mites and lice and treating them HELP!

[sunket77]

All our feed store had was sevin dust and it is 10%, someone on here said I could use baking soda to cut it in half.

How should I treat the coop and run? I have DE but it rained today so everything is wet! I keep my DE on the back porch but it got wet as well we had a real storm. I am thankful for it though! Do I need to wait until it's dry to treat the coop and run and can I go ahead and treat the chickens with it still wet outside? The forecast is for more rain. I am worried about using sevin dust to treat the coop and run b/c they scratch and eat of the ground. They have a feeder, they just do that anyway. I appreciate any help!

 

[hlroudeb]

Might sound like a dummy... but how do I know if my birds have bugs... can I see them? I have no signs but would like to know and treat before I do have signs!

I use wood shavings and just sanitized with bleach water last weekend..... I'm doing this 2x a year.

I have 2 buffs that are 1 year old.

Heather

 

[chickerdoodle]

I've been told (don't have chickens yet myself!!) to dust with food grade DE periodically or put it in their dust bath and let the do it themselves. I've seen folks do it and the chickens were clean--no mites, no toxins from using Sevin Dust.

 

[sunket77]

I did use DE in their dust bath and sprinkle it on the floor of the coop and run but I guess the bugs prevailed in this hot dry weather.

I can see the lice on them, I found them by brushing their neck feathers up to look under them. They should be real easy to spot on a buff. But mites are to small to see.

 

[chickerdoodle]

Oh darn. I'm now unhappy if DE doesn't work.

I really don't want to use Sevin Dust as its toxic.

The folks I know dusted the chickens--especially around their vents, under the wings and around their backs with the DE thoroughly as well as put in their dust bath area. Maybe that will work as the fossils need to cut the lice's exoskeleton and it really needs to be put right on the chicken?