[flowerpot]

Took a chicken to vet in desperation.Prescribed Ivermectin - will give second treatment tonight. Have been told to use it weekly for 4 weeks and withdraw eggs for 5 weeks. The vet didn't see any mites on the chicken.  They are definately in the hen house. I've been treating the house with Smite. Am having to do it daily as always can see them crawling around again the next day - I am squirting it in the cracks as well.

So my questions are - has anyone had problems with Smite ?
Should I use the Ivermectin ? The vet didn't know much about chickens - she said she had done some research prior to my visit. I can just see myself throwing away the eggs all summer and still having red mite !

I have a permanent run which I'm wondering will it ever be a healthy environment. I put play bark down on the ground. I am planning to buy electric fencing so I can let them out on fresh ground during the day. Should I perhaps put slabs down in the run so i can disinfect and put bark on top ?

[flowerpot]

I've got no idea as to whyhow  an advert has attached it self to my post !!!

[grumpydad]

have never mad mites, but use virkon s and poultry shield in the coop, with hemcore, and stalosan f in the run, and spray with poultry shield as well.

ivermectin is for mites and worms, it is a cattle type wormer, not licensed for chickens, hence the withdrawl period, my vet has given me some in the past.

i normally use flubenvet and frontline, but took a chuck to the vet who gave an ivermectin dose for possible gape worm.

we use easibed in the run, a horse bedding, easier to keep clean than bark, i found.

[flowerpot]

Many thanks for your reply, I'll change products and see what happens.  The vet was definately prescribing for mites. On previous posts I noticed a single dose of Ivermectin was given or at the most followed by another dose 3 days later has - 4 doses over 4 weeks sounds a lot to me - has anyone else been prescribed that ? - I supose I had better just do it.