RebsChooks
In the Brooder
After battling red mite for a month I am getting a new plastic coop today. Our old wooden one has just got too many places to harbour the red mite, and we still have them despite thorough spraying and cleaning and dusting every other day.
I know plastic coops do not stop the red mite but I am hoping the cleaning process will be easier and more complete with plastic.
My question is this. The coop stands in a walk-in run, so the new coop will just stand where the old one did. We *could* stand the new coop at the end of the garden, but as I understand it it would need to be there for 8-9 months to have a chance of the ground and walk-in run to me mite-free, and the mites I have not managed to send to oblivion could just as easily crawl across the garden anyway. And the chickens would be less safe in a coop out of the walk in run.
Any advice on making the switch on existing ground? Additional measures to try to prevent mites taking up residence in the plastic coop? The ground has been repeatedly sprayed with Smite, powdered with DE and sanitised with sanitising powder but I am sure they must still be around all the same.
Any advice gratefully received to help make the switch as clean as possible. What can I treat the new coop with initially to repel mites?
Please help. I am so tired of fighting these horrid little creatures. (Hens are very well so the numbers must now be very small.)
I know plastic coops do not stop the red mite but I am hoping the cleaning process will be easier and more complete with plastic.
My question is this. The coop stands in a walk-in run, so the new coop will just stand where the old one did. We *could* stand the new coop at the end of the garden, but as I understand it it would need to be there for 8-9 months to have a chance of the ground and walk-in run to me mite-free, and the mites I have not managed to send to oblivion could just as easily crawl across the garden anyway. And the chickens would be less safe in a coop out of the walk in run.
Any advice on making the switch on existing ground? Additional measures to try to prevent mites taking up residence in the plastic coop? The ground has been repeatedly sprayed with Smite, powdered with DE and sanitised with sanitising powder but I am sure they must still be around all the same.
Any advice gratefully received to help make the switch as clean as possible. What can I treat the new coop with initially to repel mites?
Please help. I am so tired of fighting these horrid little creatures. (Hens are very well so the numbers must now be very small.)