Perhaps you are wondering how to get rid of the mites that have attacked your poultry and nothing seems to work for you...Whenever chicken are infested with mites their productivity goes down...mites make them unconfortable due to itches from bites, make them anaemic and thereby affects their ability to fight diseases or even withstand extreme weather conditions. There are a number of pesticides that can be used to effectively get rid of mites but farmers are advised to make use of natural methods which are hardly harmful to animals and plants.
In most cases mites thrive well in dirty coops. The surest way to prevent mites is to make sure that the chicken run is kept as clean as possible and always. Once the birds are affected it is advisable to remove the infested bedding and feeds then get a mixture of water and vinegar to clean the drinkers and feeders and even spray the coop.
If available, one can also use neem seed oil. This works by cutting the life cycle of mites thereby preventing them from spreading. This should be mixed with water and used to spray the chicken plus the coop. There are other oils that can be of help such as soybean, cedar wood oil, tea tree oil and any other vegetable oil. These are used in the case of scaly leg notes. The oils help in not only suffocating the mites but also in soothing the aggravated skin. Linseed oil and Vaseline can also be used in this case.
Other herbal insecticides include cedar wood oils, lemongrass, peppermint, eucalyptus, garlic, coriander and citronella. You can spray with a mixture of the herbs and water or wash with soap mixed with the herbs. I know garlic and coriander are readily available....crush garlic and add to the drinking water. Mites get repelled by the scent or even the taste of garlic. As such most parasites dislike the taste of blood that contains garlic. Garlic also works well in boosting the immunity of chicken that have been attacked by mites. And a mixture of garlic juice and coriander can be used to spray the birds to kill the mites. Lemongrass and eucalyptus, on the other hand, are crushed and sprinkled in the bedding to kill and keep mites at bay.
And if one is able to find wormwood it will help them to repel the mites. Its cuttings can be kept within coop to continuously keep the mites at bay.
Also make sure that you provide dust baths or sand mixed with wood ash. These also help in reducing mites.
And whenever one decides to use chemical pesticides, sometimes they may not be effective. In such a case just mix the powdered pesticides with some dry leaves and burn. The smoke produced is very effective in killing mites and their eggs.
After the treatment it is advisable to feed your chicken on feeds that are rich in iron...to replenish the blood taken away by the parasites and aide recuperation. Such feeds may include, but not limited to, spinach, sweet pitatoes, watermelon and molasses.
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