5 Tips To Keep Your Chickens Mite-Free

5 Tips To Keep Your Chickens Mite-Free

May 29, 2022


(Hammy staring soulfully into the camera :)


I believe that I've figured out 5 ways to keeping your flock mite-free. 

Naturally.


1. Dust Baths

Providing your flock a dust bath year round is probably your best defense against not only mites, but lice, ticks, fleas and other biting parasites.

A kiddie pool or small tub filled with dry dirt, sand, wood ash and dried herbs like lavender, rosemary, thyme and mint makes a wonderful dust bath. 

If your chickens free range at least part of the day, they'll find their own spot to bathe in. 

My girls seem to like taking their dust baths in the herb garden....coincidence? I think not.



In addition to adding some herbs in the dust bath area, sprinkling aromatic herbs in the nest boxes or hanging them in the coop is another good idea. 
In general, insects, rodents and other pests don't enjoy the strong scent of herbs. 



Diatomaceous earth or lime is a great way to make your coop a non-mite friendly spot. 
Generously sprinkle the floor of your coop with lime before you put down new bedding. 
Sprinkle some DE in the nesting boxes and rub some into the roosts periodically as well. 
 


Biting parasites don't enjoy the taste of the blood of chickens that eat a lot of garlic. 
Even if that's not what's keeping my chickens mite-free, it still supports healthy immune and digestive systems and good bone development. 



An otherwise healthy chickens will usually be able to stay on top of any mites and keep herself mite-free, but if there are other health issues going on, that's when not only parasites but other issues can overwhelm them. 
So strong immune systems are really important. 
Things like apple cider vinegar and probiotics keep the digestive system working properly and your flock in tip-top shape. 


As with much of natural chicken keeping, there aren't a lot of studies done, and not much scientific proof, so you have to use a lot of common sense. Using herbs and natural supplements is what leads to such a long-lived, happy and healthy flock of chickens in your backyard!

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