juno Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 2 seperate questions from a very recent chickener; How much of a problem is red mite and should I be taking preventative action as a matter of course? With aubiose do you need to keep the run covered in the event of rain? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 you do need to try to prevent mites with a dusting powder on the girls and the perches/housing, mites like dark corners, so an eglu is easier than a wooden house, It is easier if you keep the rain off the run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I always dust the inside of the eglu with some red mite powder, especially along the ledges wheer the roosting bars go. I keep my run covered with a transparent cover in the winter, and would do that regardless of what I had in the run - it gives them somewhere dry and sheltered to go when the wetaher is bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 2 seperate questions from a very recent chickener; How much of a problem is red mite and should I be taking preventative action as a matter of course? With aubiose do you need to keep the run covered in the event of rain? thanks Welcome to the forum. Have you got an Eglu or a wooden coop? Red mite is fairly rare in an Eglu...I just douse the hens and the roosting bars with Red mite powder every week and have had no probs so far. It is more likely to occur in a wooden coop as they hide in the timber, and it can be pretty difficult to eradicate once it takes a hold. A rigorous cleaning routine should help prevent it. Aubiose is super absorbent, and you will need a cover on the run, if you use it there as it will soak up every drop of rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...