Eglu Cube Coop For Sale

[tara]

Ive just ordered 2 of these Diatomaceous Earth - 100g but reading the reveiws of it how do l use it some say the instructions are a bit vauge.I have 13 hens and 7 ducks and have found louse little white thing on the backs near the tails of my hens have any of you used this and how did you use it on them.l have been reading the sticky on chicken clinic as well.

[Egluntyne]

I'd put a handful or so on each hen, paying particular attention to the areas under their wings and around their vent.

[jennydavies]

We use a dust-pan and brush (we keep a "special one" just for the use) I get the diatom in the dust pan, I hold the girls upside down (one hand supporting their back and the other hand holding the legs) and Charlie does the dusting with the soft brush under the wings and all around the tummy and vent area's, then I turn them upright and he dusts their back and all around the necks. It works really well and we don't seem to get covered in powder. The girls really relax when I am holding them on their backs

[the bradley bunch]

is it a puffer bottle? if so then casually approach the bird from behind ( ) and give a big puff towards their vent area, and another quick one directed at the back of their neck - you don't need to touch them at all. then sit/crouch down to their level (if they've ran off at this point then tempt them back over to you) and whilst allowing them to continue to stand, gently support one side of their body by putting your hand over their wing (as well as keeping them steady this also keeps them close to you), and slip the puffer bottle under the opposite wing and give it another big puff. do the same with the opposite side.

 

we do this once a month to each of our girls. we've only got 3 so sometimes i'll do ones vent & neck and then if another one's close by and they've ran off i'll do their vent & neck before tempting the first one back over to do under their wings.

i've been told that it doesn't matter about covering their whole body, just dusting these three main areas (vent, back of neck, under wings) will destroy any red mite as diatom is a natural product that works by dehydrating the mite upon contact so that it shrivels up & dies.

 

if you haven't got a puffer bottle i'd strongly recommend getting one, as it allows dusting to be done with alot less handling of the bird therefore is much less stressful (although the first time i did end up chasing our girls round the garden like a headless chicken puffing my bottle everywhere! - the second time went alot smoother & by the third time me and the girls had perfected it ). seriously tho, one of my ex-bats refuses to be handled and would wriggle until you dropped her (we think it hurts her because she came to us in a terrible condition and has trouble walking and stretching her neck) and with this method the owner doesn't need to have any physical contact with the bird - i think patience is the key so practice the first attempt when you've got a bit of time of your hands!

 

BTW i got my diatom (same thing) puffer bottle from flytesofancy online. it was excellent value for money and can be refilled with their big tubs of Diatom which i believe is a cheaper and 'greener' way of buying. i also phoned their customer service line who were more than happy to give instructions on what to do with Diatom. as well as putting it directly onto the birds once a month i also puff a big sprinkling of it over the perches, fresh bedding & nest area once a week after i've cleaned out the house

[the bradley bunch]

We use a dust-pan and brush (we keep a "special one" just for the use) I get the diatom in the dust pan, I hold the girls upside down (one hand supporting their back and the other hand holding the legs) and Charlie does the dusting with the soft brush under the wings and all around the tummy and vent area's, then I turn them upright and he dusts their back and all around the necks. It works really well and we don't seem to get covered in powder. The girls really relax when I am holding them on their backs

 

this sounds like a spa treatment celebrities would pay for! maybe you should patent the method jenny ...celebrities get red mite, don't they?

 

really tho i've been thinking about it and it really does sound like a nice, stress free method. i wish my girls would let me hold them in this way - they're all so skittish and although they follow me everywhere (even into the kitchen where lulu thinks her identical twin lives in the oven - actually her reflection in the oven door), they hate being handled ...maybe with time they will be more obliging, they were only rescued 2 months ago.

 

tara - i think considering the amount of birds you've got and if they're all comfortable being handled, jenny's way sounds like the most suitable... maybe she'll even loan out charlie to you to do the dusting!

[tara]

 

tara - i think considering the amount of birds you've got and if they're all comfortable being handled, jenny's way sounds like the most suitable... maybe she'll even loan out charlie to you to do the dusting!

 

now heres an idea l had a lovely friend come over today with her stuff we did all 13 hens and my 7 ducks even the housing.This is my stupid fault l took on 2 hens from some one at school as they did not want them anymore and l never checked them now ive got all this to sort out ive learnt a hard lesson always check new birds.

 

 

Thanks for the tip on puffer bottle bradey bunch l will get one and l will use it every month

[jennydavies]

When you have them laying on their back supported by your hand, their little wingys naturally fall open and you can dust really well into their "armpits" Our girls are so relaxed, they start to fall asleep

[sezra]

Thanks for the tip on puffer bottle bradey bunch l will get one and l will use it every month

 

If you haven't already got a puffer bottle then you could try an empty washing up liquid bottle. I haven't tried this myself yet but when I was looking to buy a puffer from Cotswold Chickens, Jude (lovely owner), suggested using one of these instead as I already have a huge tub of diatom powder.

[TutuTallulah]

I've recycled an empty Johnsons baby powder container - filled it with smite powder and a good squeeze gives a generous 'puff' of the powder. I use it to powder the chooks and also the house and bedding.

[txswanie]

I just got a big bag of the stuff, didn't know it was so powdery. I have been putting 2% in the food and then a couple of handfuls in the dust bathing areas, they have rubbed it all away so I presume that it got on someone. I think I will have a go at the puffer bottle but I predict another Benny Hill chase scenario....

[tara]

I just got a big bag of the stuff, didn't know it was so powdery. I have been putting 2% in the food and then a couple of handfuls in the dust bathing areas, they have rubbed it all away so I presume that it got on someone. I think I will have a go at the puffer bottle but I predict another Benny Hill chase scenario....

 

 

Know the feeling l was chasing one of mine yesterday my god she can run