[Happy-Hound]

Could someone tell me which products are good for preventative measures and how often they should be used pleased.  I'm specifically thinking of lice, mites and worms and how often I can spray/dust and should the bedding be sprayed/dusted or the chickens, or both?  Also how often do you worm chickens and where can I get the medication from?  Also is there anything else I should be trying to avoid?  Many thanks, Wendy

[Fisherman]

Fubenvet is the best product for worming your chickens. Other products don't cover the same range of internal bugs like gape worm.

Frontline for kittens / cats is good for lice. It's used by applying one or two drops on the skin at the back of their necks. It's not licensed for chickens so has to bought on the pretext of using it on cats. Most people on here swear by it.

Both the above need to be applied every 4 - 6 months but not at the same time.

Diatom Earth is the best product to use in the coop to minimise mite / lice infestations. Its best painted on the ends of the perch and in crevices in a form of a thick slurry made by mixing it with water and a touch of washing up liquid. It can also be dusted under the bedding and in the nesting boxes but be careful not to create a dusty atmosphere as that's not good for chickens.

Also use Poultry Shield when cleaning the coop out as that will also kill off any bugs. Prevention against red mite is better than the cure which can take months once you have an infestation.

To purchase the above try online somewhere like Wells Poultry or and Pet Meds.

Don't use straw or hay for their bedding. Use dust extracted wood shavings or hemcore. Both can be bought at horse feed suppliers. I find Hemcore very good and used it for bedding and in the nest boxes.

For feed use good quality layer pellets and as a treat a little mixed corn late in the afternoon. Try and give them greens most days like cabbage, lettuce, spinach etc. Dont' give them too many other treats, if any, as they are not always good for them.

Make sure your coop has got good ventilation at roof level and is free from draughts where they perch.

It's still a bit of a gamble even if you look after your birds really well but still worth the effort.

Good luck