The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

As far as the bird, putting some wood ashes into their dust bathing area helps. I only use them in moderation if I use them at all as they are fine and can get into lungs.

I NEVER use DE around birds. I will comment more on that if anyone cares to hear my reasoning.


When mite infestations are very bad, some have taken the wood ashes and rubbed them down into the feathers right to the skin with great success. Again, I'm very careful with ash as it is easily inhaled and can harm lungs if you're not careful.


There are also a few other tricks for natural mite removal....but the best thing is PREVENTION!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Lice are a whole different topic! I have to leave for the evening but I can comment on lice - and maybe some others can comment on natural lice preventatives and treatments - before I'm back at the computer.

Note....that infestations of lice and mites are usually husbandry-related. Natural Chicken Keeping focuses on husbandry practices that PREVENT rather than cure. But every once in awhile we need a cure before we realize that something needs fixing that will prevent!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

As far as the bird, putting some wood ashes into their dust bathing area helps.  I only use them in moderation if I use them at all as they are fine and can get into lungs. 

I NEVER use DE around birds.  I will comment more on that if anyone cares to hear my reasoning.


When mite infestations are very bad, some have taken the wood ashes and rubbed them down into the feathers right to the skin with great success.  Again, I'm very careful with ash as it is easily inhaled and can harm lungs if you're not careful.


There are also a few other tricks for natural mite removal....but the best thing is PREVENTION! 

I think DE is a horrible product. The damage to soft tissues and lungs frightens me, especially since it has become so popular and touted as a cure all for everything. As well as being damaging to every bug that comes in contact with it. I have never used it and never will. I am one who would like to hear your thoughts on it.

 

[JanetMarie]

When the chickens bathe in just plain sand regularly, it takes care of getting rid of all mites on the bird.

I have used neem oil on a specific rooster before, who chronically had mites. He didn't have full use of his legs to take dust baths correctly. From observing, I believe just smothering the mites with any oil such as olive oil directly on the bird would be effective.

From observance in my flock, the only birds that have had serious mite infestations, are ones that are on their way out, or are lame, or from a line that has been inbred. When that bird is no longer around, the mites have left, since the remaining birds all take dust baths regularly.

ETA: The mites probably did not all actually leave, but their numbers are under control, and are not noticed.

 

[CuzChickens]

Well, I thought that making sure they had a good spot to dust bathe in was preventing it. They got them anyway. Ugh. I know a lot of folks do not like using DE, I respect and understand why you are concerned about it. I put it in their dust bathing area at nighttime, so in the morning, it is all settled.

 

[CuzChickens]

Wait, can a chick be born with mites if it's mother had them? Is that what Janet Marie meant by inbred?

 

[lazy gardener]

No. She's talking about a specific group of chickens who have been inbred (father to dtr, mother to son, brother to sister for example) and therefore have resulting genetic weaknesses that make them more susceptible to disease. How ever, it's not at all uncommon for a setting hen to be plagued by mites b/c she sticks to the nest and doesn't dust bathe regularly. Nest boxes are favorite haunts of mites and lice. They will hang out in the nest, feast on Mama, and as soon as the chicks hatch, they will infest the babies. Possibly killing them.

 

[CuzChickens]

No.  She's talking about a specific group of chickens who have been inbred (father to dtr, mother to son, brother to sister for example) and therefore have resulting genetic weaknesses that make them more susceptible to disease.  How ever, it's not at all uncommon for a setting hen to be plagued by mites b/c she sticks to the nest and doesn't dust bathe regularly.  Nest boxes are favorite haunts of mites and lice.  They will hang out in the nest, feast on Mama, and as soon as the chicks hatch, they will infest the babies.  Possibly killing them.  

ahhh, OK, i see now. Yeah, that is what bothers me most about them having lice, is that if my hens go broody, the lice will infest the babies.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Well, that is interesting and good to know! I wonder if it would help control lice...where can you buy it? I am currently dealing with a lice outbreak and wood ash and DE just isn't cutting' it!

As I understand it, you would only use neem oil on the roosts, wall crevices, etc. But not on the bird itself. The idea is to have an oil that saturates the eggs the mites leave in the crevices to suffocate them so they can't hatch. You should NOT apply it to your birds or yourself.

@armorfirelady used some Neem in her coop I believe when she had a mite infestation. She might want to comment here.

Neem is a very strong-smelling oil and is not pleasant to have even in the coop. Since it's used to suffocate the eggs, there are other "not-so-strong" oils I would use instead. I use various oils on roost crevices, where they meet the walls, wall seams, etc. Even something quite as simple as olive oil in a sprayer will do the trick without the strong irritation that may affect the bird's respiratory system.

You have to be especially careful with strong smelling substances - even some EO's - as they can be deadly to birds.

I agree that it is important to use these oils very carefully and sparingly, so I did a lot of research. There were several posts earlier on this thread about how to use neem oil, so I read them all, plus other info I found online, and devised a method that combined them and that I judged would be safe. First. I bought actual pure neem oil, not the garden spray that contains it with some other stuff. It was available at my food co-op; I imagine you can find it at a health food store. Then, following someone else's protocol, I made a 50-50 solution of neem oil and canola oil. I sprayed this into all the crevices of my coop, as well as on and under the roosts. I did this on a sunny, dry morning when I could leave the coop open for most of the day to let the smell dissipate, as it is strong. I repeated this whole procedure one week later. (I also cleaned out all the bedding and replaced it while doing this.)

I did this over a year ago; it took care of the infestation and had no negative impact on the birds. I think it's totally true that these oils have to be used with great care, and I certainly support caution about using them. For me they provided a helpful option.

My understanding is that in addition to the smothering function of the oil, neem oil interferes with the mite's reproductive cycle. Having said all that, though, I don't know if it would work for lice.

 

[CuzChickens]

I agree that it is important to use these oils very carefully and sparingly, so I did a lot of research. There were several posts earlier on this thread about how to use neem oil, so I read them all, plus other info I found online, and devised a method that combined them and that I judged would be safe. First. I bought actual pure neem oil, not the garden spray that contains it with some other stuff. It was available at my food co-op; I imagine you can find it at a health food store. Then, following someone else's protocol, I made a 50-50 solution of neem oil and canola oil. I sprayed this into all the crevices of my coop, as well as on and under the roosts. I did this on a sunny, dry morning when I could leave the coop open for most of the day to let the smell dissipate, as it is strong. I repeated this whole procedure one week later. (I also cleaned out all the bedding and replaced it while doing this.)

I did this over a year ago; it took care of the infestation and had no negative impact on the birds. I think it's totally true that these oils have to be used with great care, and I certainly support caution about using them. For me they provided a helpful option.

My understanding is that in addition to the smothering function of the oil, neem oil interferes with the mite's reproductive cycle. Having said all that, though, I don't know if it would work for lice.

yes, I use the oils very sparingly on the chickens and dilute them very heavily. I guess I now know how to deal with a mite outbreak. Just gotta figure out what to do with the current problem at hand.:/