Hello chicken keepers!
Summer is the prime time of the year for mites, lice and other nasties to cause problems for your poultry. We are getting a lot of questions on Live Chat and the Facebook page from concerned chook keepers about these pesky parasites. I know first-hand that they can be a pain in the fluffy bum to get rid of once they make your chicken coop home, so let’s not give them the chance!
My Mother Hen Tips for pest and parasite prevention this weekend are:
- Clean the coop from top to bottom - there’s no better time to do a thorough clean of your hen home. Remove and replace all the coop bedding and dust the interior and exterior with a pest prevention product like Diatomaceous Earth or Pestene Powder.
- To keep flies away place basil, lemon grass, mint, and/or sachets of eucalyptus around the areas where flies hang out. Planting these lovely herbs near your coop will not only keep Louie away - it will also make your coop look and smell amazing all year round!
- Mites hate garlic so feed your flock some crushed garlic, and throw a few cloves into their water - it’s great for your chickens’ immune systems too!
It’s always a good idea to get up close and personal with your ladies to make sure they are healthy and happy. To check for pests - look under the wings, around the vent (where the egg comes out) and on the scales of their feet. Poultry pests and parasites are a very common issue - so if your chickens are showing symptoms - don't panic! Just follow the helpful advice in our quick fire guide to beating the bugs here.
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Feathers Forever,
Kassandra x
