TICKS. EVERYWHERE. HELP.

[macmac955]

Was it stuck? Whatever it is, the treatment in that article should work.

Would that spray be bad for my chickens in any way? We want to keep our chickens “organic”.

 

[macmac955]

I think I want to use the Pure Planet poultry spray. It seems like the best option for me.

 

[macmac955]

Here’s one of my chickens. The lump on her face is from where I yanked a fat tick out of her face. The black dot is one of them too. I’m getting frustrated because they used to chase me and now they’re scared of my touching them.

 

[Folly's place]

At night while they are roosting, go out there with a flashlight or headlamp and spray or dust each bird, and spray their coop. Pyrethrum (SP?) is organic and will work.
Mary

 

[BastyPutt]

Would that spray be bad for my chickens in any way? We want to keep our chickens “organic”.

The goal of ridding the birds of the parasites is not only killing the active bugs, but you must also suffocate the eggs. This is where we have the hardest time organically, is the eggs.

Coconut oil on the heavily infected areas works. And recently I read someone making a paste out of food grade DE, using water, that I thought sounded interesting and worth a shot. DE by itself wouldn't work as a treatment, but the idea of a paste makes sense in terms of suffocating eggs.

There will be a lot of disagreement here on the DE, but if your willing to try it mites and ticks are an annoyance to a bird initially, and will eventually lead to declining overall health, but you have a bit of time to go outside the box.

 

[macmac955]

The goal of ridding the birds of the parasites is not only killing the active bugs, but you must also suffocate the eggs. This is where we have the hardest time organically, is the eggs.

Coconut oil on the heavily infected areas works. And recently I read someone making a paste out of food grade DE, using water, that I thought sounded interesting and worth a shot. DE by itself wouldn't work as a treatment, but the idea of a paste makes sense in terms of suffocating eggs.

There will be a lot of disagreement here on the DE, but if your willing to try it mites and ticks are an annoyance to a bird initially, and will eventually lead to declining overall health, but you have a bit of time to go outside the box.

I tried using DE as a dust bath, but it’s been pouring, so the sand box I put it in is soaked.

 

[Folly's place]

DE looses whatever effectiveness it might have when it's wet!!!
Pyrethrum is okay when you are trying for 'organic', and it does work. Look up what can be used in certified organic flocks, and see how close you are generally. FARAD.org is a good place to look.
Mary

 

[Acre4Me]

It is my understanding that DE works when dry, not when wet. It is unlikely to suffocate the insect -the coconut oil sounds like a better option for suffocating them.

Pyrethrin is from marigolds. There is natural ones, and artificial ones. The spelling is only a little different. No, using marigolds won’t work by themselves. But, just so you know that this compound is naturally occurring in marigolds. I do t think there is any egg withdrawal either, but the concentrate container will tell you.

 

[BastyPutt]

It is my understanding that DE works when dry, not when wet

Conventionally correct, yes. It feels like a pillowy powder to us, because it is so fine. But to a small parasite, it is like shards of glass. When you wet it, that becomes ineffective.

Applying DE powder to a bird with parasites isn't going to make them go away. It only has PREVENTATIVE PROPERTIES.

However, a paste or thick medium of any kind is going to suffocate parasite eggs. So, in theory, using DE to make a paste or applicable cream, if you will, may work. The same would go for flour, or whatever else. The DE in this case isn't being used traditionally, so what we know about it goes out the window.

 

[aart]

It only has PREVENTATIVE PROPERTIES.

Not even that.