How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[Lapinou]

If you put woodchip in the run, does it harbour red mite?

 

It just occurred to me so might end up getting aubiose after all if the woodchip is a risk!

[Egluntyne]

It has occurred to me before too, but I've no idea what the answer is.

 

You won't regret getting Aubiose. It is wonderful stuff.

 

You will need a cover on the run though as it will soak up the rain as well as the poo.

 

It dries out quickly though.

[Lapinou]

So if I got a shower curtain to cover the run with if it rains (with the aubiose), how do I fix it to the run?

[Egluntyne]

I used to use those hooky luggage cords looped over the top. In three places.

 

Others have out eyelets in them and fastened them that way.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Here I come with my (in)famous corrugated plastic sheets again . (£12 from B&Q )

 

My garden's too windy for shower curtains . I take the roof off if the weather's dry (it's not been off much so far this year ).

 

[Stevie]

I thought redmite prefers to live in dark crevices which dont get disturbed then only come out when the chooks are asleep? Woodchip in a chicken run would in theory get turned over very regulary by their continual scratching and pecking so would be inhospitable.

[Gallina]

I think you can get paranoid about red mite. They like to live in hens' sleeping quarters, not outdoors. Because they only come out at night to feed off the hens, I don't think it would be worth their while setting up home outside in the hope that one night you might leave your hens locked out.

 

And I would have thought the chance of bringing red mite in with the bark is negligible.

[Lapinou]

Oh that's all good news - woodchip is cheaper than aubiose!

 

Thanks

[Janty]

I use clothes pegs to keep my shower curtains in place.

[Lapinou]

I thought of clothes pegs, but we used them to hold a blanket on as a shade the other day and DD3 spent the whole time taking them off and posting them through the bars - not the right solution for us at the moment, sadly!

[MissBump14]

Hi, I realise this is an older post, but I am in some need of some help. I have a large chicken run (a 3m x 2m: one you can step into) and previously had sand in the run for two years. This summer I decided to change to the woodchip, so laid it all out. Great! However, in May I lost a few older girls and couldn't figure out why- I looked in the house, in the run at the girls themselves and couldn't figure it out. It was only when I was at my wits end and wanted answers, that I pulled the hen house apart, and much to my dismay, found the infestation of red mite. Devastated, as I put DE in the house and on the girls every week.

I pulled the house apart and took it up the garden to blitz with poultry shield and DE. I have treated the house for 2 and a half months now and think I've got it sorted. Hurrah! The girls are staying in a dog crate until I put the house back in. They seem happy enough.  Haven't lost any more girls (I've put a red mite tonic in the water, and regularly douse the girls with DE) but I still have an issue. My husband gets the girls up in the morning and I put them away at night.  Both of us have noticed our wellies end up with red mite on after being in the run. I have had a good look at the girls, and inspected my hands after picking them up at dusk for bedtime. Nothing. Mites are solely (no pun intended!) on our wellies. The mites we find are grey, so I can only assume they are not on the girls, but instead are living in the woodchip. 

Cue round two of the battle: treatment of the woodchip- I have a garden sprayer that I am using to spray poultry shield onto the woodchip every other day. I then rake it all over and do it again. Once it is dry, I sprinkle the ground with DE. (snowy scene ) I am doing this every other day. The run is covered by a tarpaulin (for sun and rain protection) which, when it stops bloody raining, I intend to pull back to expose the chip to sunlight. (although it is a little shady at the bottom of the garden.) 

Is there anything else you wonderful people can think of that I can do to rid my chicken run of mite? I must have knocked some off when I moved the house out and now I am at a bit of a loss. Having lost two old hybrids, I am keen to replace them, but don't want to until this situation is under control. If you can't think of anything else I can do, or how long do you think it might take with my current methods? I have been keeping girls for two years now, so am fairly new to this, but I read A LOT. 

Wonderful chicken keepers, please help! 

Thanks so much for your time, 

Amy