Lost a hen tonight...

[MissChick@dee]

You can make a spray or a drip on for the chickens. There’s a couple schools of thought on this subject. The egg withdrawal period. Permethrin peaks at day one. Stays active for the next 7. Some will say withdraw for the next 2 weeks.
Then there are some that only wait one week and then feed back to the birds for the next week. Then it’s safe to comsume the eggs.
There’s great videos on YouTube. So I’m more conservative I’d wait 3 full weeks. But I would feed back after 2 weeks. I do the same for worming. Guess that was as clear as mud! Huh?

 

[Acre4Me]

Thank you all for your input. This is why i made this post, not only to vent, but to learn. And, learning I am. I am skeptical about the poultry spray... that is why i bought the chemical dust as well. I am also thinking about painting the inside this spring as well, and caulking any joints. Something else I wouldnt have thought of doing and would have thought was pointless.
I let the birds free range as often as I can, so i imagine i will always have to deal with mites. The birds always have access to dust, and use it a lot, so i guess it is surprising that they have mites. I believe they are the northern fowl mites, but i did see a red one on one bird, perhaps it was just full of blood though. The others were tannish, almost skin colored and very hard to see.
The neighbor i got the hens from told me he never did anything with the birds, never checked them or their feet. I guess its possible that they came to me infested and im just catching up to it now. Yay me.
Ryan

Glad you are making progress! The Permethrin spray worked well for us on the lice they got, but we caught it early, so it wasn't too bad. We mixed it up in our garden sprayer because it delivers a fine spray. Spouse held them upside down by their legs with legs apart so I could spray vent, between the legs and body and under wings easy and quick, then put them in the coop to keep tabs on who was treated (and coop had already been cleaned and sprayed). Its winter, so the wet part might be a problem, and therefore you may end up using the dust.

Not sure that caulking would be a good idea. Chickens peck at anything new and many stories of chickens eating all the caulk or glue someone used here or there.

Good Luck.

 

[MissChick@dee]

With Permethrin as I understand you spray the coop.
You make a drip solution and apply it on the skin (under the feathers) just down the center of the back (similar to dogs flea & tick applications). You do not spray the birds. Being especially careful not to get any on the face or eyes. Please look at YouTube there’s very good examples to follow.

 

[aart]

You do not spray the birds.

You can spray the birds with permethrin...and there's no withdrawal.
When spraying you need to get it under the feathers and onto the skin.
I use this with Gordons10:

 

[MissChick@dee]

Awh..do you think a skin application down the back of the bird is effective?

 

[aart]

Awh..do you think a skin application down the back of the bird is effective?

Vent is main area to hit...and under wings, belly, around head and neck.
On the back wouldn't be a bad idea either...but I don't think it will disperse as well as the drops for dogs and cats.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Oh thank you. But I was talking about application not a product for dogs. I don’t know how the recipe for the skin drip (which is stronger) disperses. And yes the vent IS important.
Guess it makes sense to spray if you have many birds to treat. But I do not. And I’m a sissy about their eyes.
And do you go with no withdrawal period? Just curious about your opinion on that one??
I wish they wouldn’t give information saying that you should. Then leave it open for interpretation.
But I’ve probably been eating trace elements of all kinds of stuff my whole life.
Bottom line if it works for you and it gets rid of the mites. I guess it’s personal preference. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
Which...right about now sounds like more fun.

 

[aart]

But I was talking about application not a product for dogs. I don’t know how the recipe for the skin drip (which is stronger) disperses.

I wasn't talking about a product for dogs either just the application technique of only applying to the back.
What is this 'skin drip'?
Never herd of it.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

How do you do CPR on a chicken? I’m curious.

Emergency CPR: While holding the chicken with one arm, give gentle but firm, pats to the chest/crop area, with your other hand, with same hand hold open the beak, blow soft puffs of air into the mouth, alternate pats to chest and puffs of air, to revive it.
(If the chicken is regurgitating from a crop issue, let her do it. As, they can regurgitate the crop contents automatically. The chicken may cough or sneeze to clear the throat and nostrils of any fluid.)

It will be touch and go, and you will have to stay with it, and not panic. Use your best judgement. It's not always possible to revive them when this happens, but it least it will give them a chance.

1. Continually re-access the chicken's breathing. They may close their eyes, they may still be open beak breathing. But, if color is returning, and the beak is only slightly open, they are recovering.
   
   
2. Keep the chicken upright and continur holding, and monitoring.
   
   
3. Keep talking to the chicken, and patting or gently rubbing the crop, till it recovers. At this point you can put her into a crate or box, and let her rest, and stabilize.
   
   
4. Finally, the best thing to do, is to take the chicken to a vet, for follow up care.

Hen Pen Jem

P.S.
My rooster that recieved CPR, this week, passed away this morning. After being happy, and healthy the last few days, I found him dead on the floor of the coop this morning. He was on his back, wings to his side, and legs stretched straight out. I believe he suffered a devastating heart attack. And, most likely had a minor heart attack on Tuesday, when I saw him staggering and gasping for air. He will not be sent for necropsy, as, he was a most beloved rooster, my friend and companion through out the day. I will grieve deeply, as I miss his crowing in the morning. I always told other keepers, he was my rooster son. Rest in peace, Mr. Frito, I loved you and will always remember you, as "The Famous Mr. Frito".

God Bless

 

[MissChick@dee]

I It’s a less diluted permethrin solution. That using a squeeze bottle is applied under the feathers. I used a condiment (picnic ketchup bottle from the Dollar store) bottle where you trim the tip to desired size. There are “recipes” on the internet. I was looking for something better after helping a friend spray his birds. He held,I sprayed. I thought there’s just gotta be a better way! I used the bottle on my chickens that I got from him. We had to retreat his birds. Used the bottle and it was easier. He used it to to get the corners and crevices of the coop saturated...which is something I wouldn’t do with mine. But he thinks nothing of his birds being locked out of the coop and sleeping outside. It’s a alternative for those who don’t want to spray or are doing their chickens by themselves.