Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: babypoogle on January 09, 2008, 13:01

Title: Red Mite
Post by: babypoogle on January 09, 2008, 13:01

Was awondering......

I've bought some chinchilla sand for my girls to bath in.  Would it be ok, do you think, to put mite powder in the sand so they de-mite themselves?  

Poogle xxx

Title: Red Mite
Post by: Lost in France on January 09, 2008, 13:54

Yes it's great idea to put powder in the dust bath but remember that red mites don't actually live on the hens. These nasty creatures hide in the cracks and crevices of your henhouse and sneak out at night for their dinner! Lice however do live on the birds so it's definately worth putting a louse powder and maybe a red mite repellant as this will make them taste horrid so maybe a repellent for both mites and lice.

Enjoy your hens! It's lovely to watch them "bathing"!

Judi

Title: Red Mite
Post by: babypoogle on January 09, 2008, 15:26

Good thinking - I'd forgotten about lice.  It's like having kids all over again!  Thought I'd seen the end of lice!

Title: Red Mite
Post by: Aunt Sally on January 09, 2008, 15:58

I like to put Diatom in my chooks dustbath and sprinkle it in all the nooks and crannies in thier coop.

I think this site is very keen on diatom  :wink:

http://www.worldwidepoultry.co.uk/diatoms.php

Title: Red Mite
Post by: Lost in France on January 09, 2008, 15:59

and the comb doesn't work so well on these "kids"!!   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Judi

Title: Red Mite
Post by: chickychick on January 09, 2008, 22:54

Does anyone know what weight is in a unit of diatom from world wide poultry, its a very interesting link so thanks aunt sally I am looking to buy diatom and the free Post and Packing is useful however it doesnt actually tell you what you get for your money??? have you bought some of these 'units' and what do they weigh?

I can buy 5kg of diatom from ebay for £34 including postage and packing so I am wondering if this is a better option?  Any opinions or different suppliers?

looked around the website but it seems a bit confusing really

Title: Red Mite
Post by: Aunt Sally on January 09, 2008, 23:09

No idea, sorry, I just gave that link s it has a good description of what diatom is.

Do they have a 'contact us'

I've just bought some from SPR http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/spr/

Henfield (for animals) sell it too http://www.foranimals.co.uk/search.php
just search for diatom

Title: Red Mite
Post by: babypoogle on January 10, 2008, 09:47

Thanks for the advice, I'm off to the food store to buy what I need.

Toodle pip xx