Help - coop advice please

[AlwaysLatte]

We have had our chickens since March, very healthy and kept really clean but despite that we've just found mites in their wooden house. I was just on the verge of buying a second as we now have 5 chickens, but I'm wondering about plastic (possibly Omlet). Is it worth the investment for two new Omlet houses or have people had success keeping mites away from their wooden coops?

We got our omelet run and coop second hand on Facebook marketplace. It’s so easy to clean!

It was still a few hundred pounds but if ever want to sell it I’m happy that it’ll retain its value and we can probably sell it for the same as we bought it for.

If you can afford an Eglu coop they are a really good option. So easy to clean and very low maintenance. I started with the Go Up and I have upgraded to the Cube. Both great coops, but the Cube should fit all 5 birds. Sometimes come up second hand but can still be pricey.

chickenvet.co.uk has advice on treatment

Im another Omlet fan. Before I had a coop in wood and there were mites which were impossible to get rid of because with wood they exist in the joints. With the big cube no problem. The cube is fine for 9 hens.

I prefer Green Frog Designs as they're made of recycled plastic, and I prefer the way you can take them apart to clean.

Thanks everyone. Plastic really does seem to be the way to go so I've sucked it up and ordered an Omlet Cube. It's frustrating, I'm going to have to burn the coop that I lovingly painted but I can't use it - they're in temporary accommodation at the moment because I spent all week spraying the coop with oil/water/washing up liquid and there are more mites now than there were start with!

@samthebordercollie do you take it apart every time you clean it or is it ok to clean assembled? I'm just worried about multiple movement on plastic fittings.

@AlwaysLatte

Thanks everyone. Plastic really does seem to be the way to go so I've sucked it up and ordered an Omlet Cube. It's frustrating, I'm going to have to burn the coop that I lovingly painted but I can't use it - they're in temporary accommodation at the moment because I spent all week spraying the coop with oil/water/washing up liquid and there are more mites now than there were start with!

You need proper red mite treatment for the coop and the birds, oil or washing up liquid will not make any difference. .

Just a warning, it’s possible to get red mite in an Omlet coop, we had an infestation last year. Omlet fans sometimes claim that you never get mites in them but that is not true. I do agree that it’s easier to clear an infestation from a plastic coop.

@Bitofachinwag is spot on, you need a proper red mite treatment. I used Nettex Total Mite Kill last year and it worked well. You need to dust the birds too with mite powder. And treat their temporary coop.

[quote AlwaysLatte]@samthebordercollie do you take it apart every time you clean it or is it ok to clean assembled? I'm just worried about multiple movement on plastic fittings. [/quote]
I clean the removable parts twice a week with a Karcher (the tray, grill).

Thanks everyone. So I think I'm going to be armed and ready with the mite treatment in case it makes a dreaded reappearance. I'm happy that plastic will dry quickly after a wash - the wooden one is still wet AND crawling! I checked the birds carefully and can't see any mites on them - I think because the mites don't go on them during the day and the infested coop is far away from them now. But I think I'll get some powder and treat them anyway. Thank you!

Another quick question please... someone told me these were wood mites not red mites. I know that red mites are only red when they've fed. Are wood mites and chicken mites the same type or do some mites not cause a problem to chickens? I'm burning the coop anyway just in case but I'm curious as I haven't seen any telltale signs on the birds - just the crawling critters on the wood. I also found some on the compost bins but that might be from when I emptied the chickens woodshavings before I knew about them.