Sanicare users?

[5.3acredream]

Do you sift this daily, as you would if you had sand? And then change it out once a year.

I sift once a week and change it 2x a year to match my mite treatments. I literally buy 3 bags total a year.I was only changing it once but got hit with mites this year and am now starting a more proactive treatment plan.

@5.3acredream how's this stuff working out?

I absolutely love it still. Dries fast. Low dust, easy sift. The chickens do great with it. Honestly, if I hadn't used it so long, I'd say it was too good to be true.

 

[britinpa]

I sift once a week and change it 2x a year to match my mite treatments. I literally buy 3 bags total a year.I was only changing it once but got hit with mites this year and am now starting a more proactive treatment plan.

I absolutely love it still. Dries fast. Low dust, easy sift. The chickens do great with it. Honestly, if I hadn't used it so long, I'd say it was too good to be true.

That's great to know. I think I may go with this instead of the sand. How do you know you have the mites and what do you do to treat? I'm new to chickens, so still have lots to learn.

 

[5.3acredream]

You will hear a lot of advice on here about mites but I will tell you what a trusted small farmer (whoes animals are always in peak condition) has taught me- treat with 6 drops of ivermection pour on solution (for cattle) down the back and directly on the skin. I figured out this comes to .3ml. I believe there is an egg withdrawal time of 14 days here but I'm not positive.

THEN I pull out the bedding and get it far far away. I spray everything in the coop with Gordon's Permethrin 10 (20$ for a lifetime supply at tractor supply). It has a persistence of 30 days do it is PERFECT for killing mites and their hatching eggs.

In my case, I look for disheveled looking chickens. Feather loss outside of molting, bare bottoms (red too). My roo just looked... sick. He was not reactive and spent a lot of time in my coop. That's when I realized he was really sick and literally having the life sucked out of him. Keep in mind there are different types of mites and they present differently.

 

[aart]

How do you know you have the mites and what do you do to treat?

Never had mites but permethrin spray or dust work on lice.
My Bug Check notes:
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[5.3acredream]

Never had mites but permethrin spray or dust work on lice.
My Bug Check notes:
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

The problem with this is that some mites are depluming, and bury themselves near the shaft of the feather. You're never going to see them.

 

[britinpa]

Never had mites but permethrin spray or dust work on lice.
My Bug Check notes:
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

I really hope we don't have any big issues with this. Mine have only been in the coop just over a week and I've replaced the bedding once. I intend to sweep and replace bedding once a week. I think I should purchase some DE to sprinkle on the floor. I also have a small dust bath (of sand and topsoil) in the run - I've seen a couple of them use it (hopefully they all do). It only fits one (two at a push) at a time. I intended to buy a wading pool, but Walmart were sold out, so I had to buy a smaller rectangular tub - but as long as they use it, that's the main thing.

 

[aart]

The problem with this is that some mites are depluming, and bury themselves near the shaft of the feather. You're never going to see them.

True, but I think they are pretty rare.

I think I should purchase some DE to sprinkle on the floor.

Don't bother.

 

[5.3acredream]

True, but I think they are pretty rare.

Don't bother.

Darn, I guess I just got lucky this summer.

 

[britinpa]

Oh, holy cow. No wonder you haven't heard of them, I just looked them up and they are made the next town over from me!

It's hardwood that's cubed for more surface area. (Their odor control stuff has gypsum and zeolite.) According to their website it absorbs 300% moisture per weight. I dumped it out into the coop and it was very low dust. Felt like soft sand, honestly.

I have a couple of other questions about this. I've just ordered 3 bags to pick up this week. While looking at different beddings they say sand is good, as it keeps the coop cool in summer and warmer in winter. In winter, would I need to put more of this product down? Do your chickens dust bath in it? Thanks!

 

[5.3acredream]

I have a couple of other questions about this. I've just ordered 3 bags to pick up this week. While looking at different beddings they say sand is good, as it keeps the coop cool in summer and warmer in winter. In winter, would I need to put more of this product down? Do your chickens dust bath in it? Thanks!

I don't add extra in the winter. Chickens are hardy creatures. I don't even have a coop door, to be honest. They perch on roosts to sleep so adding more bedding in the coop for the winter would be rather worthless.

They do not dust bathe in it. They made their own dust bath right under the coop in the shade.

I have heard sand is great... if you don't have a humid summer. If you do, I heard the stench becomes incredible.