[Chookiechook]

Hi... am looking to help out a friend who needs to free up a couple of pens so he can tackle the dreaded redmites.....

I have offered to have a good few of his birds so that he can rotate the rest of the stock and have pens empty to try to kill everything that crawls!!

Will I inherit the problem with the mites travelling on the birds or will they all hop off and stay in the buildings....

Not having had trouble with this before I am hoping not to invite them over to stay!!

I can keep the birds in a separate building if needs be so maybe not too dangerous.... .but would appreciate some views on the matter

[joyfull]

They usually go and hide in the nooks and crannies during the day - however there is no guarantee that the odd one or two haven't stayed on the bird. I wouldn't put them with my girls and would treat them with frontline before placing them anywhere. Perhaps you could place them in a cat box over night and in seperate pens during the day away from your girls. The cat box should be easy to clean out should they have mites  living on them.

[Aunt Sally]

I think you can probably guarantee that the " good few birds" will bring some passengers with them.

How do you think they get into coops that have never had them before ?  If not from secondhand equipment then from wild birds of new stock.

Think very carefully about being a good Samaritan if you have never had the problem before.  Once you get it it is NEVER gone, just controlled.

[Chookiechook]

Thanks

I have no intention of mixing with my own birds,..... nor with putting them into any of my coops....

I have got a separate stable (that never normally  houses poultry) that I can put them in while I treat them but was curious as to whether they actually live on the bird for any length of time....

I have only ever had redmite once in a stack of cages bought second hand..... I did get rid of it out of there luckily.... and have never seen it since

[8doubles]

Even if you do keep them separated  from your flock the red mite carrier is likely to be you.

The mites will have no trouble hitching a ride as people who have had infestations will know.
I`m getting the crawly feeling just typing about it.
I would not risk bringing them in.

[GrannieAnnie]

I agree with 8doubles.  I still have a few redmite in my breeding shed.  Whenever I come out of there, I do get a few hitchhikers and I try to leave that house last to go into.  then i can come in and have a shower.

also if some didn't stay on the birds, although like Joy says they are normally holed up in the wood, how would they move from their wild bird hosts?  

If you do decide to take them on, then get your friend to buy the frontline spray for kittens they talk about and spray the birds before they come to you.  that could help.  

But if you do get even a few redmite in your stable, they can live for 38 weeks with no food, so can jump onto you or a cat or dog maybe and hitch a ride to your chickens anytime.

A couple of years ago we bought 2 chicken arks from someone to show people who kept asking about housing.  the arks were new and we nowhere near where this man kept his chickens, but a few days later,I was walking past and thought I saw something move.  sure enough there they were.  all over the ark which was on the patio and nowhere near my chickens either!

[Chookiechook]

OMG   good grief

I am now officially scared   I want to help but really dont want to get mites

Maybe the suggestions of treating the birds before they come is the best one....  I had some cockerels pass through on the way to another person last week, but they didnt stay in my housing and not for long either

I am now getting paranoid

Helllllp

[Aunt Sally]

As I said before

"Think very carefully about being a good Samaritan if you have never had the problem before.  Once you get it it is NEVER gone, just controlled."