[eveshamchelle]

Hi all,
I've had my girls for about 15 months now and this summer have been fighting with the dreaded RM.  Thanks to posts on here and the support of other chicken owners I know locally, I was able to keep on top of things, but I've never totally managed to get rid of the little blighters.  So, last night I finally managed to purchase an eglu cube 

I'm aiming to pick it up on Wednesday.  But, was wondering if there's anything I need to do before / during / after the change-over period?  I was of course, going to give the cube a good scrubbing with Jeyes and leave it in the enclosure with the girls for a day or so to get them used to the bright green thing  but is there anything else I should do?

Also, the wooden coop's future ...... I've been blitzing it with 'smite' and paraffin and I totally see the reduction in numbers of the RM, but would I ever be able to use it or sell it or should I just burn it on November 5th?

Thanks!

[alancane]

I don't think anyone would want it or you would want to use the wooden one again.... Add it to your pile for Bonfire night I think.

[wolverine]

Hi. I had the same problem and moved my girls into a cube and at first they didn't like it at all wouldn't go anywhere near it but I just kept putting them in manually and even plonked them in the nest box till they got the hint one of them still stuggles with the ladder but they seem fine now. I kept my old coop with the intention of deep cleaning it after a year or so when all mite should be dead and using it as a quarentine coop or broody coop or something just seems a waste to burn it when it costs so much.

[orchardlady]

I recently got rid of four small arks on Freecycle. I made is very very clear to the person who collected them (before they collected them) that I had had red mite. I gave them away cleaned and treated once with poultry shield. The new owner was perfectly happy with my information and said that they to had had red mite and new how to deal with it. As long as you are clear with people it is then their choice . However it would be irresponsible to give it away without the new owners knowing that there has been a red mite issue.