Mites red or otherwise...

[marmadukescarlet]

Ok someone recommended poultry guard (was it?) to keep the dreaded mites at bay.

Can everyone list their sucessful methods for keeping mite free...

Also in my new wooden hen house, should I varnish/PVA the inside to make it washable and/or less attractive to mites?

We spray with Poultry Guard every time we clean the house. Every so often we put red mite powder in their dust bath. No felt on the roof (harbours red mite). Ours is just painted in an animal friendly paint. No probs so far!

The big hen shed is painted with creosote and jet sprayed once a fortnight then scrubbed out with Jeyes fluid.
The little huts get done with hot soapy water every Saturday then aired. All old straw is put on to the dug over part of the garden.
Red mite powder is thrown about liberally where they dust bathe.
Any hen that shows signs of being attacked by them gets separated into the 'nurse' pens and treated carefully.
good info on health etc

we've never done anything and never had mites. no idea how we have escaped it but in 9 years, not one

Hi Marmaduke
Have you got your chickens now? Have to say we haven't really had a problem with red mites, just once or twice with a sickly bird. we don't even clean the house out very often. just splash a bit of jeyes around when we do.

I wish my own house was as neat as the henhouses

No chooks yet, am bringing them back from Dorset on 5th April.

The anticipation is exciting!

A gas torch.