What all should be done when cleaning coop (sand litter) due to SLM problems

[jessman]

We switched to sand in both our coop and run a couple months back for our 15 chickens. Some of them have been dealing with scaly leg mites lately, and we're trying to determine what all is needed for eradicating the mites. We've found some good suggestions for treating the chickens, but I've not found much in the way of details regarding cleaning the coop. I know it needs to be sprayed down with something that will treat the mites, and the roosts cleaned really well, but it's not clear whether all the sand needs to be removed and then replaced with new sand. Anyone gone through this before with sand in the coop?

 

[Al Gerhart]

By all means do the cleaning but also think about what is bringing the vermin into your coop. Nearly always wild birds or rodents, more likely to be the wild birds though.

Until you patch the hole it is hard to bail out a boat.

 

[jessman]

By all means do the cleaning but also think about what is bringing the vermin into your coop. Nearly always wild birds or rodents, more likely to be the wild birds though.

Until you patch the hole it is hard to bail out a boat.

I don't think I mentioned in my original message that our chickens free-range during the afternoons. And we have many birds/chipmunks/squirrels around. Figured they were picking up the mites when out free-ranging. I don't know that much about them, though. If you think it's unlikely they'd pick them up via free-ranging, but rather some other creature is bringing them directly into the coop, that would be a whole different matter. I'm not aware of any birds or chipmunks/squirrels having access to the coop, but I've also not given that possibility very serious thought, either.

 

[Al Gerhart]

First question to ask and find out, why are the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks there? Can they get to the feed?