Help! The chickens have mites. We do not want to use poisions. We put wood ashes out there for them to bath in but it is not helping yet. I have read that D.E is good for this, but cannot find any locally and I guss it is real high. Any tried and true methods out there? Will sure appreciate. Love TRen

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2003

Answers

I am in sympathy with your wishes about not using poisons...but...I guess it depends on the situation and what kind of mites they have.

I dealt with cage birds for many years, and much of what affects one affects another. If it is the kind of mites that burrow into the skin and beaks, leaving them crusty and honey-combed looking, the treatment is ivermectin injections. But ivermectin is a type of poison, and if you're looking to eat the birds or the eggs, I'm not sure that that would be safe.

My grandmother used to use pyrethrum powder (like Buhach) on her chickens, but that too is a poison of sorts, even though it is made out of powdered flowers, and it has more recently been found to be a hormone interruptor.

Something about this was just discussed over on Garden Web, asking if rotenone would hurt his chickens. I know that it has been used for chicken pests, and is derived from the root of the 'Cube' plant (whatever that is), but that too is a hormone interruptor, and many people on the organic (?I think it was?) forum said that they would NOT recommend using it on their chickens.

Most mites also lodge in the crevices in the hen house, so you will also need to think about removing the chickens and fumigating the whole thing. That's what my grandmother did every spring, once the weather turned nice. I remember her sealing it up and lighting some kind of powder in there -- sulfer? Or was it the Buhach? It was so long ago, I cannot be sure. Painting the interior to seal crevices against reinfestation might be a good idea too.

Good luck!

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2003

Okay, I had this too. First, clean out all the old bedding and nesting materials. Someone told me to put tobacco down, especially in the nest boxes. (Hubby brought home old pipe tobacco. It was cherry, yum) Coat the perches with pine tar. And DE is sold in the garden center under the name Concern. Besides giving them a bath, I sprinkled it around the floor and boxes. For good measure, I took a natural fly spray that I use for my horse and sprayed every nook and cranny I could find. It took care of the problem. Had a really nice smelling coop for a while too.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2003

Dee and Julie, thanks very much for your response. Forgive me please for taking so long to get back. You have some great ideas and I am still working on finding the natural one that works. Thanks much, Tren

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2003