The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: katog on March 11, 2017, 11:46:29 am
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I've already spotted some red mite in the hen house, looking back a few of you recommend using a steam cleaner - which type do you like? cylinder, mop, 2in1 or hand held. Brand?? Please and thankyou.
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Ours is a Morphy Richards 'Compact Steam' Katog. Has a 2.2KW element to heat 1 litre of water and a 2 metre insulated hose with a variety of fittings- although we only ever use the fine jet. It may be obsolete now though?
You will have to do it more than once because a small percentage of red mite will remain on the hens and will get off them at night and re-infest the coop. We deal with that by treating the perch ends with creosote (only the ends), removing it every morning and killing all the mite trapped on it by the creosote. After a week or so there will be none, but still check as they can pick them back up from their soil bath.
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Creosote or spray with Raid (but you'll have to house the birds elsewhere until fumes have fully dispersed), or 4 drops of Dectomax or similar on the back of the neck (7 days egg withdrawal).
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I tried before without success to but creosote - maybe only available to farmers.
Ivermectin doesn't seem to be recommended for hens but you reckon it's only a 7 day egg withdrawal?
It sounds like yours is a cylinder type Chrismahon I will keep looking
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I once tried using a steam cleaner, also sinking the whole coop in the farm pond for three weeks. Neither worked. Do red mite have aqualungs ....?
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Diesel works well on nooks+ crannies,perch ends,house birds elsewhere until smell goes
Red stop solution for birds drinking water
or
http://www.stdavids-poultryteam.co.uk/news/new-way-for-poultry-producers-to-tackle-red-mite/ (http://www.stdavids-poultryteam.co.uk/news/new-way-for-poultry-producers-to-tackle-red-mite/)
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Diatomaceous Earth seems to have worked well for us, applied during weekly cleans of the coop