Well dear reader, it seems that I have been quite remiss with my Chicken Chat posts-- sorry. I have been meaning to write about what has been going on in the coop, really I have. So I will now provide you with a condensed recap of the events of the last few months at Le Poulet Chalet. So here goes....
One day (many months ago), I was happily watching my little flock frolic in their run, when I happened to notice that Miss Myrtle (one of my favorite hens) had some stuff clinging to her fluffy bottom feathers. I managed to catcher her without too much trouble and carefully turned her over to see what it was. Thinking she had poop stuck to her feathers, just imagine how horrified I was when I discovered a bunch of grey looking gook attacked to the base of a lot of her feathers - - oh Noooooo! That's right, my poor little hen had lice, and a LOT of them! And of course, I discovered that the other girls had varying degrees of infestation - - uhhhhhh! Well, except for Miss Buttercup, due to her dense feathers perhaps?
Anyway, after the disturbing discovery I then ran into the house and did what any newbie chickener would do, I sobbed - A LOT! After pulling myself together, I sat down in front of my laptop and clicked my way to the Backyard Chickens forum seeking advice to my latest chicken problem, and as usual, I got plenty! Thanks to those who have suffered this scourge before me, I learned of a product that would take care of the vermin without sacrificing egg production and infringe upon our consumption - yahooooo! This seemed too good to be true I assure you, but what had I to lose?
One day (many months ago), I was happily watching my little flock frolic in their run, when I happened to notice that Miss Myrtle (one of my favorite hens) had some stuff clinging to her fluffy bottom feathers. I managed to catcher her without too much trouble and carefully turned her over to see what it was. Thinking she had poop stuck to her feathers, just imagine how horrified I was when I discovered a bunch of grey looking gook attacked to the base of a lot of her feathers - - oh Noooooo! That's right, my poor little hen had lice, and a LOT of them! And of course, I discovered that the other girls had varying degrees of infestation - - uhhhhhh! Well, except for Miss Buttercup, due to her dense feathers perhaps?
Anyway, after the disturbing discovery I then ran into the house and did what any newbie chickener would do, I sobbed - A LOT! After pulling myself together, I sat down in front of my laptop and clicked my way to the Backyard Chickens forum seeking advice to my latest chicken problem, and as usual, I got plenty! Thanks to those who have suffered this scourge before me, I learned of a product that would take care of the vermin without sacrificing egg production and infringe upon our consumption - yahooooo! This seemed too good to be true I assure you, but what had I to lose?
Behold! Manna Pro's Poultry protector! This stuff is awesome! It does exactly what it says it does - exactly! So, if you don't have any of this miracle serum on hand, then run, don't walk to your local feed store and buy as many bottles as you can - do it NOW! But save some for me, okay? All you do is turn your suffering bird upside down and squirt its fluffy little heiny to unleash instant death upon vermin like mites, lice, fleas, and ticks- take that you little creeps! So you may be wondering what is the miracle active |
ingredient in Manna Pro's Poultry Protector. Well, wonder no more, it is a food additive called potassium sorbate (0.1% by weight), so it is safe to use, no harsh chemicals, which means you can keep collecting and eating the eggs your hens lay - nice!
However, it only kills the live vermin that are crawling all over your little chicken - yuck! That means you will need to keep applying this miracle stuff until they are under control. This is not a problem, since its active ingredient is relatively harmless. I mean, you can't drink it or get it in your eye, but it won't send you to the emergency room either. And so, one at a time, I place each of my hens in my lap upside down while my sister (she has ducks) clipped off all of the egg infested feathers, and put in the fire pit so my son and husband could incinerate the little creeps that evening - good riddance! Then, she turned the dial to "stream" and started spraying close to their skin, especially near their vent. We didn't want to get them too wet, or they may get too cold. I must say, it was VERY gratifying to see the little b%$&*@!s die instantly as the Poultry Protector engulfed them - ha ha!
However, it only kills the live vermin that are crawling all over your little chicken - yuck! That means you will need to keep applying this miracle stuff until they are under control. This is not a problem, since its active ingredient is relatively harmless. I mean, you can't drink it or get it in your eye, but it won't send you to the emergency room either. And so, one at a time, I place each of my hens in my lap upside down while my sister (she has ducks) clipped off all of the egg infested feathers, and put in the fire pit so my son and husband could incinerate the little creeps that evening - good riddance! Then, she turned the dial to "stream" and started spraying close to their skin, especially near their vent. We didn't want to get them too wet, or they may get too cold. I must say, it was VERY gratifying to see the little b%$&*@!s die instantly as the Poultry Protector engulfed them - ha ha!
Here is full information on the product:
Active Ingredients:
Potassium Sorbate .1% by weight
Inert Ingredients:
Water, Yeast, Citric Acid 99.9%
Directions For Use:
(16 oz. Poultry Protector or Diluted 33.9 oz. Concentrate)
To get started:
Birds: Poultry Protector can be sprayed directly onto your birds as often as desired.
Premises: For best results:
- Helps protect your coop and birds from mites, lice, fleas and ticks
- All Natural, Non-Toxic
- Safe alternative to harsh chemical treatments
- Helps reduce stress
Active Ingredients:
Potassium Sorbate .1% by weight
Inert Ingredients:
Water, Yeast, Citric Acid 99.9%
Directions For Use:
(16 oz. Poultry Protector or Diluted 33.9 oz. Concentrate)
To get started:
- Remove bedding material
- Spray entire habitat (top, sides, and surrounding grounds) with a fine mist
- Replace bedding with new material before introducing birds
- Repeat this process periodically to maintain appropriate cleanliness
Birds: Poultry Protector can be sprayed directly onto your birds as often as desired.
- Keep spray away from the eyes to avoid irritation.
- To avoid potential chilling and associated stress, Poultry Protector is not recommended for birds under 10 days of age, extremely old or debilitated birds.
- For Best Results, ensure that Poultry Protector thoroughly coats the birds' skin by manually displacing the feathers or inverting birds completely during application.
- Spray chest, behind the head, under wings and around vent.
- For dipping birds with severe infestations (must use the Poultry Protector Concentrate): Fill a five gallon tub half full (2.5 gallons) with warm water. Add 6 ounces of Poultry Protector Concentrate. Allow bird to sit in water for three to four minutes. Just before removing bird, briefly submerge the head.
Premises: For best results:
- spray living area and surrounding grounds with a fine mist every other day during the first week and once weekly thereafter.
- This product can be used for all ages* of poultry and fowl.
I highly recommend this product, I just can't say enough good things about it, dear reader. I don't understand how chickens that don't have lice can get infested with lice, especially when the little nasties can't live without a host, but my birds got them. Now I am more proactive, I look them over every few weeks to make sure they aren't infested and I do a better job of cleaning their coop. I truly believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but it is so nice to know that there is an amazing product, like Manna Pro's Poultry Protector on the market, just in case.