What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[jomo1972]

Can anybody help with this?

 

I've adopted some new ex batts and they haven't laid for absolutely weeks. Also I have three other hens who have stopped laying too.

 

To be fair, a few weeks ago there was a fox attack which might have upset them but they should be over that now.

[Egluntyne]

I would check them over for lice and in particular red mite.

 

Ex-batts are often infested with them, and even though de-loused at the rescue, they may need re-treating.

 

Also, have they been wormed recently? If not, why not give them a course of Flubenvet to be on the safe side?

 

Are they eating too many treats or spending long hours free ranging? That can have an effect on their laying.

 

Why not try keeping them in the run till mid afternoon so that they eat only pellets for most of the day and let them free range and have one treat later on.

 

I always find that if mine are confined for a day for whatever reason, and they eat only pellets, the next day the nesting boxes are always heaving with eggs.

[jomo1972]

I've just cleaned the coop out and there is a red mites problem. At least I think there is. The coop was crawling with tiny insects that have a reddish colour. I used to clean them out with Jeyes fluid but went on a money saving spree and started to use disinfectant instead. I think that may be partly the problem.

 

So, red mites? What now?

[Scottie]

One of our girlies hadn't laid for about 6 weeks or so. I wormed them last week with Flubenvet in their feed and she has started again - comb and wattles looking bright red again instead of a bit peeley walley! (Not sure if that's the right spelling, I've never written it before (Scottish term for pale)).

 

 

Might be worth doing.

 

Sheila

PS Just checked, it might be peelie wallie!

[jomo1972]

I've just bought some of the red mite powder that they sell on this site.

 

I've got somewhere else the girls can sleep tonight. I'm going to give the coop a good steam clean. Lets hope that sorts it.

[Egluntyne]

Many swear by Poultry Shield for shifting Red Mite.

[mrsallen08]

HI

I had this problem with my ex-batts when we first had them from another home. They had only been 'freed' about 6 weeks then stopped laying. I think it was a combination of things from growing feathers, mites and being not totally settled in their new home.

They also had very pale wattles and combs.

We gave them a mega dusting with diatom as they had mites. (Obv. do any other hens and coop too)

Add some apple cider vinegar to their water as a general tonic and pick me up.

Hold back a bit on the treats to make sure they are getting enough layer pellets and not just gorging on grass and corn etc!

After 2-3 weeks ours are now laying again!

 

Good Luck!

 

(You can see my replies from other users on this issue on the egg forum!)

[jomo1972]

My girls don't have pale combs. They seem OK generally and I can't find any mites on them although they must have them. But they aren't laying and my others have generally stopped too.

 

There is clear evidence of red mites in the coop but there really aren't very many of them. That said, I haven't seen them at night!! I've moved them into another area and will await the red mite powder. I don't really know what to do with it though. Do you just cover the bird and the coop in it?

 

I suppose that if there are no hens for them to feed off, the mites will just go away in the end??

[abwsco]

As far as I know red mite only come out at night and are only red when they've been feeding on the chickens. Also I didn't think they lived on the chickens. Perhaps it's not red mite? If it is though you will need to clean it for at least 3 days in a row from what I've read and do this for at least two weeks.

 

Touch wood we've been red mite free. I go out regularly at night with a torch and also wipe over the perch and as many crevices as I can with paper towel to check for any of the "Ooops, word censored!"s.

[jomo1972]

I was cleaning the coop out today and I found loads of mites that were quite red inside the coop. I can't think what else they could be and it would explain the eggless nature of our hens!! But they can sleep elsewhere so the mites can't feed off them.

 

I've ordered some mite powder which I'll put down as soon as it arrives. I thought I might try the steam cleaner too.

[abwsco]

How about going out tonight with a torch and kitchen towel to double check. It's just I know that my exbatts had "hiccups" with their laying for quite a few weeks when we got them (and still do) and people are so quick to say that exbatts are red mite carriers.

So far I've only had little flies, spiders and a toad in the coop. Did they look like the pics in Urbanchicks gallery http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/2402682/1 If you've definately got them at least you've luckily got somewhere else for yours to sleep

[Tigerlily]

Hi Jomo1972,

I've never had redmite (so far, touch wood ). But by reading all the posts on here it has given me lots of tips if I do get them...

 

Poultry Shield (as Egluntine said)

Dettol (mentioned on a previous post - Practical poultry forum recommend it apparently)

Diatom - I use this and you can buy it from Omlet or Wiggly Wigglers. You can use it in their food, dust it on your girls, and dust it on the roosting bars, coop, eglu etc.

 

Red mite powder is only a barrier powder - tea tree based I think. I do have this but it doesn't kill red mite completely. I think they can live away from chickens for quite a long time so you will need to get rid of them.

 

Mummy Hen has just posted about it recently, here is the link:

 

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31573

 

Also Poet has had problems:

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31211

 

 

 

Hope this is some help and good luck,

 

BW x