celeste Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 I have a red mite infestation in one of my chicken houses I have been trying to get rid of it and have dusted all the chooks that I can get hold of but (sadly) I have lost both of my Poland bantams Nearly lost Chas but got to him in the nick of time. Tomorrow is pressure washing time for that particular hen house although I've read it can take 36 weeks to get rid of red mite I could creosote it but you can't use the new spray stuff - it has to be the old stuff and then you have to keep the chooks out of it for weeks. I've got masses of Poultry Guard and other pesticides but they aren't as efficient as it says on the tin. Incidentally, Cheryl, how did you ever manage to get hold of Forrest There's a product called R I P Flea, which a few people on the poultry forum I go on have used and said it kills the mites instantly and keeps working for months after wards, or there's Chloracarb, which pigeon fanciers swear by, although it is very toxic to cats, very safe with poultry though, you can also use it to bath the hens in to kill all mites and lice, supposed to keep them clear for a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 There's a product called R I P Flea, which a few people on the poultry forum I go on have used and said it kills the mites instantly and keeps working for months after wards, or there's Chloracarb, which pigeon fanciers swear by, although it is very toxic to cats, very safe with poultry though, you can also use it to bath the hens in to kill all mites and lice, supposed to keep them clear for a year. Ok, Ive pressure washed that house completely and poultry-guarded it, and put new disinfectant on the floor and new bedding throughout. Then when it was almost dark Sue and I went and got around 20 or so chooks and dusted them too with mite powder. We've missed quite a few but they were nesting in the oldest house which is a nightmare to get to in the dark. Unfortunately there are some chooks which might get dusted twice: we did one white star and there are two so as I can't tell them apart both will need to be done again! Similarly the buff sussex bantams - we got one but couldn't say which. All three baby bantam chicks will need doing - we did one but the other two disappeared so will probably have to do all three again! My buff sussex hen wasn't in evidence - so she will need doing. I need to find Bertha (one of the black Orps - we did do Whoopi). I have a Bluebell who is always one of avoid treatment of any kind and she needs doing too. Plus two black rocks - we did one but I doubt we can decide which one we did so will need to do all 3! Also missed: Barnevelder, We did do: Forrest and Chaz (the cockerels) 1 white star 1 black rock Spangles (gold laced wynadotte) both of our black laced wyandotte bantams 3 chicks which Whoopie hatched Whoopie Buffy (buff Orp,) Silver (splash Orp - who I did yesterday) 4 out of 5 brown hens 1 Amber Star (did her yesterday too) Martha - speckled Sussex Tess - Silver Sussex New England bantam Bissell - Pekin bantam my lovely blue cochin I might have forgotten someone! Hopefully I'll remember them when I see them tomorrow. I really hope I don't have to resort to bathing individual birds because it would be a nightmare with the number we have. Cheryl - I've followed that link and the stuff is Creosote substitute which all the forums tell me doesn't work because it doesn't contain the deadly chemicals you need? Also why you need to exclude the chooks for such a long time! Just to really upset the chooks a bit more, cos I'm worried about what the mite could have done to their general health, I'm starting a new worming programme from tomorrow and giving them antibiotics in their water for 5 days to help any respiratory problems. They get Poultry spice in their food anyway so hopefully these new measures won't kill them but will help them get back to full health. I hope so, I love my chooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted September 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 They have listed proper full fat creosote previously, I'd still contact them to enquire I guess because of the fumes it's advised to leave the coop empty but for me it's not really practical and I've not had any problems so far. I just make sure it's completely dry and well aired before bedtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted September 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 This morning Ella killed Lamb Chop, my little 11 week old Faverolle Of all the dogs she was the one I trusted most around the chooks, not any more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 I'm sorry about little Lamb Chop. Hope you win the battle against the red mite Di, I'm such a rookie chook mum I have no advice but am keeping my fingers crossed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaos Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 Ella! Really sorry Cheryl. Erm Di, you won't mind if I don't come and help bath the chooks.......will you ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 Really sorry to hear about Lamb Chop, Cheryl I can't trust any of our dogs with the chickens and I've had a few close calls so I know exactly how it feels Not winning against the red mite yet. Found another massive collection in the house again today so tomorrow more pressure spraying etc. and then I'm going to creosote it all. Gwyn - you're safe (for the time being anyway ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted September 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 If I lived nearer I'd volunteer to do the creosoting You'll find an immense amount of satisfaction in watching the little sods die as the paint hits them My new netting has arrived so I'm just about to go outside to take down all the old Omlet netting and replace it with the new stuff. The holes are much smaller so the growers will stay where I put them and not be able to squeeze through and escape! I'm also going to put Sausage, Nelly, Custard, Hobnob & Nymphadora outside this morning. The sun is out and they can spend the day getting to know Steve, Doughnut & Bernard before moving in with them tonight. When Lamb Chop was tiny and I was battling to save her I kind of knew it wasn't just her leg that was wrong with her. She was half the size Sausage is now despite there being four weeks between them. Lizzie had shown too much interest in Lamb Chop and I thought it was because she was small. Ella took it a step too far but I think it was partly because they knew she wasn't 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 Really sorry about Lamb Chop Have any of you attended (or run!) one of Omlet's beginners chicken courses? I'm tempted to