Utah!

[Ruralpearls]

First two eggs from my frizzled girls!!

 

[bitsyhorse]

okay folks.... I am so confused at this point, I'm going crazy. I have read/heard things that are best for treating lice/mites in chickens, but for every one I read, there ends up being more that say no, or it's not effective....

I have bought a large bag of DE because I had read that it works... but then I started hearing things that it's bad, etc... I don't want to just toss my 50 lb bag......

I've heard Sevin dust, but then I hear to not use it on chickens... I hear about Ivermectin, but then I hear that it's not helpful for mites, and that you have to toss eggs (?).

I'd really like to know what the best way to treat mites/lice, as it seems that I've got at least one chicken infected (not to a severe degree yet...) and that means likely the rest are as well....

If I can use my DE, I'd be REALLY happy about that...because I already have it... anything else, I'll have to go out and buy.

I just want to know what's successful and safe.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

okay folks.... I am so confused at this point, I'm going crazy.  I have read/heard things that are best for treating lice/mites in chickens, but for every one I read, there ends up being more that say no, or it's not effective....

I have bought a large bag of DE because I had read that it works... but then I started hearing things that it's bad, etc...  I don't want to just toss my 50 lb bag...... 

I've heard Sevin dust, but then I hear to not use it on chickens... I hear about Ivermectin, but then I hear that it's not helpful for mites, and that you have to toss eggs (?).  

I'd really like to know what the best way to treat mites/lice, as it seems that I've got at least one chicken infected (not to a severe degree yet...) and that means likely the rest are as well....

If I can use my DE, I'd be REALLY happy about that...because I already have it... anything else, I'll have to go out and buy.

I just want to know what's successful and safe.

Ok here is my two cents.

I battled this a year ago. I have tried it all. DE does not really work. IT helps keep flies at bay in your coop in the summer, don't toss it, use it for that at least. Also you can sprinkle it in there food to keep internal parasites (worms) at bay.

Sevin dust does work. Or poultry dust (perethrins). Either one. The down side is they flap and it gets EVERYWHERE. You have to roll them on their back and work it into their feathers, all over their body.

Ivermectin pour on for cattle does work. I tried it and I liked it.

But..I prefer to buy Fipronil (in the dog section at walmart). That is the flea and tick drops for dogs, active ingredient. One drop on the skin under the vent worked on mine. One drop, all the chickens, no mites for a year. It says it work for 30-60 days, but seriously I have not seen a critter since the one dose so I love it, and it is easy to do on the zillion chickens I have here, dusting would be way too much work and too much dust in my face. Someone on here, I think SPeckled HIlls recommended it and I will not go back to the other methods. She said one drop on back of neck and one under vent, but I just did under the vent and it worked great. You can get the biggest dog dose, the medicine is the same per drop as the small dogs, you just get more medicine for your money, and it is 5-6 bucks and it does tons of birds.

Good luck, mites and lice are disgusting!

 

[bitsyhorse]

Ok here is my two cents.

I battled this a year ago. I have tried it all. DE does not really work. IT helps keep flies at bay in your coop in the summer, don't toss it, use it for that at least. Also you can sprinkle it in there food to keep internal parasites (worms) at bay.

Sevin dust does work. Or poultry dust (perethrins). Either one. The down side is they flap and it gets EVERYWHERE. You have to roll them on their back and work it into their feathers, all over their body.

Ivermectin pour on for cattle does work. I tried it and I liked it.

But..I prefer to buy Fipronil (in the dog section at walmart). That is the flea and tick drops for dogs, active ingredient. One drop on the skin under the vent worked on mine. One drop, all the chickens, no mites for a year. It says it work for 30-60 days, but seriously I have not seen a critter since the one dose so I love it, and it is easy to do on the zillion chickens I have here, dusting would be way too much work and too much dust in my face. Someone on here, I think SPeckled HIlls recommended it and I will not go back to the other methods. She said one drop on back of neck and one under vent, but I just did under the vent and it worked great. You can get the biggest dog dose, the medicine is the same per drop as the small dogs, you just get more medicine for your money, and it is 5-6 bucks and it does tons of birds.

