Major pest issues!

[KateSpitz]

Hi all,

We're here in North Texas where it seemingly hasn't stopped raining for over a month. We can't keep our girls, coop, pen, anything dry. With where the chickens are on our property any rain we get runs through their area. It's such a mess down there and this is not something we've ever had to deal with. After my husband went down for his daily cleanup/feeding/water routine he noticed lots of tiny black bugs, about the size of a sesame seed or smaller, moving around very quickly "in short little bursts) possibly jumping (fleas?). They were in the bedding in the coop and pen. Any idea what they might be, and what to do about them?

Also,our weather pattern is NOT expected to change for the next week. Should we move them into our big machine shed so they can assuredly be dry and in dry surroundings? It is just a soupy, soggy, horrible mess here right now and we don't want our sweet girls to be felled by pests/disease. Please help! Thank you so much!

 

[TMPope]

I was hoping someone would have replied. We're in the same boat. We live in San Marcos and just figured out we don't have mites but stick fleas. We just dusted our girls with 7 dust and wiped permethrin around their faces. We also had to do their cage and surrounding area. Our girls are completely infested including our 15 2 month old Pullets that were supposed to go to new homes on Friday. Google chicken fleas and see if any of the pics look like what your girls have.

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

Hi all,

We're here in North Texas where it seemingly hasn't stopped raining for over a month. We can't keep our girls, coop, pen, anything dry. With where the chickens are on our property any rain we get runs through their area. It's such a mess down there and this is not something we've ever had to deal with. After my husband went down for his daily cleanup/feeding/water routine he noticed lots of tiny black bugs, about the size of a sesame seed or smaller, moving around very quickly "in short little bursts) possibly jumping (fleas?). They were in the bedding in the coop and pen. Any idea what they might be, and what to do about them?

Also,our weather pattern is NOT expected to change for the next week. Should we move them into our big machine shed so they can assuredly be dry and in dry surroundings? It is just a soupy, soggy, horrible mess here right now and we don't want our sweet girls to be felled by pests/disease. Please help! Thank you so much!

I recommend either seven dust or decotomis earth. Decotomis earth is the one I favor for many reasons. First you can buy large bags for cheap, and secondly it is only toxic to the bugs. The way it works is it creates cracks jn the exoskeleton of the insect, causing it to quickly die off. I would reapply this once a week until they are gone. We also put this on our dogs for fleas. Or to eliminate ticks in the yard. Hope this helped you!

 

[Toddrick]

I would use Sevin dust on the chickens, and get some Permethrin to spray the inside of the coop. You'll probably have to wait until it's dry though. You can get Permethrin10 in the horse section at your local farm store.

Diatemacious Earth is more of a preventative, and I don't think it will stop an infestation. It couldn't hurt to mix some in with the Sevin while dusting the birds though.

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

I would use Sevin dust on the chickens, and get some Permethrin to spray the inside of the coop. You'll probably have to wait until it's dry though. You can get Permethrin10 in the horse section at your local farm store.

Diatemacious Earth is more of a preventative, and I don't think it will stop an infestation. It couldn't hurt to mix some in with the Sevin while dusting the birds though.

Well diatemacious earth is just what I use it works well for me but I guess people have different preferences i just like it cause it is healthier. Is it normal for 7 to make birds itchy??

 

[Andrei]

You might also want to switch to putting sand in the coop and run. The sand doesn't give the bugs a good home so they choose not to stay, birds however love the sand.

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

You might also want to switch to putting sand in the coop and run. The sand doesn't give the bugs a good home so they choose not to stay, birds however love the sand.

Sand is great for keeping the birds clear of poop and bugs,but it also has lots of dust, which can cause reparatory problems. J recommend stall mats they are worth the money

 

[Andrei]

Crazy chick I think you might be referring to the really fine sand, but I use the larger grade construction sand (sharp sand) and have pretty much no dust. It works great and the chickens love it.

 

[TMPope]

We have 7 dusted and Permethrined both and sprayed perimeter and coop. I have 8 week old Pullets that should have been ready to go. I can't deliver them until I get a hold of this. I'm going to repeat again in 7 days. Do I need to do it again in another 7 or will they be under control by then? We pride ourselves on selling healthy chickens!

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

Crazy chick I think you might be referring to the really fine sand, but I use the larger grade construction sand (sharp sand) and have pretty much no dust. It works great and the chickens love it.

Oh ok. That does make more sense.