what to use to dust?

[Hennyhandler]

I am needing to dust my chickens. What do you use to do that with? Can you still eat the eggs? Do you need to clean out the coop first or can you simply dust?

 

[ranchhand]

What are you needing to dust them for? Mites or lice?

 

[JP33]

Yes, tell the experienced folks on here what you are dusting for and what you are dusting with. Be very aware that dusts go airborne very easily and indiscriminately, will wind up everywhere if you are not extremely careful in your applications.

Read the label very carefully and follow it to the tee.


...JP

 

[prairiepearls]

OK, now I KNOW how new I am here! I was thinking -- dust them ... well, I've heard they create a lot of dust, but would you actually have to DUST the chickens? LOL! (I s'pose the answer to THAT would be to use a FEATHER duster!)

 

[Hennyhandler]

Well, is there anything out there that would do all of it or most kind of bugs. I'm not for sure if I have any or what kind it is. Just want to make sure since they keep nibbling and have bare spot above the tail.

 

[Firemenlovechicks]

Quote:
Feather duster.......... now THAT'S a

 

[JP33]

Quote:
I could take a few guesses, one would be lice? I don't know though because I haven't experienced what you are going through but until you get a good idea of what is going on, if it were me, I would coat the areas with olive oil. It will soothe and possibly drown any parasites, but I'm sure that would be a most temporary solution.

Others will chime in soon enough.

Best of luck!


...JP

 

[Kansaseq]

I use DE or Sevin dust

 

[fordmommy]

I used something that I got at my local Fleet Farm. I forget what it's called. But it is spifically for chickens and buggies on them.

I am curious on what you said about a "bare spot above the tail". I think you may be talking about their oil cland there. Do they reach back and part their tail and back feathers and rub that with their beak???? That is normal.

To see if the have any buggies, pick one up and push the feathers up at the neck, exposing the skin. When you do that, there you can see if there are any bugs crawling in the feathers. They may look like little pieces of flat brown rice or there are others that attach to the feathers that look like little white chunks clinging to them.

 

[CloggingChicken]

I use DE(Diatomaceous Earth) in their dust bath as it seems better than chemicals and does get rid of most small bugs such as mites and lice. I am curious about the small bare spot above their tails tha you mention. Do you have any roosters in with them? Roosters will ride some of their favorite hens and pull/wear the feathers out in the process.