Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
SCALY MITE BUYING TIP
Raw linseed oil is becoming harder and harder to obtain. For a suitable scaly
mite-killing substitute, mix old motor or vegetable oil with kerosene in the same pro-
portions. Oil makes the mixture smoother and a little easier to paint on the chicken's
leg. I try to be environmentally friendly and save the changes of oil from my tiller
and lawn-mower for this purpose.
Insecticide Treatment for Lice and Mites
Toxic methods involve using insecticides ranging from commercially prepared products
such as Prozap and Sevin to livestock dust. Although a product may not be labeled for
poultry, making it inappropriate for a bird used for meat or egg production, it also may
be your only shot to save a pet. Adams Flea and Tick Spray is very effective for lice and
mites that can't be killed by any other poison, but is not registered for poultry. Although
anecdotal evidence suggests Malathion controls some of the more difficult parasites, it
is also not registered for that purpose and not recommended.
Caution:
If you choose to use Adams Flea and Tick spray or Malathion or any of the
other products found on poultry chat lines and web forums but not registered for chick-
ens, be careful. It's always a good idea to read labels, check with a poultry Extension
agent explaining your intended use, and ask for professional advice.
Understanding of the effects of products is ever-changing. It wasn't too many years
ago that Black Leaf 40 was the product of choice for controlling lice and mites and was
labeled for many uses; now it has been banned. Always consider insecticides very care-
fully.
Gnats
Here in the Midwest, usually in May, we have swarms of gnats in wet areas. Although
tiny, gnats are a serious problem for poultry. Often raisers who live in river-bottom areas
or in close proximity to swamps will lose all of their young poultry, and quite often
adults as well, to these small but voracious blood-sucking insects. When the air is still
at sunset is when raisers suffer the greatest damage, as gnats swarm around the heads
and even enter the ears of the poultry. I have seen infestations so bad that on still even-
ings the entire heads of adult male turkeys all the way down to their body feathers were
totally covered with gnats. Birds with this many feasting gnats rarely survive.