Good luck, mites and lice are disgusting!

with Fipronil, do you have to toss any eggs? (not that it's really that big of a deal at this point, with only one hen laying lol)

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

with Fipronil, do you have to toss any eggs? (not that it's really that big of a deal at this point, with only one hen laying lol)

I have searched and not found much. I honestly do not think one drop is gonna kill me so I do not worry about it. You could check into it further and see, it is off-label for chickens so there is just not much info about it.

 

[sundancenbare]

okay folks.... I am so confused at this point, I'm going crazy. I have read/heard things that are best for treating lice/mites in chickens, but for every one I read, there ends up being more that say no, or it's not effective....

I have bought a large bag of DE because I had read that it works... but then I started hearing things that it's bad, etc... I don't want to just toss my 50 lb bag......

I've heard Sevin dust, but then I hear to not use it on chickens... I hear about Ivermectin, but then I hear that it's not helpful for mites, and that you have to toss eggs (?).

I'd really like to know what the best way to treat mites/lice, as it seems that I've got at least one chicken infected (not to a severe degree yet...) and that means likely the rest are as well....

If I can use my DE, I'd be REALLY happy about that...because I already have it... anything else, I'll have to go out and buy.

I just want to know what's successful and safe.

I use both ivermectim and De works great. I use de year round

 

[Cynthia12]

bitsy, where it's just the head, I would go ahead and use cooking oil. Won't hurt a thing, but the bugs! And any eggs too. Especially if there aren't that many. Just rub some oil around where you have seen them. She will be a greasy mess for a bit, but she will be fine. Just go for it. Use gloves.

 

[Ruralpearls]

Question for everyone. I have been watching Gary's chick he gave me and I still am not sure what it is. It has never crowed and its feathers seem to be rounded-ish. Today the CCL mounted it. Is that a show of dominance or do I just need to wait for an egg?

Gary- What color would a silkie x blue laced egg be?

 

[ElkMtnCove]

well Hercules is big so I guess he takes after his dad. Glad hes still buddies with the blind boy. Sounds like a good match. I'd love to come see him sometime

I guess I didn't realize Hercules was his dad, thought it was a frizzle Americana that Lisa has (or is that Hercules?). I'd love a link to a pic if anyone knows a link.

Why don't you come up Friday if the weather's nice? I have the day off and I may be downsizing my herd and the pretty younger paint will be easier to place. Just be prepared, my big coop has cobweb's and moulting going on!

 

[ElkMtnCove]

okay folks.... I am so confused at this point, I'm going crazy. I have read/heard things that are best for treating lice/mites in chickens, but for every one I read, there ends up being more that say no, or it's not effective....

I have bought a large bag of DE because I had read that it works... but then I started hearing things that it's bad, etc... I don't want to just toss my 50 lb bag......

I've heard Sevin dust, but then I hear to not use it on chickens... I hear about Ivermectin, but then I hear that it's not helpful for mites, and that you have to toss eggs (?).

I'd really like to know what the best way to treat mites/lice, as it seems that I've got at least one chicken infected (not to a severe degree yet...) and that means likely the rest are as well....

If I can use my DE, I'd be REALLY happy about that...because I already have it... anything else, I'll have to go out and buy.

I just want to know what's successful and safe.

I use DE and it has always worked for me. I got a silky hen from SL that was massively covered in crawling mites. Her initial bath (figured I had nothing to lose because there were thousands and my husband was torked) so I bathed her with dawn, dog tick spray, vinegar and dog shampoo. She was such a good girl. Anywhos.... she then got isolation in my office with but DE and shavings. I'd see the critters hatch but then die. She lived in her little "house" for a month so I could catch any hatching eggs. She was mite free afterthat.

I also use it with my flock and I've had as many as 60+. I put it in their favorite dusting places, in the nest boxes, roosts, and every now and then food. (I always get FOOD GRADE kind tho). It's not uncommon for them to get a few in the spring given the number of birds, chipmunks, etc., so I repeat and am good till next spring. I also dewormed an orphan kitty with some that was too small for even kitten wormers (he took months to get bigger than 2#'s.) His worm belly disappeared.

Invermectin is what I use to deworm my horses. States not for animals intended for human consumption and so I'd never give that to my chickens, I only give to the horses when needed. Keep us posted, I'd love to know if DE works in some climates and not others!