The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: 17AndCounting on August 30, 2013, 01:31:13 pm
-
I'm sorry if this seems like a truly daft question!
We've been dealing with red mites in the chicken house. I've steam cleaned, squished and powdered. Waiting for poultry shield to come back into stock at local place. It's not an option to creosote our henhouse as we only have the one. It's is *far* better now than it was though!
What I don't know is if I'm looking to completely eradicate every single red mite or if it's inevitable there will always be a few and it's a matter of ongoing treatments?
-
I think once you have them, its a case of (hopefully) a very low level infestation which you try and keep under control by regularly treating coop and birds. Even if you can move them it would be very difficult to make sure no live mites went with them although if you ivermectined everything several times regularly before moving you might be lucky.
-
I saw a suggestion recently in one of the smallholding magazines to have hanging perches - suspended by chains or something from the roof. Then the ones on the perches are isolated so you just need to replace the perch wood every so often and burn the old ones. No idea whether it works - I've been lucky enough to be able to creosote.
H
-
I've always used hanging perches in my chicken sheds but to help keep my birds fit rather than as a way of combatting red mite. They do keep my birds fit but they are a none starter when it comes to mite control. :farmer: