Wet weather and mites

[LipsChicks]

i live in North Dakota and we are very wet. My chicken run is muddy and the chickens are wet-all 60 of them. My favorite guy died and I was holding him while he was passing. I found mites all over me! How to I treat my birds and coop in this awful weather?

 

[Wezdin]

Buy a permetherin spray and spray down the whole coop. then dust with DE to help them to not come back.

 

[Wezdin]

If it is a really bad case you can even spray your birds without hurting them.

 

[PirateGirl]

You will need to repeat the coop clean out and spray down once a week for 3-4 weeks to break the lifecycle of the mites.

 

[LipsChicks]

Are you talking the barn spray or a special one for chickens?

 

[Eggcessive]

DE does not work for many of us. I would just get some Permethrin 10 concentrate, either Martins or Gordons brand from TSC or other feed stores. Dilute it with water 37 ml per gallon of water, and use it with a spray bottle or garden sprayer for the coop. Use at least twice at 7 day intervals until the mites are gone. Empty all the bedding and nests, and treat coop, roost, and nests.

If you post some pictures of your coop we might be able to help with suggestions. Try to divert water away from your coop. Is the run covered?

 

[LipsChicks]

DE does not work for many of us. I would just get some Permethrin 10 concentrate, either Martins or Gordons brand from TSC or other feed stores. Dilute it with water 37 ml per gallon of water, and use it with a spray bottle or garden sprayer for the coop. Use at least twice at 7 day intervals until the mites are gone. Empty all the bedding and nests, and treat coop, roost, and nests.

If you post some pictures of your coop we might be able to help with suggestions. Try to divert water away from your coop. Is the run covered?

 

[LipsChicks]

The run isn’t covered. We recently cleaned the coop( before I knew about mites). My nest boxes are lined with Astro turf. We use wood chips, rather than straw. I can’t see mites on my chickens but some are losing some feathers. Some on their shoulder blades, some on their backs. I looked under their wings and didn’t see anything. I have a bag of DT but I’m worried it will turn to cement when it gets wet. How to have a dust bath that won’t turn to muck?

 

[Eggcessive]

DE is ineffective when wet anyway. I forgot to mention permethrin dust is available also. Are you sure it is mites and not lice? Mites will hide in cracks and crevices, and probably under the astroturf in the nests. It helps to know for sure what they have. Here are 2 good articles about lice and mites:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

 

[Shadrach]

Just out of curiosity, how big is the run you keep 60 chickens in?