flammable - (I know I look blonde but trust me I am much smarter usually than I look) So this guy is going on about it...I did check with my husband who is a merchant marine about diatemacious earth and shipping it and he found no such bands in florida to prevent the shipping of this material.

I digress

So How does one "treat" a chicken with seven? powder? do you place it in a bag with their heads out or sprinkle it in the coop and on them? Should I wear a mask? Gloves?
Caroline

 

[pgpoultry]

I only use an organic product available in GB, but am used to 'dusting them'.

One person catches the bird coming out of the coop (Be careful to hold the wings against the body or you and the bird may get hurt). The other person them shakes the treatment onto the whole body, partoculsrly between and under the wings, down the back, around the vent and up the neck (shield the eyes). Neither you nor the hen particularly enjoys the experience, but it works,

Good Luck,

 

[Mahonri]

I usually dust hind end, under wings and back of neck. We did all 38 last evening... it takes two people to do it properly and to get a system where they aren't flapping dust all over you.

After dusting, spraying for leg mites and giving them their de-worming meds tonight. I'm thinking of selling a couple more pullets. It took us an hour and 40 minutes to do all of them.

 

[Kansaseq]

Wow, some people actually get HELP with this? I'm jealous!!!

Wear a dust mask, and cover the bird's head with a towel while you are doing this. Also, I put my DE in a plastic shaker (like for parmesan cheese).

I do it alone. Wait till it's dark and the birds are roosting. Slowly and gently grab a bird by the feet and put your arm over the wings so she can't flap around. Gently place her in your lap, upside down, so she's on her back.Slowly shake out small amounts onto the bird, then set the shaker down and rub in, against the grain of the feathers. Do sections at a time, until the whole bird is done. I'm able to move the bird around, on her side, etc, by holding onto the feet. Make sure to get under the wings, tail, etc, as mites like to hide there.
Others probably have different techniques, but this is what works for me.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I put the chickens in a cardboard box one at a time, starting at the head and working my way down the back to the tail, sprinkling and working the dust in. Make sure you lift the feathers and also hold the wings out at this point and get under them.

Then I flip the bird over, holding them down in the box. They're usually pretty calm. I start at the neck and work my way down the abdomen again sprinkling and rubbing it into the feathers. Make sure to get the vent area really well.

I like the box because the extra dust falls to the ground and if I have a particularly squirmy chicken that I can't flip over I can use the dust that's fallen to the bottom of the box. Scoop it up and rub into abdomen.

Just another opinion!

 

[joebryant]

My wife and I did ours by dipping them one at a time in the run, beginning with the rooster, and letting them out of the run to dry when finished.
We used liquid Sevin in about four gallons of water in a five gallon pail. I held them and dipped them for about ten seconds each up to their head, and my wife poured some on their head, then she opened the gate so that I could let each one out of the run when finished. Then I sprayed everything in the coop and run with liquid Sevin.

 

[welasharon]

After my first attempt at just dusting them my husband noted that I should be quite mite free at that point...not sure about the chicken. Sooo I got the pillowcase out and used that method. MUCH better...I had less on me and more on the chicken. I have read where some put it in a sock or something like that and pat the chicken down with it. I may try that the next time. For the second treatment I chickened out and went the lazy method with pour on ivermec. I have to do mine solo also....but my husband does enjoy a good show.

sharon

 

[Judy]

If you have the dust, put some in a sock or other cloth item with large enough holes and use like a powder puff.

 

[Mahonri]

I think I'm going to go liquid next time Joe. Probably a little more expensive but much easier and more complete I'm sure.

 

[sjarvis00]

Ivomec is great but will not treat or kill feather mites. We use sevens dust in the bottom of our pens so they get some everytime they dust bathe, and we use permitheryn(not sure on spelling) as a dip and dip the chickens and spray the coop. This works great.