Topic: chicken Coop Run

[keejaay]

I am new to keeping chickens so this might be a stupid question for some of you but i need an answer pronto .

When either myself or my wife come back from sorting the birds out our hair is itching like hell is this because of the heat or do chickens attract small flies etc - we have both used a head lotion over the weekend and wear caps but the hair itching continues

[Lady of the Land]

I have never experienced or heard of this

Possibly could be the heat- I find if I wear a hat end up with my hair /head itching nothing to do with the chickens

However also recommend

Suggest you check chickens for any mite ie red spider which are very tiny and red when filled with blood. As you are new to chickens suggest one of you holds a chicken and the other part the feathers and look for these. They can also be found in the coop in cracks and corners- to help stop/keep these at bay there are many products and suggestions. We have found putting Vaseline or petroleum jelly at the ends of perches helps as prevents them from going onto perches which they do at night and sucking the blood from the chickens. Using powder such as diatome on chickens in feathers and nesting boxes and cracks/crevices in coop helps to certain extent

As it is both of you unlikely to be an allergy or reaction I would have thought

Anyone else got any ideas?

[keejaay]

It seems that the guy who had the chickens before me and neglected them forgot to mention after i checked them that they had a bad case of Red Mite infestation , i am now treating it on all the birds and cleaned my new hen house out with jayes fluid .

[Melbourne12]

Red mite is a horror.  Jeyes Fluid might do the trick, but you might need to find temporary accommodation for them whilst you creosote the inside of the house.

[kt.]

3 years ago we fought the battle with redmite for 5 months.  In the end, the chicken shed was demolished and burnt, livestock replaced.  A complete restart but no problems since.