poultry mites or lice --something unseen crawling on us! HELP

[willkatdawson]

I ended up dusting the Roo with poultry dust and I dusted the mother with chicks with DE. I wasn't sure the chicks should be in close contact with poultry dust. I've looked closely at all the chickens again and none of them have either mites or lice. I'll redust both the roo and mom in 10 days.

 

[FirstTimeChickMama]

Im sorry, what is DE?? My chicks are young and not out yet and I do plan on making them a sand box, so would like to include something in there to ward off lice/mites. They are totally organic chicks, so I don't want any pesticides and such if I can help it. Suggestions?

 

[jobmcd]

Quote:
D.E. stands for Diatemacious Earth, it's a white powder that is made from crustaceous materials that on a microscopic levels is very sharp, hence cuts the skeleton of the lice/mite which results in death.

 

[FirstTimeChickMama]

So this will not harm the chickens? My chicks have a habit of eating/pecking at the sand in the sandbox....thanks in advance for your assistance!

 

[jnjross]

de didn't work for me,, we got mites last week from pine straw!

. i already had put de down the day before the straw. i sprayed them with Pyrethrin, now everyone looks like they feel much better, respraying tomarrow.

 

[EricShane]

Im itching and scratching right now just reading this! LOL

 

[Judy]

Quote:
If you really have mites, you need to respray in about 10 days to kill the newly hatched mites, as spraying today won't kill the eggs.

 

[jnjross]

i sprayed them thursday. it's going to rain starting thursday and rain through weekend

 

[TXmom]

Quote:
DE is organic and won't hurt the chickens as long as you get FOOD GRADE DE. Do not get the DE for pools, the concentration is much too high and will hurt their lungs and yours.

 

[Lunachick]

Quote:
Are you referring to the DE? (food grade only!) If so, I also put the DE into their feed. I mix a cup per 25 pounds, give or take. I also add flax seed into their feed. Hasn't hurt anything in 2 years. I really don't know if it helps them internally, but it doesn't hurt.

BTW - there are people that don't believe in using DE, and there are those that do. I guess "to each their own"