Maine

[Windy Bay Farm]

I had a mite/lice scare before my girls started laying so I started doing it as a preventative. Since they weren't laying at the time, I haven't had to deal with deciding whether or not to eat the eggs. I am interested to hear what others do, because it will be an issue for me this spring.

And I use it as treatment... I used ivermectin pour on as preventative but that didn't work so hot. It is not approved for use in birds. Many people use Sevin dust or permethrin dust, but that takes at least 2 if not way more treatments at 10 day intervals, I decided to go with FrontLine even though it is mostly unproven and not approved for use on non-mammals.

This is just me personally, but I eat the eggs pretty much no matter what, throw only the first few days after treatment away if at all. Most of mine weren't laying though when it happened. I do not sell or give away eggs for 14 days after treatment.

Thank you both for the info !

 

[IZZYBELLA]

My flock is still flighty. I have one who squats and lets me pick her up. Should be interesting! I don't know that they have any...but the post on another thread has me worried. Experienced owner who's chicken died

Between flighty birds and inexperienced chicken picker-upper should be comical...poor birds!!!

Good luck! I had my husband help. I held the birds and positioned them and he put the drops on.

 

[buckabucka]

My flock is still flighty. I have one who squats and lets me pick her up. Should be interesting! I don't know that they have any...but the post on another thread has me worried. Experienced owner who's chicken died

Between flighty birds and inexperienced chicken picker-upper should be comical...poor birds!!!

Mine are flighty too. Depending on your set up, it is easiest if you can lock them up in an enclosed space, and then remove them as you treat them. They will run and scream in terror, but forget about it moments later. You'll get better at catching them too!

 

[quailtrail]

Thanks! So never having had to take them off their roosts once asleep...does that work? I envision them all waking up amd scooting away or chaos in the coop!?

 

[lazy gardener]

Tails make great catching handles if you can get a firm grasp on the tail instead of just a few feathers.

 

[Cknldy]

Messing with a chicken already asleep is the easiest way to do anything- if you can see! It's like they are in a catatonic state even if it is the nastiest roo during the day. Wishing you luck...

 

[dowgirl71]

Is it OK to use "pet friendly" salt around chickens, outside in their run? I got some Blizzard Wizzard today at Lowes and it says it's safe to use around pets, but I want to ask before I do. Thanks!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Thanks! So never having had to take them off their roosts once asleep...does that work? I envision them all waking up amd scooting away or chaos in the coop!?

This is what I do and I think it's just about the best method... depending on the number of birds you have, too... think at least a minute if not two per bird...

I get out there about an hour before light. I wear a headlamp which I have anyway to do chicken chores in the dark. One of the settings is a red light, which interferes with them less. Turn your light to red.

I pick each bird off the roost, treat them, and then toss them outside into the run and close the door back up.

This way, I ensure that every single bird gets treated, it's still dark so they're calm, and no one is waiting to use the nest boxes in the coop. I'm usually wrapping up when the sun comes up and they get up anyway.

 

[quailtrail]

This is what I do and I think it's just about the best method... depending on the number of birds you have, too... think at least a minute if not two per bird...

I get out there about an hour before light. I wear a headlamp which I have anyway to do chicken chores in the dark. One of the settings is a red light, which interferes with them less. Turn your light to red.

I pick each bird off the roost, treat them, and then toss them outside into the run and close the door back up.

This way, I ensure that every single bird gets treated, it's still dark so they're calm, and no one is waiting to use the nest boxes in the coop. I'm usually wrapping up when the sun comes up and they get up anyway.

great idea!! So they don't go crazy when you go in and start taking them off the roost?

I went right up to the formerly really flighty girl, who squatted down, and then let me scoop her right up. I was able to check her out and found nothing - yay!!!!! One down 5 to go lol!!!

This weekend supposedly will be warm (heat wave in the 40's) so I can go in and treat the coop as a preventative measure and treat the flock as a precaution.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

They squawk a bit when I pull them down off the roost but nothing worth writing home about.

I have 60 birds, it takes quite a long time.

If you use the white head lamp they will jump from roost to roost (if you are lucky like me to have a large coop) and try to avoid you, and also will peck at each other. Red lamp not so much.