This is sucking and Im getting frustrated.** update**

[wbruder17]

I'm going to the feed store as soon as. Get home to pick up some sand. I use sand in the run, but not in the actual coop, so I'm going to give it a shot. Also going to try to bathhe the chickens again and will check out the permetherin products to see what I think. Is spring and summer the worst times to deal with this?

 

[wbruder17]

Ok. Went to the feed store and talked to the guys there. I think maybe I'm fighting a fight that's just not worth it.

First, there just happened to be a guy at the store who has a small commercial farm... 90 chickens or so, and I started talking to him and got him to walk over to my yard to check it out. (I live right across the street from the feed store and those guys knew him, and I trust them, so I thought it would be ok, plus the neighbor was home and I felt safe)

Anyway...he came over, looked at everything and said I absolutely do NOT have an infestation, although the birds DO have bugs. No feather loss, no drop in egg production, still very happy, healthy birds.

I feel better about not having an infestation, but still didn't like the bugs being there, so I boughtt a STINKIN can of the pesticide crap and started dusting birds. I found some with eggs around the vent feathers and I really got in there swooshhling the dust around.

Is there a good way to dust them? Should the whole bird be done? Or just the vent and neck area? I hate using this stuff, but I hate the bugs more.

 

[dak]

I am using Frontline spray. I believe it is less toxic than the typical pesticides. I HATE bugs and will not tolerate even a few. I feel comfortable using it on my dogs which live in the house and sleep in the bed.

That said, it is hard to find, but the drug reps say it will be available soon.

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
I saw on someone else's post one time that when they dust their birds, they put the powder in a bag and put the chickens in the bag leaving the head and neck out, and then get it on them as thoroughly as possible from the neck down. Did you get the sand for the coop? If so, you are going to LOVE it!

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
I saw on someone else's post one time that when they dust their birds, they put the powder in a bag and put the chickens in the bag leaving the head and neck out, and then get it on them as thoroughly as possible from the neck down. Did you get the sand for the coop? If so, you are going to LOVE it!

Well, my run is very large, about 700 sq ft or so. I've had sand/pumice in thhe run for a while and absolutely love it, but have not used it IN the actually coop where they sleep. I took all of the straw out and just left the floor bare with DE sprinkled. I put playground sand in the nest boxes, but am now wondering if sand is good enough for them to lay on, or if I need to put straw in the boxes. I will go take pics so you have a better idea of what it looks like and what I should do.

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
I saw on someone else's post one time that when they dust their birds, they put the powder in a bag and put the chickens in the bag leaving the head and neck out, and then get it on them as thoroughly as possible from the neck down. Did you get the sand for the coop? If so, you are going to LOVE it!

Well, my run is very large, about 700 sq ft or so. I've had sand/pumice in thhe run for a while and absolutely love it, but have not used it IN the actually coop where they sleep. I took all of the straw out and just left the floor bare with DE sprinkled. I put playground sand in the nest boxes, but am now wondering if sand is good enough for them to lay on, or if I need to put straw in the boxes. I will go take pics so you have a better idea of what it looks like and what I should do.

With the bare floor, I would think it would get messy for them to walk in and also smelly. That's why I did sand on the floor. It's just so easy to scoop out the poop, and our coop is right by the woods so I just fling it in the woods. My hens have not started to lay yet, but I plan to use straw in the next boxes. The boxes that I am going to use are kitty litter boxes that I got at Walmart. I figured they would be really easy to clean when needed. I didn't plan to put sand in them because our winters will be cold and the straw will be warmer for them to snuggle down and lay in.

 

[wbruder17]

Yea, I was wondering about the poopy mess, but I have a few shelves under roosting bars that I do not put any bedding on, just DE and it works ok. My chickens only go in the coop to sleep, which they do on the bars, and lay eggs in the boxes. The rest of the time they are outside. They go in at dark and I let them out around 6am. Most of them are still roosting when I open the doors, so they don't spend much time walking around in the coop.

Here's a few pics to get an idea:
Nesting boxes and partial view of floor/inside of coop.

Outside view: just for fun and to show there is not any kind of quagmire mess of dirty chicken run.

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
Wow!!! Beautiful coop!!! I ❤love❤ it.

 

[wbruder17]

Thanks! We have worked really hard to make it the best chicken home we can..... doesn't changge the fact that I STILL HAVE BUGS!!! I liike to hold my chickens, and they like to be held (some of em) and if they have bugs, I can't hold them. I clean the crap out of the whole shebang, and still there are bugs. I use DE, and Poultry Protector, and STILL BUGS. Like I said, I'm getting frustrated.

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
I don't blame you. We like holding our birds and snuggling too. I wouldn't want the bugs crawling on me either! If the stuff you got today doesn't work, maybe you can try the stuff that I have. My friend says it's really good.