How do you dust a chicken???

[Billyj]

How do you dust a chicken for mites? (I think they are mites) I have one little hen who while holding her, I lifted her neck feathers and saw little creatures (very tiny things) around the base of her neck feathers. After checking my others, at least the ones I could catch, she appears to be the only one with them. I heard to use seven dust and dust the coop, nesting boxes, run, and the chicken. How do you do that?? Do you hold her upside down-ish and shake into her feathers or what. Also I have 3 day old chicks in the run with the chickens. Will the dust hurt the newborns? Even if I seperate the hen with the problem, she has been in the coop with the babies and the other chickens so I need to dust the pen. If I try to get close to the chicks, momma goes balistic on me and won't let me anywhere near. What do I do? Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[spish]

bump for an answer as i want to know the easiest way to dust a chicken! i tried and failed in the past, getting myself covered, so am beginning to wonder would it be an idea to make a dust bath, and pour the mite powder in with the dust so they kinda do it themselves?

 

[justbugged]

I would get a baby powder bottle or a bottle that has holes in it like a cheese shaker, and put what ever powder that you choose to use in it. I would then wait until dark. When the chickens are sleeping, and quietly pick them up one at a time and shake the powder over them gently. The chicken will be much more docile at night.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

I have it in a powder bottle and put it under the wings and on the tummy and legs plus I put it in the nest boxes.

 

[CMV]

Put the dust of your choice into a pillow case or small garbage bag. Place the chicken in the bag up to its neck. Shake the bag around with the dust all around the chicken keeping the top of the bag closed as much as possible. I used to use a pillow case because it doesn't rustle as much and scare the chicken. It does a very thorough job.

Good luck. I switched from dusting to topical de-buggers a while ago because dusting was such a nuisance.

 

[scarter]

We put the powder in our hands/ gloves and lift the tail and pat pat pat. Then take some more and pat under the wings. Voila.

 

[WoofMeowCluck]

What brand of topical de-bugger do you use? Dosage? How often? I hate bugs/parasites!
Thanks!




Quote:

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

I have a left-over bag of play sand and a canister of Diatomaceous Earth. Get a cardboard box. Add sand. Add DE. Mix gently with hand. Have children catch chickens and bring them to you one at a time. (It sure helps having chicken lovers for children!) Pick up handfulls of dust and rub on back, belly, under wings, and every place else except for the face. Throw chicken out of box away from you so you won't get sand in your eyes when they start flapping! Repeat until all chickens have been dusted. Left over dust is thrown in the coop and their favorite dirt bath hole.

YMMV, but that's how I've been doing it.

 

[SallyF]

Someone on this site suggested using an old sock as a duster. Just put the powder in that and pat 'em down.

 

[skya328]

I had to do mine a month ago. I used some old pantyhose. I filled it part way with the dust and patted it on the birds. I did it at night so they wouldn't protest as much as they normally would. It worked great!