The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

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.

@armorfirelady
Could you pleas chime in regarding how you handled the mite problem a couple years ago? Also, if you had the issue again, how would you handle it today?

 

[CuzChickens]

 

[slordaz]

ok anyone want broody hens? all werebought at the local farm store, have 9 that wanted to brood after the first one hatched out, and of those that hatched have 2 determined to brood since they laid their first egg lol, and the others are catcching on. not going to be a fun winter as it's to cold to let them brood already.

 

[Phoenixxx]

On the topic of mites and lice: I normally use DE, but only for treatment of bad cases, where I dust the birds in the bin and sprinkle it in dust-bathing areas every few days until the problem is under control. The last time I had to open my bin was over two months ago.

I did have a small hen earlier this year who was badly affected by lice due to stress, and the DE just wasn't doing it for her. (Two dunkings about a week apart typically do the job, but not this time.) I resorted to my safe-for-kittens flea treatment: mayonnaise. Starting at the orifices, slather on mayo being sure to cover every square millimeter of skin and feathers, then slather on more until you have a wriggling glob of slimy animal in your hands. Leave sit for ten minutes (the patient won't go far - mammals will start licking it off, but the chicken just sat in the sink confused!) and then wash off. Done. It's been months and I haven't seen a single louse make an appearance on her, and her feathers grew back smoother and healthier than the were before she lost them! (She was molting at the time of her infestation, too.) Obviously mayo isn't practical to treat a whole flock, but for an emergency, safe, one-shot complete treatment you can't beat it! It works because it smothers the bugs and their eggs, suffocating them; fleas will try to escape, but can't jump away in the thick goo.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Phoenixxx

That was for LICE, right?

(Treatments for lice and mites are different so I wanted to double-check and differentiate for readers. Lice live on the birds so you can suffocate them on the bird. Mites usually live and breed in crevices and hiding places and come out at night to torment the birds.)

 

[lazy gardener]

On the topic of mites and lice: I normally use DE, but only for treatment of bad cases, where I dust the birds in the bin and sprinkle it in dust-bathing areas every few days until the problem is under control. The last time I had to open my bin was over two months ago.

I did have a small hen earlier this year who was badly affected by lice due to stress, and the DE just wasn't doing it for her. (Two dunkings about a week apart typically do the job, but not this time.) I resorted to my safe-for-kittens flea treatment: mayonnaise. Starting at the orifices, slather on mayo being sure to cover every square millimeter of skin and feathers, then slather on more until you have a wriggling glob of slimy animal in your hands. Leave sit for ten minutes (the patient won't go far - mammals will start licking it off, but the chicken just sat in the sink confused!) and then wash off. Done. It's been months and I haven't seen a single louse make an appearance on her, and her feathers grew back smoother and healthier than the were before she lost them! (She was molting at the time of her infestation, too.) Obviously mayo isn't practical to treat a whole flock, but for an emergency, safe, one-shot complete treatment you can't beat it! It works because it smothers the bugs and their eggs, suffocating them; fleas will try to escape, but can't jump away in the thick goo.

Now, I've heard it all! Bet the kitty had no issues with constipation after being de-flead!

 

[Phoenixxx]

@Phoenixxx


That was for [COLOR=B22222]LICE[/COLOR], right?

(Treatments for lice and mites are different so I wanted to double-check and differentiate for readers.  Lice live on the birds so you can suffocate them on the bird.  Mites usually live and breed in crevices and hiding places and come out at night to torment the birds.)

The mayo treatment was used on lice, yes; but I imagine it would be effective on surface-dwelling (as opposed to burrowing, like scabies) mites as well. At least it wouldn't do any harm to try it on mites if you were out of ideas aND in a pinch - it is edible, after all

 

[lazy gardener]

The mayo treatment was used on lice, yes; but I imagine it would be effective on surface-dwelling (as opposed to burrowing, like scabies) mites as well. At least it wouldn't do any harm to try it on mites if you were out of ideas aND in a pinch - it is edible, after all

The point made re: mites is that they are environmental pests, instead of living ON the bird. It would be like covering yourself with mayonaise to kill all of the mosquitoes.

 

[Phoenixxx]

The point made re: mites is that they are environmental pests, instead of living ON the bird.  It would be like covering yourself with mayonaise to kill all of the mosquitoes.

While it's true that species like the red roost mite only infect their hosts at feeding time, there are species of mite - such as the northern fowl mite - who spend their entire life cycle on their host.

 

[curious chickee]

While it's true that species like the red roost mite only infect their hosts at feeding time, there are species of mite - such as the northern fowl mite - who spend their entire life cycle on their host.

Exactly our mites when first begin infecting are black then as they begin to feed turn red, but live on the chickens 24/7 if not treated. My brahmas are always a constant battle, at least once a month I have to rub the wood ash into their feathers to keep them at bay.