If your problem is indeed MITES and not poultry LICE, it may be that the problem lies with your coop, not with treatment of your birds. My experience (and lots of research from veterinary studies) has indicated that poultry mites, the tiny, reddish buggies you see crawling in the coop at night when you shine a flashlight, reside in the cracks and crevices of your coop during the day. Mites do not live permanently on your birds as lice do; they feed at night unless you have a severe infestation . . . thus, they are harder to treat. (Lice will be larger, elongated, and usually straw-colored. You are likely to see these right on the bird.)
The very best way I have found to treat mites is to thoroughly clean your coop, then seal up every nook and cranny. EVERY one. For me this meant getting out the caulk gun and applying clear sealant along the outsides and insides of nest boxes (fun!), along floor boards, up the wall corners, and even along the ceiling cracks. I did a small part of the coop each day, starting with the nest boxes. I worked on dry mornings, and let the coop air out thoroughly afterward. When each section was dry, I sprinkled a small amount of Poultry Dust on the bare floor, put in clean shavings, and mixed a small amount of DE in for good measure. Not a project I care to do again.
I am here to tell you that I noticed a huge difference just after finishing the nest box area. By the time I finished the floor cracks, the problem was already gone. (though my issue was broody silkies getting chewed on)
Now when I build a new coop, I seal everything right from the get-go. No more mite issues here.
Hope that helps.
The very best way I have found to treat mites is to thoroughly clean your coop, then seal up every nook and cranny. EVERY one. For me this meant getting out the caulk gun and applying clear sealant along the outsides and insides of nest boxes (fun!), along floor boards, up the wall corners, and even along the ceiling cracks. I did a small part of the coop each day, starting with the nest boxes. I worked on dry mornings, and let the coop air out thoroughly afterward. When each section was dry, I sprinkled a small amount of Poultry Dust on the bare floor, put in clean shavings, and mixed a small amount of DE in for good measure. Not a project I care to do again.
I am here to tell you that I noticed a huge difference just after finishing the nest box area. By the time I finished the floor cracks, the problem was already gone. (though my issue was broody silkies getting chewed on)
Now when I build a new coop, I seal everything right from the get-go. No more mite issues here.
Hope that helps.
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