Post Pics Of Orps/ Orpingtons HERE

[quailtrail]

They are taking my 8 year old ex batt down quickly . She really isnt well. I have a little bit of a spot on left now so I will give it to her until I'm sorted for next week.

how do you know if they have lice or mites???

 

[Blarneyeggs]

They are taking my 8 year old ex batt down quickly . She really isnt well. I have a little bit of a spot on left now so I will give it to her until I'm sorted for next week.

how do you know if they have lice or mites???

Sad to say...sometimes my first clue is when they're crawling all over my forearms (mites). Then I spend weeks after thinking I feel them. A responsible chicken owner would periodically check their vents for any signs of them (Google pics) at night, strong flashlight, pull them from roosts as they are easier to catch up, and the bugs that hide in cracks n crevices of your coop n roosts will be on your birds at night.

Dietamacious Earth is ok as a preventative, but not as a cure. Some swear by it or wood ash as natural remedies, but I prefer Ivermectin Cattle Pour on.

 

[thedragonlady]

Can you use diatamecous (sp?) earth to treat creepy crawlies on chickens? We have a big bag here we treat our garden with...

NO !

 

[Johnn]

how do you know if they have lice or mites???

When checking for lice I always check around the vent. If its a heavy infestation you will see them all scratter everywhere if you part the feathers around the vent.

 

[Johnn]

All this years chicks are going to go crackers when I do it to them. I haven't handles them since chicks. I dont think Dorothy will be to much of a problem but Lily and Daisy's baby (thinking about calling her Rose, Rosie or Cindy) will go mental!

 

[Lynzi777]

Can you use diatamecous (sp?) earth to treat creepy crawlies on chickens? We have a big bag here we treat our garden with...

I have used it plenty of times, especially on my silkies because they are more prone to getting it than my other birds. Like someone else has mentioned, it doesn't "cure" them from the mites, but it does help some. I've heard wood ash works best if you have access to any or know of anyone with a wood burning stove who can supply you with some.

 

[maryhysong]

Can you use diatamecous (sp?) earth to treat creepy crawlies on chickens? We have a big bag here we treat our garden with...

I used to think so. My opinion now is that it is totally useless. I dusted birds, nest boxes, coops; even covered the ground in the runs until it looked like it snowed. Did not do a thing for the situation at all. What did work for me was sulfur dust, the same kind sold for the garden for bugs and fungus. I then found the Eprinex which also helped a lot. I will be treating birds rigorously and on a schedule this year to prevent it from getting so bad ever again. I just wish I had known previously what I was supposed to be looking for so I could have nipped it in the bud earlier.

BTW they always had some DE & wood ash in their dust bath so that did not help/prevent a severe infestation on the birds.

 

[Lynzi777]

Had anyone had any luck with the neem oil? That was another method I tried, sprayed all over the inside of the coop and even on the birds but it didn't keep them away permanently.

 

[Nickeechickee]

So are mites something every chicken is prone to, or is it limited to certain areas? I am in Ohio, and it is bitterly cold here, so haven't been too worried about the creepy crawlies...this past summer was our first year with chickens, and we didn't have any problems either...

 

[thedragonlady]

Those birds are at your mercy for their care. Try taking a louse, or mite infested bird, to a poultry show, and you will be asked to remove your birds from the show. Checking, and treating birds for internal and external parasites is a basic activity of poultry keeping, and neither of you are newbies.

edited by staff