give it a go just to make sure that I am happy handling hens and to see if they make me sneeze lots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted September 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 I've not been to one but I hear they're very good. I know the lady that runs chicken keeping courses at Cotswold Chickens and her courses are excellent too. There was a lady on my Kill, Pluck, Gut & Bone course who had never held a chicken in her life! I thought it was odd that she seemed to be doing these sorts of courses in the wrong order She has a plot of land in France and was considering keeping chickens but she wanted to know that she could kill and prepare one before getting any. So the first chicken she'd ever held in her life was the one she went on to kill moments later! New netting is up and I have blisters on each thumb Some of the poles had gone rusty in the ground and I had a heck of a job getting the clips off of those poles. But it's all done now and actually looks nicer than the Omlet netting. All the big chooks are one side, little ones on the other. Sausage and friends are settling in well with their new friends. Bernard is enjoying the fact he has two fellow Silkies to play with now They were running around together looking very sweet. Custard & Sausage are flapping their wings and practising their take-off all over the place and Hobnob comes running towards me when she sees me out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted September 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 I took these of the Polands this morning, they're three weeks old now I'm loving their hair at the moment, it's just sprouting through and they look brilliant I can see their little personalities developing too. One of the silverlaced is particularly dim, always on it's own, hasn't a clue what is going on White crested black is my favourite, it's so confident and is very adventurous A silver laced: T'other one: Crele looking miserable: White crested black: Brahmawotisnotapoland: Hiding under the passionflower with mum: I love the look on their faces Yesterday we had a horrid start to the day. When I let the chickens out I sat in the garden admiring them all. It was a lovely morning and I really enjoy sitting amongst them all at that time of day. About 8am I thought I'd better go in and supervise the mob getting ready for school. Twenty minutes later and I was in the bathroom when I heard a strange noise from outside. It was a sort of dull thud followed by screeching I flew down the stairs and into the garden and quickly realised that Sausage, my 8 week old Salmon Faverolle was missing. Just twenty minutes earlier she'd been happily free ranging in her bit of the garden with the other growers. They were all there and none seemed alarmed. If something had come into the garden to take Sausage then I would've expected some of the others to be on edge but nobody had a care in the world. I couldn't find her anywhere, I was in floods of tears, the kids were late leaving for school because they were searching for her too. When they'd gone I sat down in the growers enclosure hoping that if I was quiet I'd hear her. Then a plastic tub that was about two feet away moved a little. I could just make out the image of Sausage inside it! My girl was alive and well and trapped underneath her water bowl I have several containers for water dotted all over the garden, many are empty ice cream tubs or plastic boxes. Idiot Sausage had obviously perched on the edge of one, it had flipped over and trapped her underneath, and that's what the thud was Here is Sausage near her tub this morning: And lastly, can everyone keep their fingers crossed for Olive please? She's not been right for a while. I did all the usual things, supplements in her water, wormed her again, wondered if it was gapeworm so treated her with Ivomec but these past couple of days she's been off her food and her breathing wasn't brilliant this morning so she's been to see my avian vet. He took a swab from her trachea and could see lots of bacteria so she's got some antibiotics and I hope will be on the mend soon. As I've tried everything else he's sure it is an infection. If these antibiotics don't work she'll go back for more tests so I pray they do the trick! Olive Di, hows the war of terror against the red mite going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Currently the red mite are still winning. Although it's not really what I want at the moment, I'm sort of praying for some really cold weather which will kill them off. My bluebell hen looked terrible yesterday and I thought I was going to lose her. I dusted her again with red mite powder but looked in the nesting box where she spent the night and it's absolutely full of red mite So, more power hosing and more treatment for yet another hen house. All the hens are scratching themselves again so looks like more dusting of the entire flock is in order. I despair, I really do On the plus side, my growers are doing well and I will get the pics posted. I think I've got 2 Orpington/Amber star cross hens, I cockerel and possibly 2 Buff Sussex bantam/Amber Star cockerels, though I'm not sure. The smaller growers (now around 4 or 5 weeks old) are doing well too. I lost a couple when they were chicks but the rest are good. 6 in total - again I think 3 boys and 3 girls. Just hatched 5 new chicks which look good so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted September 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Have you tried dusting them with Diatomaceous Earth? It'll kill any beasties it comes into contact with. If you squirt some in their dust baths they'll automatically coat themselves in it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Have you tried dusting them with Diatomaceous Earth? It'll kill any beasties it comes into contact with. If you squirt some in their dust baths they'll automatically coat themselves in it anyway. I'd love to but they use our sand school for their dust baths and it's quite a large area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Help ma boab ! I've missed loads of stuff happening ! Cheryl, so sorry to hear about Lamb Chop I hope it was quick for her. Di, try using Ficam W, it will kill everything, you only need to keep the chooks out until it's dry, and it has a residual effect, and it only costs £5 per sachet, which makes up 5 gallons I think. I'll PM you with the folk who sell it's details, or, I have a load in my cellar, I went a bit mad and bought a few packets, I do like to be prepared , for a £5 donation to a dog charity I can pop a packet in the post to you tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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