Setting up new coop!

[Graham K]

I have just bought my new (first) coop from ideas-4-pets.com (Chicken den Mk11 De Luxe £154.95, delivered 36hrs after ordering!) so far so good.

The problem I have is that it comes with a "felt" roof on both the nest box and main coop area, I have read lots of threads that say the dreaded red-mite love to hide up under the felt. The paper work that came with the coop claims the felt is "bonded" to the roof and it does look pretty secure, but I have read that the mites can still be problem.

Q; Should I remove the roofing felt (from a brand new coop) and cover it with something else? as I will be painting all the wood with "creocote" if it ever stops raining/snowing, would this be enough on its own?

Also can anyone let me know what breed ex-batts are (usually), we are looking to get three from the BHWT once it warms up a bit.

Thanks.

Graham K & a very excited 3 year old.

[Flummery]

Mine has a wooden roof and although people say you get mites whatever your conditions, touch wood(en roof!) ours never have. I don't think I'd botch up a new house.
Ex-batts tend to be Warrens, Isa Browns etc. But they can come in other breeds - some of them are white. They are all hybrids which lay more eggs per year.

I thought of ex-batts (loads of people will encourage you to get them!) but I bought Rangers (another hybrid brown type) from a reputable dealer and they came in pristine condition and fortunately have remained so. Good luck. I still find mine exciting almost a year later!

[RichmondHens]

You could try creocoting as is, and pay extra attention to all the wood adjacent to the roofing felt, and see what happens. You may be lucky, and not get any mite, but IF you do, you WILL need to strip all the felt off. So, it's really up to you. I can see that re-roofing a brand new house is not an appealing thought, so maybe go for the "treat well and wait and see" option.

Make a careful inspection of the inside of the henhouse each time you muck out (they lurk in cracks and joints, and at the ends and underside of perches) and you should spot an invasion of red mite early on, before it gets out of hand.

[jayjay giant]

Mites have to be introduced to the coop and won't come with it. Similarly with the hens. Go to a reputable place for your hens and inspect them in situ first.
Secondly good cleanliness is a must and thirdly, If you use straw in the nest boxes then please buy it from a pet shop where it has been sterilised. More expensive but worth it !
I have a felt roof on my homemade coop and have had 2 red mite attacks.
Both have been the result of infected farm straw !
The felt roof provides no more of a hiding place than perch ends or other cracks and joins.
The best deterrent is to seal the inside of the house with yatch varnish. This is as tough as glass and will eliminate any problems for years to come.

Please take a look at the photographs of the chicken house and chickens if you need any further guidance.

James