Quote:
Oh I wish I knew. I buried him. I would try to get you a couple but right know they have some funky little white mite also. It makes me feel dirty. I swear I keep their coop clean.
I believe you. Better luck next time Emmy!
Okay, that didn't come out right.
AhHEM. Clears throat. May all your roosters live long and prosper. But if anyone needs to process one, Emmy is looking for pretty rooster feathers for her hair pretty project.
Sorry, we process extra roos too young, they don't have the pretty feathers yet. The molted ones are UGLY right now, excessively worn.
I've given up with the stupid mites. Ivomec on everyone's neck every 8 weeks. DE in the coop and dust bathing areas. Just started that when somehow sand fleas got to us and could not get rid of the dang things for love or money.
To "start" - get some flea/tick collars, toss them in the shop vac and vac every loving corner of the coops. Dump mess into doubled plastic bags, then flip to do the water slurping up part, I mixed up a few gallons of water with some healthy glugs of Ivomec pour on, and slurp it up, dump out, repeat. Then I dust the inside of the vac with DE once dry.
Scrub coop with cleaner of choice. Let dry. Dust with DE. Reload the shavings, mix in DE. Get a new bale of shavings, I swear that's where our mite problems have started from always. So I see mites, I toss the shavings we have and get new. Also, I swear, I get mites from the mom/pop stores more than
TSC. I think
TSC moves things too quick or has a better vendor.
Wait till the chickens go to bed, get everyone with Ivomec.
I do NOT go for deep litter method, as tempting as it may be at times. Tried it twice, get mites within 3 months.