NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lynzi777]

Thanks armorfirelady and stony!
I wasn't planning on worming them ever but stupid me decided to start browsing this site and everyone started scaring me with their talk of needing to worm at least once a year. I was originally looking for something to get rid of mites. I've had a pretty frustrating mite issue and the DE and sevin haven't seemed to be working. They have plenty of places to dust bathe but I will try adding some wood ash to their favorite dusting places and perhaps keep a litter box full in their coops as well.

That's my problem, sometimes I get reading too much and get suckered into doing something I don't really need to do. I have been having a problem with mites on the silkies. That was my main reason for bathing them last week. I sprinkled some DE on them but they most infested areas are their crests. I used dawn soap followed by Adams Shampoo to help them smell better. Got rid of them for the most part but I'm sure they're still in the coop itself. And it's too cold to go spraying that thing all over again.

 

[rancher hicks]

Does anyone use eprinex to deworm or for mites? I've been trying to decide what to use and I'm thinking eprinex is the best option at this point...

Yes I do. There are of course various opinions on the matter. I also use DE in the coop and on the chickens for mites. Though I've never noticed either.

I'm of the op an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Why wait til you see mites. Just dust with DE each time you clean and avoid them all together. Mites like it dark and moist. Keep things dry.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

I met Tab's new baby today. What a pretty little baby

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: I physically dustbathed the girls myself a few days apart to ensure they got ash all over them. I also put nustock on their legs a few days.in a row as well. After the last dusting I have been checking them every night just to make sure no mite eggs hatch on them. I think today is day 8. To be safe I will just dust them in ash again on day 10. I havent seen any mites on them or the roost since the 2nd dusting. I put in a new roost made of tigerwood which states its a natural insect repelling wood. I also removed all the wood from the coop I could. And also the day I sprayed all the wood with neem oil i removed all the shavings in coop & nesting boxes and threw it away. Just a suggestion if you spray the neem oil make sure you have a lot of ventilation. TO me the odor was very strong and I sprayed it first thing in the morning and at roosting time it still smelled strong.

P.S. no need to worm every year. I never have given my hens chemicals or used them on them. The cayenne pepper for worms is a preventive measure only. Pumpkin, cukes & squash seeds are also great natural wormers. I have never seen an overload of worms. Like Stony said all animals have worms. You dont have to worry unless there is an overload of them. Hence was I use preventives. My theory is an ounce of natural prevention is much easier than chemical cures

 

[AQHAchick22]

I physically dustbathed the girls myself a few days apart to ensure they got ash all over them. I also put nustock on their legs a few days.in a row as well. After the last dusting I have been checking them every night just to make sure no mite eggs hatch on them. I think today is day 8. To be safe I will just dust them in ash again on day 10. I havent seen any mites on them or the roost since the 2nd dusting. I put in a new roost made of tigerwood which states its a natural insect repelling wood. I also removed all the wood from the coop I could. And also the day I sprayed all the wood with neem oil i removed all the shavings in coop & nesting boxes and threw it away. Just a suggestion if you spray the neem oil make sure you have a lot of ventilation. TO me the odor was very strong and I sprayed it first thing in the morning and at roosting time it still smelled strong.

P.S. no need to worm every year. I never have given my hens chemicals or used them on them. The cayenne pepper for worms is a preventive measure only. Pumpkin, cukes & squash seeds are also great natural wormers. I have never seen an overload of worms. Like Stony said all animals have worms. You dont have to worry unless there is an overload of them. Hence was I use preventives. My theory is an ounce of natural prevention is much easier than chemical cures

Do you water down the neem oil or does it come in a spray? I have tea tree oil laying around and was thinking of using that as well on the roosts. I would rather use something natural than something chemical. I just feel like I'm at my wits end. I keep the coops dry and use DE in them and try to make sure there are a lot of places to dust bathe. I like the idea of just grabbing each of them and dusting them myself, though that will be very time consuming.

Do you think the cayenne pepper would work in pellets? I don't use FF...however I keep meaning to give FF a try so maybe this is would finally be my motivation

 

[armorfirelady]

Do you water down the neem oil or does it come in a spray? I have tea tree oil laying around and was thinking of using that as well on the roosts. I would rather use something natural than something chemical. I just feel like I'm at my wits end. I keep the coops dry and use DE in them and try to make sure there are a lot of places to dust bathe. I like the idea of just grabbing each of them and dusting them myself, though that will be very time consuming.

Do you think the cayenne pepper would work in pellets? I don't use FF...however I keep meaning to give FF a try so maybe this is would finally be my motivation

I tired to get organic neem oil in a large amount. It didnt work so I just had to use what I could find. The directions I had saiid water stops it from working if I remember right? You would have to read the label.

Cayenne pepper flakes I dont think the hens would eat it alone. Try mixing some into some cooked eggs or some yogurt to give to them. Oh I forgot I also upped their meat protein because of the mites. Sometimes chickens can get anemic if badly infested by lice or mites. The girls didnt mind the extra meat

And I gave some garlic and fresh basil as well a few times either in eggs or yogurt as well. My girls love both

 

[stonykill]

P.S. no need to worm every year. I never have given my hens chemicals or used them on them. The cayenne pepper for worms is a preventive measure only. Pumpkin, cukes & squash seeds are also great natural wormers. I have never seen an overload of worms. Like Stony said all animals have worms. You dont have to worry unless there is an overload of them. Hence was I use preventives. My theory is an ounce of natural prevention is much easier than chemical cures

agreed! All I do is give them pumpkins and squash, whole things just halved and let them have at it.
I also use wood ash as I burn wood 365 days a year. I as of this past year been mixing wood ash in the deep litter as the girls love to dust bathe in the wood chips I put in their coops. Today just because it is fall all coops and runs got loaded with leaves.
Another

by armorfirelady

 

[ke5hde]

Ours love pumpkins.

 

[JLaw]

Do you think the cayenne pepper would work in pellets? I don't use FF...however I keep meaning to give FF a try so maybe this is would finally be my motivation

I've put it in my egg treats I give them. Before the dog attack I had lots of extra eggs I could hide anything I want them to eat in there sorta like dogs with cheese.

 

[stonykill]

I've put it in my egg treats I give them. Before the dog attack I had lots of extra eggs I could hide anything I want them to eat in there sorta like dogs with cheese.

my black lab could be sound asleep and I'd unwrap some cheese. And there was Bear, right next to me....droolin....