During a late Gallus gallus check , I get wind mite in my mickle . One was crawling on a fresh egg in the cage , and many more were zig - zagging across a hen ’s vent area . I took quick action , of track , but I still get the willies when I recall about it .
Mites favor a chicken ’s warmest consistency areas , which are around the vent-hole and under the annexe . During an plague the biddy will be itchy , preening themselves more than usual and trying to pull out feathers at the vent . Always look to those strong areas when checking for pinch to find an infestation betimes , before it affects the wellness of your raspberry . Mites lay an norm of 10,000 eggs each during their short five - to - seven - day life sentence cycle . Without intervention , you will have thousands of bantam creatures drink in your heap ’s stock , which can get anaemia and eventual end .
It ’s becoming democratic for some to handle their mite - invade chicken with flea dips and flea - and - tick sprays intended for dog and computerized tomography . Do they run ? Yes , and immediately , but these products have not been tested for safety in your chickens . Please do not use flea - and - ticking treatments on your heap . Dipping one ’s backyard food in poison defeats the purpose of raising food in the yard . So let ’s undertake mites by nature !
1. Build a Dust Bath
Create a dedicateddust - bathing spacefor your hen . While chickens will scatter bathe in random places , they prefer a space made just for them satiate with light , fluffy ingredients that perpetrate away oil and coat the skin with a protective barrier . A commixture of peat moss , dally sand and Grant Wood ash tree is all you require to provide your Gallus gallus with a ranking dust bath .
Addingdiatomaceous earth ( DE)to the detritus bathtub is optional , but I only recommend it if you ’re already dealing with an infestation . Because chicken quetch up a cloud of debris when dust bathing and inhale it when breathing , DE can damage their lung .
2. Treat the Coop and Keep it Clean
affectionateness and moisture is a fosterage ground for sponge and disease . Clean the coop on a regular basis , and substitute bedding double as often during an infestation , dusting the base with DE each meter .
In between replace bedding , spray the henhouse with diluted peach soap — a natural insecticide — to kill jot that decrease off your chicken . Fill a 12 - ounce spray nursing bottle with water almost to the top , add a tablespoon of dish soap , mix and spray .
3. Treat the Chickens
speck can not tolerate the sulphur message in garlic succus — it kills them ! For treating chickens directly , I love Lisa Steele ’s recipe atFresh Eggs Daily :
think back that a natural remedy does n’t equal prophylactic — more isnotbetter . Never use more garlic and indispensable oil than is recommended . Each can be irritate to your chicken ’ skin in large sum of money , and only a piffling is need to be effective . cover the flock with this mixture every other day for a couple weeks , focusing on the warmest areas of the eubstance under the wing and around the vent until there ’s no longer grounds of an infestation .
As an additional or alternative treatment , food - grade DE can be sprayed under the annexe and onto the vent with a DE applicator . DE can be used alone or in addition to the Allium sativum spray . Be indisputable to wear down a aspect mask for protective covering if you practice DE this way .
4. Provide Fresh Garlic
impart invigorated , crushedgarlicto your pile ’s water , or offer kickshaw that include fresh garlic . Garlic seep through the peel from the inside out , and because mites ca n’t tolerate it , they wo n’t want to make your pile their home .
