Peeps in Europe!

[Phill98]

Permethrin spray, or dust for the chickens and a blow torch for the coops.
Don't get the two treatments mixed up!
I know, the very idea of using a blow torch in a wooden coop seems lunacy.
It isn't really. Bee keepers have been using blow torches to clean hives for years.
It does take some practice and a water/foam based fire extinguisher is a good idea until you've got the hang of not burning the coop down.
The hit everything with heavy duty chemicals seems to be a very American way of dealing with hygiene and illness.
I don't use any chemicals in the coops. I've been cleaning coops with a blow torch for years. It's fast, it kills everything, eggs and adults.
My view and the view of current science is DE is not only a waste of money it may also be harmful to chicken and human lungs.
The easiest way to check for red mite is to go into the coop at night with a clean white tissue and wipe the underneath of the perches. If the tissue has red stains on it afterwards, you've got red mite. You will probably be able to see them on the perch ends. Red mite are not in fact red! They are translucent gray/white. They only go red after sucking the blood of the chicken. Scaly leg mite are very small and difficult to see with the naked eye.
However, the effects of scaly leg mite are easily visible on the chickens legs. The legs start to look crusty and the scales start to lift.

So what are the tiny red bugs? I remember seeing them once in my coop ages ago, but haven't seen them since

 

[PouleChick]

So what are the tiny red bugs? I remember seeing them once in my coop ages ago, but haven't seen them since

I think the red mites do go kind of red if they have freshly eaten (from what I've read). I have also seen little red things here - turns out they were super tiny red spiders.

OMG another gorgeous day out there! Yesterday we got an old plum tree heavily pruned - it was such a mess as well as masses of other clearing up too all along one of our boundaries. Still got the grape vines, the apple tree, peach trees and the walnut trees to go!

 

[Phill98]

I think the red mites do go kind of red if they have freshly eaten (from what I've read). I have also seen little red things here - turns out they were super tiny red spiders.

OMG another gorgeous day out there! Yesterday we got an old plum tree heavily pruned - it was such a mess as well as masses of other clearing up too all along one of our boundaries. Still got the grape vines, the apple tree, peach trees and the walnut trees to go!

It could be these were red spiders also because they were all red legs and everything.

Don't even start with the pruning thing! We have huge grape vine-pergola-thing that went crazy like always, but I didn't keep up with pruning it. But the crazy part is that I want to prune it because I like keeping it tidy and nobody in my house can do it like I do (at least that's what my family says-they probably just don't want to mess with it), but I hate that thing and want to remove it sooo badly!

 

[chickengr]

Big welcome! I know how you feel - I post on the Aussie thread as well as ..... well I'm still an Aussie regardless of where I live!

Cool thank you!

OK question for everyone. I checked one of my girls this evening that I managed to catch and no sign of any mites - I looked under the feathers at her neck and around her vent - nothing. Should I be looking elsewhere? Also re the permethyn powder if I do need it / find signs of bugs do I need to put i over every single mm of the chook or just in certain spots??

I put powder under the wings and under the vent.

 

[chickengr]

I think the red mites do go kind of red if they have freshly eaten (from what I've read). I have also seen little red things here - turns out they were super tiny red spiders.

OMG another gorgeous day out there! Yesterday we got an old plum tree heavily pruned - it was such a mess as well as masses of other clearing up too all along one of our boundaries. Still got the grape vines, the apple tree, peach trees and the walnut trees to go!

I have been told that walnut trees should not be pruned at all. not sure why. if anyone knows if that is true please chime in.

 

[chickengr]

It could be these were red spiders also because they were all red legs and everything.

Don't even start with the pruning thing! We have huge grape vine-pergola-thing that went crazy like always, but I didn't keep up with pruning it. But the crazy part is that I want to prune it because I like keeping it tidy and nobody in my house can do it like I do (at least that's what my family says-they probably just don't want to mess with it), but I hate that thing and want to remove it sooo badly!

it must be nice to spend hot summer days there. if you prune it now it will grow by then and make nice shadow.

 

[Shadrach]

I knew feeding chickens kitchen scraps was illegal in the UK but apparently it's EU as well.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supplying-and-using-animal-by-products-as-farm-animal-feed

 

[Loopeend]

Yeah we have this crazy spring-thing going on too. I sat in the park last week without a jacket with friends! The last record was March!

It gives some 'jaaaay spring! planting! life again! Get out of bed early!- feelings' but it feels like you never know when winter is going to have his time too ;') I have started to make summer-dishes already. Onion tarte tartin with a green summer salad nomnomnom. But the day I have to make potato-winter-mashes is probably just around the corner.. GRRRR. SO fed up with potatoes.
So no planting yet.. But doubting it..hmm.. the baby-ducks season has already started due to this soft weather :O

 

[PouleChick]

Yeah we have this crazy spring-thing going on too. I sat in the park last week without a jacket with friends! The last record was March!

Awww so nice! My son is there at the moment visiting his GF (in Reuver) so nice to hear the weather is good!

I knew feeding chickens kitchen scraps was illegal in the UK but apparently it's EU as well.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supplying-and-using-animal-by-products-as-farm-animal-feed

Wow didn't know that! i'm not going to stop - I think that the scraps of cabbage / lettuce etc is good for them - I like them to have a varied diet and I think part of that is having fresh greens from my cooking!

 

[chickengr]

Yeah we have this crazy spring-thing going on too. I sat in the park last week without a jacket with friends! The last record was March!

It gives some 'jaaaay spring! planting! life again! Get out of bed early!- feelings' but it feels like you never know when winter is going to have his time too ;') I have started to make summer-dishes already. Onion tarte tartin with a green summer salad nomnomnom. But the day I have to make potato-winter-mashes is probably just around the corner.. GRRRR. SO fed up with potatoes.
So no planting yet.. But doubting it..hmm.. the baby-ducks season has already started due to this soft weather :O

my poultry have been enjoying spring time BUT we are going to have some snow (in athens!) this weekend. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR