girls outside roosting at 10pm - definitely red mite??

[jimred]

No mites, just enjoying the warm evenings , my Appenzeller slept up my apple tree during last summer, but thats what they do

[nmayhew]

it's been an eventful day
creosoted all the nooks and crannies of their house, and left it all opened up, still in their cage
the girls kept trying to get in mid morning so we put a cardboard box in the house (an ark) for them to lay, but they were brushing their backs against the creosoted interior, so we had to put a stop to that sharpish
the girls then got themselves increasingly worked up trying to get into their now locked up ark, literally flinging themselves against the house
i built a new temporary ark and they are (all 5 of them) now wedged in the 2 cardboard nest boxes
they are just sitting there now all with mouths slightly agape - is this because of all the stress of the day?
given that they now have a temporary home, i'll probably give the creosote a couple of days to dry out
just can't wait to get it all over with!
nick

[lynda66]

i know it's not necessarily considered safe, but i did mine with frontline, and never had any problems, just gave the eggs to the dog for a week ... and she's still with us lol .... i used 1 tube of the cat one, for 2 chooks. at the bottom of the neck, at night, so it was dried by the morning. .... my house is lined with lino, and all edges sealed with silicone (wiped thin so they don't peck it) .... so i just brush it out, then hose it down and ***** fluid every few months (they have a poo tray under their perch, so bedding doesn't really get mucky) ..... never had any mite problems,as there's nowhere for them to hide

[nmayhew]

creosote looks quite dry, and none rubs off after wiping with kitchen towel, courtesy of lots of hairdryer use!

i might put the original house back in the run tonight after all...

girls also a lot happier after some freshly plucked spinach and a bit of corn!