[boosmummy]

im reading my books about chickens and ive come across this red mite. On one hand i think, i need to read all the information on the other hand i read and it puts me off the whole chicken keeping experience  i know you have to take the rough with the smooth.

in your experience whats the best way to keep red mite and other nasties away?  i read plastic is better than wood but to be hones tim more inclined to wood, it looks nice more traditional and the eglu's are soooooo expensive i just refuse to spend that amount - if i can get away with it xx

[brick22]

Hello & welcome to the forums.
I'm new to chicken keeping & these forums are invaluable, I know more experienced people will be along with great advice but I just wanted to say that any "nasties" that come along with keeping chickens should not put you off keeping them, the pro's far far outway the con's.
Good chicken husbandry will help to keep unwanted pests away as much as possible but nothing is 100%.
I clean my coop every week and spot clean everyday, I use suitable disinfectancts for my wooden coop as well as diatomaceous earth in the crevises to help keep red mite at bay, I also move the coop around the garden as I've heard that they can hide in the fence panels (im a bit over protected ) I flea (frontline kitten) & worm (was verm-x but now flubenvet under forum members recommendation) on a regular basis. I handle my chickens everyday so they are used to me checking them over (and under on some occasions).
All the hard work I put into looking after them is rewarded by lovely scrummy eggs from my 2 girls.......I like to think we are working in harmony

[boosmummy]

Hello & welcome to the forums.
I'm new to chicken keeping & these forums are invaluable, I know more experienced people will be along with great advice but I just wanted to say that any "nasties" that come along with keeping chickens should not put you off keeping them, the pro's far far outway the con's.
Good chicken husbandry will help to keep unwanted pests away as much as possible but nothing is 100%.
I clean my coop every week and spot clean everyday, I use suitable disinfectancts for my wooden coop as well as diatomaceous earth in the crevises to help keep red mite at bay, I also move the coop around the garden as I've heard that they can hide in the fence panels (im a bit over protected ) I flea (frontline kitten) & worm (was verm-x but now flubenvet under forum members recommendation) on a regular basis. I handle my chickens everyday so they are used to me checking them over (and under on some occasions).
All the hard work I put into looking after them is rewarded by lovely scrummy eggs from my 2 girls.......I like to think we are working in harmony

ah thanks for that xx

[Carla]

I was the same as you boosmummy, I read and read and scared myself nearly out of keeping chickens. Foxes, redmite, lice, illnesses AARRRGGGHHHHH, there's so much to worry about. But the theory is so different from the reality. I have my ex-batts a year now, and my chickies 2 months, had 1 prolapse off one ex-batt, which I treated myself with no problems, and one outbreak of mycoplasma due to me stressing the chickens out too much by moving there coop and run, the same week as a moult started.....something I leaned after i'd done it :/  1 course of Baytril antibiotics and they were sorted. They're about the same hassle as keeping rabbits or guinea pigs...only you get gorgeous eggs as a thank you for your time You get to know them really quickly, and can pick up if there's anything wrong, and if there is, it's usually treateable at home, by you.
The same with anything, it's daunting at first, but once you've had them a month, you'll wonder what you were worrying about