DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?

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CatherineF

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DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« on: August 15, 2011, 21:33 »
We are bringing our chickens home on Thursday and I've been reading the threads about red mite.

Is it inevitable that chickens will have/get redmite and the best you can hope for is to keep it under control, or can you get rid of them entirely?

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henamoured

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2011, 21:39 »
I've had my hens for 2 years and not got the dreaded red mite yet - fingers crossed!

I think you have to get rid of the mites completely or you'll lose the hens eventually. I think it can take time - but can be done! :)

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hillfooter

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2011, 21:43 »
It's inevitable you'll get it but it can be eradicated for a period in wooden house with insecticide sprays.  Plastic houses if kept clean and DRY don't harbour mites as they need damp/ humid cracks to colonise and plastic houses have few seams and aren't humid.
HF
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CatherineF

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2011, 22:04 »
What would you use when cleaning out the coop each week ti kill/keep them at bay?

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CatherineF

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2011, 22:11 »
HF thanks for the info you sent me, very useful and will be doing that.

How long would it take until the chickens can be moved back in to the coop?  As we only have one coop coming I'm not sure I could get it disinfected and dry in one day?  Mind if I pick the right day weather wise it's possible I guess?

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AL Hathaway

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2011, 22:15 »
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=82001.0

use that link tells you all you need to know how to stop it
“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel_Kant

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Aunt Sally

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2011, 22:38 »
Had chickens for 6 years and never seen a red mite !!!!

Plastic coop :D

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hillfooter

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2011, 03:52 »
HF thanks for the info you sent me, very useful and will be doing that.

How long would it take until the chickens can be moved back in to the coop?  As we only have one coop coming I'm not sure I could get it disinfected and dry in one day?  Mind if I pick the right day weather wise it's possible I guess?

This time of year it should be dry within 3 or 4 hours at the most.  It doesn't need to be bone dry as long as there's no puddling or actual wet material for them to eat.

When cleaning if you use the Diatomaceous earth slurry painting method all you need to do is a scrape and reapply any DE that has worn off.  I usually don't use a detergent on a regular basis as this leaches out the insecticide treatment but I spray with a low pressure disinfectant (vanodine V18) and replace soiled litter.   I only do this on a 2 to 4 week period as my flooring is arranged for droppings to fall through and be collected.  The DE painted roosting bars stops the droppings from sticking and they fall through to the lower floor collecting pan which the chx have no access to.  I don't poo pick the litter ever.

On a weekly or daily basis (as needed) I empty out the nestbox litter (softwood shavings ) and use it to refresh the droppings surface so it remains reasonably clean and builds up an dry bed of litter under the perches.  Once this gets full I do a full clean, perches out, scrape touch up repaint with DE, sweep the old litter out  (you need a completely flat floor pan).  Light spray with a disinfectant. New clean litter back in replace perches.  Done

Twice a year (late Mar and late Oct ish) I do a deep clean with a power hose and detergent and disinfectant and reapply totally DE paint.  At the spring deep clean I reapply the insecticide on a good drying day.

In summer my birds spend virtually all daylight hours in their run which is fairly low density 5 - 6 sqm /bird.  They just visit the house to lay and roost at night so it doesn't get too dirty and I don't replace the litter as regularly as in winter.  For example I've just cleaned them out and replaced the litter after 6weeks from the last clean and it was very dry and not too dirty at all.  The perches only needed a light scrape and a paint with DE.  

Good ventillation dry conditions, keeping the surface of the litter topped with clean shavings (from nestboxes) and using DE and disinfectant spray is the key.

HF
« Last Edit: August 16, 2011, 21:50 by hillfooter »

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ChristyRose

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2011, 17:49 »
I've had chickens for nearly 3 years now and not had red mite.  Where does the red mite come from?  I heard it came from straw - so I dont use straw just saw dust/ woodchip (dust extracted).

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joyfull

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2011, 18:03 »
usually from wild birds or wood.
Staffies are softer than you think.

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dugless

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2011, 19:13 »
Had my chickens four years no red mites bedded on straw cleaned out every day.

my own design of hen house with ventilation not draughs and no roofing felt
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hillfooter

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2011, 21:59 »
Had my chickens four years no red mites bedded on straw cleaned out every day.

my own design of hen house with ventilation not draughs and no roofing felt

Remember dugless pride comes before a fall.  If your house was wood and new or newly treated with pro wood preserver (or creosote) especially any from pre 2005 it will have been treated with a copper arsenic based insecticide which was commonly used against woodworm in wood treatment.  This kills RM too and your house will be immune for some time.  Mine lasted 6 years before I got any.  The more you power hose with detergent the quicker it is washed out.  After 2005 it was banned as a result of concern over leaching into the ground at treatment plants.  Since 2005 the preservative doesn't seem as effective at preventing RM.   So just carry on clean out you houses with detergent and water and once the original preservative is washed out ........................ :(

HF

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dugless

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #12 on: August 17, 2011, 06:48 »
Had my chickens four years no red mites bedded on straw cleaned out every day.

my own design of hen house with ventilation not draughs and no roofing felt

Remember dugless pride comes before a fall.  If your house was wood and new or newly treated with pro wood preserver (or creosote) especially any from pre 2005 it will have been treated with a copper arsenic based insecticide which was commonly used against woodworm in wood treatment.  This kills RM too and your house will be immune for some time.  Mine lasted 6 years before I got any.  The more you power hose with detergent the quicker it is washed out.  After 2005 it was banned as a result of concern over leaching into the ground at treatment plants.  Since 2005 the preservative doesn't seem as effective at preventing RM.   So just carry on clean out you houses with detergent and water and once the original preservative is washed out ........................ :(

HF

I should have been more exact  ::) I clean the straw out not the shed except the floor which.I wash with a scrubbing brush. and I do not use a power hose so there would be no leaching of chemicals

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shetan

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Re: DIs it inevitable that all chickens get redmite?
« Reply #13 on: August 18, 2011, 13:17 »
i've had chooks for 3/4years and have found red mite last week. the girls are still laying and sleeping in the coop but i  have slurried it and sprayed it along with the hens. i just haven't had any luck with front line'ing my girls. maybe i'm doing it wrong,

i know some use a spray but i have no idea which that is.
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