I'm gettig mites from my hens, YUCK.

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

@ cluckcluckluke - The reputation does not let type all what I wanted to type.
I throw all the ash into their shavings so they can dustbathe in it. When I dusted them, I held them by the feet and their wings. Then dipped them in the ash can, getting ash under their wings and on their vents. I did this 4 times, now no more mites or lice (couldn't tell which), and they are starting to lay.

 

[HyVal]

How do you prepare the pumpkin seeds for the chickens....grind them? Love the idea of wood ash for dusting!

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I take a pumpkin (or in my case, 3 or more), drop them on the ground, say, "Whoopsie", and watch them go to town.

They eat all the seeds they want, and eat the pumpkin down to the rind. Sometimes, they ever EAT the rind!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I live in Tassie, so naturally we have a wood fire. We empty the ash box onto the areas where we know they have their dust bath. They love it! And yes it really works. I find the Dusting powder to be quite nasty. Causes skin irritation, runny eyes, nose........if that's the effect it has on me, I wonder how the chickens feel about it. Panacur goat wormer not only kills intestinal worms, it will also prevent external parasites.

That sounds like the way to do it I will try that now, thanks. Yeah even when I wear a mask that powder still makes my throat sore and you cant like taste it which I horrible.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

@ cluckcluckluke - The reputation does not let type all what I wanted to type.
I throw all the ash into their shavings so they can dustbathe in it. When I dusted them, I held them by the feet and their wings. Then dipped them in the ash can, getting ash under their wings and on their vents. I did this 4 times, now no more mites or lice (couldn't tell which), and they are starting to lay.

This sounds very viable and cheap, I will start laying some ash down in their usual dusting spots.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I have these pumpkins that we call spaghetti pumpkins, they are green on the out side with dark green patterns all over, In side the flesh is all like thin noodles or spaghetti, I wonder if these would work.