Is it safe to use DE inside a coop?

[coach723]

That should last for quite a while, even if you use it a lot! If you have neighbors/friends with animals, they might be willing to share the cost with you to share. Lots of people do that with all kinds of supplies. Hopefully it will help you get rid of the bugs and you can have peace for a while!

 

[Rbrown369]

That should last for quite a while, even if you use it a lot! If you have neighbors/friends with animals, they might be willing to share the cost with you to share. Lots of people do that with all kinds of supplies. Hopefully it will help you get rid of the bugs and you can have peace for a while!

Me too! I hate these damn bugs. When I check them I don’t see any on them because I think they pick them off and dust bath, but I had 2 hens die this year and both were crawling with the lice or mites so I know there is an infestation. They were old and I don’t think they were able to pick them off anymore.

 

[coach723]

Some mites only come out at night and feed on the birds while they are roosting. During the day they hide in the nooks and crannies of the coop. That's why it's so important to treat both the birds and the coop at the same time, to get rid of them all. If you take a bird off the roosts after dark and check with a flashlight, you may see them then, look under wings and around the vent in particular. You an also wrap a piece of sticky tape around the roosts, at the ends, with the sticky side out, and check in the morning, see what you catch in the sticky tape.
Lice and mites will often find a bird that is sick or weak from something else, so not uncommon to find them infested. And they can weaken a bird a lot, make them anemic, so your birds will be a lot happier and healthier if you can get rid of them.

 

[Rbrown369]

Some mites only come out at night and feed on the birds while they are roosting. During the day they hide in the nooks and crannies of the coop. That's why it's so important to treat both the birds and the coop at the same time, to get rid of them all. If you take a bird off the roosts after dark and check with a flashlight, you may see them then, look under wings and around the vent in particular. You an also wrap a piece of sticky tape around the roosts, at the ends, with the sticky side out, and check in the morning, see what you catch in the sticky tape.
Lice and mites will often find a bird that is sick or weak from something else, so not uncommon to find them infested. And they can weaken a bird a lot, make them anemic, so your birds will be a lot happier and healthier if you can get rid of them.

I am determined to beat it! I am getting the poultry dust as well as the permithryn. They have a dust bath in the coop now too will have sand and wood ash, I’m just collecting it from woodstove right now.

 

[KRack]

I am determined to beat it! I am getting the poultry dust as well as the permithryn. They have a dust bath in the coop now too will have sand and wood ash, I’m just collecting it from woodstove right now.

What about ivermectin? Can you get the cattle pour on kind in Canada? Sorry if I missed this mentioned somewhere!

I’d do both simultaneously at this point, honestly.

 

[coach723]

Video below may be helpful. When using the dust, a mask and gloves is recommended. Some people put the dust in a sock or old pantyhose to pounce on the bird, or use a condiment bottle with a small pointed tip (like what many restaurants use on their tables), to apply the dust. What ever works for you.
https://www.google.com/search?clien...+chickens#kpvalbx=_300sZJjbI7-2qtsPwKuzsAk_42

 

[TropicalBabies]

I know this is all depending on where one lives.... Me, I mix 90% vinegar w/ 10% dish soap, spray my coops, nest boxes, everything. Let sit for 30 minutes, scrub, wash off with pressure nozzle. I do treat my birds with a spritz under wings, back of neck and tail with a feed store pyrethrin solution. I sprinkle a teaspoon of seven/de mix in the nest boxes, then place a cut piece of feed bag to protect, then nesting materials. I have a very open coop and poop boards that I occasionally dust with DE. I live in the tropics and have not had a mite outbreak in years. I strongly suspect dusting my boards has helped though I don't do when we have windy weather patterns.
I have heard of people mixing DE with water and painting inside of coops and saying that works for them.
My flock of 27 is 6yo -9mo. I also de-worm every 6 months.

 

[Rbrown369]

What about ivermectin? Can you get the cattle pour on kind in Canada? Sorry if I missed this mentioned somewhere!

I’d do both simultaneously at this point, honestly.

I haven’t been able to find anywhere yet that ships to Canada

 

[coach723]

Some parasites are becoming resistant to ivermectin. The permethrin is more likely to take care of them. I honestly would only use ivermectin if they had depluming mites, and they'd look awful if it was that.