[rosegarden]

This may seem like a dumb qustion but when we pick the chickens up and bring them home do you have to dust them with red spider mite powder as part  of the routine of looking after them?  also what about lice power?  I read somewhere that you can put red mite powder in their dust bath together with soil - does this sound like a good idea?  I think I'm getting in a bit of a panic!!!!!! any advice would be appreciated as the date the girls arrive is getting closer

[ANHBUC]

Red mite lives in the coop in crevices and under the perch and not on the hens.  They crawl up the chickens legs at night and feed off their blood.  They are small and grey until they feed when they turn red with the blood they have fed on.  Some pictures on HERE of red mites.   

[splash101]

When i collect new chickens i give them a good dusting, and their bedding, and their dust bath to be on the safe side. (Although i think i may overdo it and im sure if i just used it on the bedding and dust bath it would suffice)

I find the easiest way to dust the birds is to sit my daughter on a garden chair with overalls and a dust mask  She holds the chicken whilst i dust it and gently rub it in, Dont forget the armpits.
If you hold the chicken and let it calm down before you start the dusting it makes it a bit easier. Dont dust near their faces in case they inhale it.

If you are doing their bedding, make sure the dust has settled in plenty of time before they go into the coop otherwise they will be coughing and spluttering.

I know they don't live on the bird but i feel better for it.

[New shoot]

Just to note (in case the OP gets confused buying products), red spider mite is what plants get and red mite are what chickens get   

Red mites live in the house as ANHBUC says and the products for these are generally meant for treating the house, not the bird, so read the instructions before applying to your girls. 

Lice live on the chickens and the products for these are meant to be dusted onto the bird.  This is also the type of product that people put in dust baths so the birds do the dusting themselves 

[rosegarden]

Thanks for pointing out my mistake in the name and also thanks for the good advice !!!!!  I think I will do a dusting when the chickens arrive just to be on the safe side.

[New shoot]

Prevention is always 100% better with chickens than trying to cure a problem 

What girls are you getting?

[rosegarden]

Good advice New Shoot   I have only just seen your post from yesterday - we are having three girls - hybrids- an Amber Link, Staffordshire warren and a Blue Ranger.  We have never kept chickens before so we are starting off very carefully!!

[New shoot]

Sure you will be fine    There's always lots of help and advice available on here if anything worries you