yes to lice and mite issues.
If you have that problem, you can use either wood ash or flower & poultry dust.
With wood ash, you thoroughly rub the ash into the feathers all over the bird, espec under wing, by the vent, and behind the neck.
With the flower and poultry dust, I found it easiest to use an old nylon stocking (this entails a trip to the gas station or dollar store for a stocking or knee high stocking), pour the dust into the toe/foot sock part, tie it off and use like a powder puff, again trying to get close to the skin of the bird.
clean out all the bedding. sprinkle the poultry dust especially in corners/crevices. even in the nest boxes. Put fresh bedding on top. retreat the entire flock in about 7 -10 days.
You can add flowers of sulphur (pure sulpur powder) to the feed. You can also dip the hens in a sulfur dip, but that is best for warmer weather for obvious reasons.
this summer, pick yarrow, tansy, wormwood, mint, marigold petals and dry them. they are great to add to a broody's nest, or the nest boxes as a repellant.,
wild birds/pigeons carry them and can bring them to your flock. Normally, your flock takes care of this via dust bathing. IF all of their dust bathing spots are out in the open (versus under a coop or somewhere dry, they haven't had a good chance in the past couple of weeks perhaps.
some people use sevin dust, the poultry dust is from a chrysanthemum derivitive. Still toxic, but less than the sevin dust. The poultry dust knocks them out right away. Wood ash has been equally effective for me.
don't mess around if you have chicks with mites or lice as they can take a chick down very quickly.
And love the coop! how lucky to have such a great outbuilding.
If you have that problem, you can use either wood ash or flower & poultry dust.
With wood ash, you thoroughly rub the ash into the feathers all over the bird, espec under wing, by the vent, and behind the neck.
With the flower and poultry dust, I found it easiest to use an old nylon stocking (this entails a trip to the gas station or dollar store for a stocking or knee high stocking), pour the dust into the toe/foot sock part, tie it off and use like a powder puff, again trying to get close to the skin of the bird.
clean out all the bedding. sprinkle the poultry dust especially in corners/crevices. even in the nest boxes. Put fresh bedding on top. retreat the entire flock in about 7 -10 days.
You can add flowers of sulphur (pure sulpur powder) to the feed. You can also dip the hens in a sulfur dip, but that is best for warmer weather for obvious reasons.
this summer, pick yarrow, tansy, wormwood, mint, marigold petals and dry them. they are great to add to a broody's nest, or the nest boxes as a repellant.,
wild birds/pigeons carry them and can bring them to your flock. Normally, your flock takes care of this via dust bathing. IF all of their dust bathing spots are out in the open (versus under a coop or somewhere dry, they haven't had a good chance in the past couple of weeks perhaps.
some people use sevin dust, the poultry dust is from a chrysanthemum derivitive. Still toxic, but less than the sevin dust. The poultry dust knocks them out right away. Wood ash has been equally effective for me.
don't mess around if you have chicks with mites or lice as they can take a chick down very quickly.
And love the coop! how lucky to have such a great outbuilding.
