Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[BDutch]

I've read it before.

"both breeds of hens that were dusted with DE had reduced number of mites."

I can reduce the mite load on a chicken by hitting it with a soft brush.

What I can't do by hitting it with a soft brush is completely rid them of the parasite and that is what I want, and the chicken needs.

It's not a matter of not trusting, it's a matter of it not working, not for me, not for other people I know who have tried it, and not for you either from reading the lengths you have had to go to in oreder to makes sure at least some of the mites come in to hard contact with the DE.

I was talking of worm reduction.

For the red mites I found that using natural an harmless herbal supplements (sold under the brand Finecto+) together with the DE works better. It would be stupid not to use that.

 

[Shadrach]

I was talking of worm reduction.

For the red mites I found that using natural an harmless herbal supplements together with the DE works better. It would be stupid not to use that.

Point taken.
However, from what I've read DE has even less effect once wet.

Let me ask you a question. Do you still have mites in your chicken coop?
I understand that you have taken the route that helps prevent the mites from reaching the roosting birds and that of course helps to stop the birds getting bitten while roosting. This may be enough. Some commercial concerns have adopted the same strategy with the Q perch.

https://www.vencomaticgroup.com/product/egg-production/q-perch

How do you know whether your birds have worms or not. Have/do you get fecal floats done or are you going on not seeing worms in their poop or any signs of sickness?

 

[lightm]

Fortunately now I've stepped up in the academic world to Bucket Boy I don't need much of what I learnt at uni even if I could recal much of it.

I can't wait to be promoted to "Bucket Boy". (right now I need to be in academia to feed my chooks ...)

@ManueB
I am sorry for your chicken problems and I have no better advice to offer. I wish I could. It sounds like you and your partner are doing the best given your location and condition.

Piou-Piou surely is going through a lot, now that she is having worm issues :-( In one of the pictures she looks like she has more feathers on her?

I do enjoy all the discussions here. It is giving me a lot to think about.

I can't help but posting Light's beautiful feather after molting. Here she is thoroughly enjoying video game watching.

She recovered from a bad crop issue recently. Her comb was shrunk and bad looking, but now it re-expanded to the normal state, except, it is floppy...

I searched on BYC and apparently it is normal for chicken's comb to be shrunk while molting. Her molting and crop issue was concurrent for a while so I feel like her sickness contributed to shrunk comb as well, since my other chickens' combs don't undergo such drastic change while molting.

 

[GregnLety]

Stolen? I'd be getting my Liam Neeson on.

Given the area of town is a poorer section with lots of immigrants. The roosters probably got eaten and the hens sold or kept for eggs.

 

[BDutch]

Point taken.
However, from what I've read DE has even less effect once wet.

It’s true (from what I’ve been reading) that DE doesn’t work when wet. But it dries after applying with water, in faeces if it doesn't rain, in the sand bath when dry/under a cover etc.

Let me ask you a question. Do you still have mites in your chicken coop?

No. They are all gone for over a month now. I check every week now. *
One problem with red mites is that you often don’t find all cracks and joints where the eggs are hidden.
I found on the second cleaning that i had missed a few spots during the first cleaning. Behind a slat that I had fixed with screws was some rubbish and probably some eggs. and in the flap of the hanging nest box there was a hole to a hollow space.
Maybe its true that you have to be lucky to eliminate all new larvea/red mites coming out of the eggs. But it is also common knowledge that the mite-eggs often take weeks or even months to hatch. So taking extra measures on top of using DE is wise, certainly if you don’t want to struggle for a long time.

I started to use supplements** after it was clear that I hadn’t eliminated all mites/eggs. Using the supplements* for some time and finally spraying poison (permethrin) into the hollow space in the lid and in a few nasty joints where the chickens wouldn’t come made the mites disappear completely. I was happy that the neighbour didn’t see any**.

*checking with corrugated cardboard rolls).
**(Finecto+ liquid in the water and powder in the chick pellets)

I understand that you have taken the route that helps prevent the mites from reaching the roosting birds and that of course helps to stop the birds getting bitten while roosting. This may be enough. Some commercial concerns have adopted the same strategy with the Q perch.

https://www.vencomaticgroup.com/product/egg-production/q-perch

I only smear two layers of DE (apply with water) on the joint where the roosts/ perches are connected to the wall.

If you are looking for another methood you can buy the little oil cups / trays and install an extra roost on top of it as explained to Manue on the previous page.

I tried to find them in English, only found these:

• https://www.olba.com/en/poultry/miscellaneous/851/anti-red-mite-kit

• Place red mite trays with oil under the perch so that the red mite cannot get on the chicken. https://www.garvo.nl/en/blogs/chickens-red-mite-what-it-is-and-what-to-do-about-it/

How do you know whether your birds have worms or not. Have/do you get fecal floats done or are you going on not seeing worms in their poop or any signs of sickness?

I can’t say. Several years ago I suspected worms (dirty behind and messy poop) and contacted a vet for a test. But she didn’t respond. I checked their poo a few times to see if there were any worms i could see with my bare eyes. Never could.
It went by. And I didn’t treat because they look healthy enough. My Ini-mini (9 yo) and the 2 blacks (8 yo) make me confident that they don’t suffer from worms.

 

[RoyalChick]

Point taken.
However, from what I've read DE has even less effect once wet.

Let me ask you a question. Do you still have mites in your chicken coop?
I understand that you have taken the route that helps prevent the mites from reaching the roosting birds and that of course helps to stop the birds getting bitten while roosting. This may be enough. Some commercial concerns have adopted the same strategy with the Q perch.

https://www.vencomaticgroup.com/product/egg-production/q-perch

How do you know whether your birds have worms or not. Have/do you get fecal floats done or are you going on not seeing worms in their poop or any signs of sickness?

That Q perch is a tiny electric fence. Hilarious!

 

[MaryJanet]

I can't wait to be promoted to "Bucket Boy". (right now I need to be in academia to feed my chooks ...)

Me too! It's going to be so peaceful.

 

[MaryJanet]

Given the area of town is a poorer section with lots of immigrants. The roosters probably got eaten and the hens sold or kept for eggs.

What a shame they weren't locked up. Or did the thieves break through the chickens' locks?

 

[Shadrach]

Me too! It's going to be so peaceful.

That's what I thought...

 

[MaryJanet]

That's what I thought...

I trust obsessing over this or that hen's latest wobbly step or sneeze or weird poop will be far more pleasant than keeping 100s of students and dozens teaching staff all heading in the same direction. But I've been known to misplace my trust before now