What to do about mites

[Mrschickenlady]

I have three chickens in a wooden coop with attached run in a city. The whole thing is locked so they take themselves in and out of their house when they want and can run around inside the pen.

We’ve had a really big mite infestation in all the cracks of the wood. I put powder on the girls - they were not impressed but recovered, and then sprayed all the house and wooden parts of the enclosure with spray. I also put the powder in their bedding

Two problems - first I’ve realised the last few days they haven’t been going in their house to roost at night. There are no droppings and when I manually went and put them to bed they clucked at me and left the house. I guess they don’t like the smell of the spray but it’s been a few days now?

Also the mites have come back so i need to treat again but if it’s stressing the girls I don’t want to upset them.

I saw somewhere you can make a paste with the powder and paint it on which might smell less stressful to them?

Any ideas???

Is it a red mite infestation, OP? They are horrible to deal with! Did you, er, dust their anuses? I also ended up coating the entire shed in disinfectant and Diatomaceous Earth, temporarily rehousing the chickens in a stone and concrete building while their shed dried out. The treatment will need to be repeated, just to kill off any lingering mites. (Disclaimer: these were not my chickens; I was looking after them. I ended up with them in my hair and everywhere, so jump in the shower after going near your chickens or their house!). You can also use Diatomaceous Earth in dust baths.

Red mite and dusting their anuses was enough to put me off chickens at the time, but I'm reconsidering them these days!