Bleach as a miticide?

[Sasquatch]

Last week I had 2 birds showing feather loss. This week 2/3s are losing feathers and egg production is 1/2 of normal. I just assume that it is lice, mites, or fleas from the straw in the coop. I bought some expensive stuff yesterday at the Ranch store. I can buy it in quart lots that you mix. The chief active ingredient is citric acid.

So my little pea brain starts a whiling. I am wondering if I can use bleach as a mite treatment? I figure mix a couple of gallons of 25% bleach and hose the coop and the girls. We used to kill chiggers that way when we were kids. Plus I can buy a boat load of clorox for the 15 buck the other stuff costs.

Your advice is appreciated.

 

[Chris09]

I figure mix a couple of gallons of 25% bleach and hose the coop and the girls

You dont want to spray your birds with bleach. It can burn them..
Use a good poultry dust..

Chris​

 

[rancher hicks]

The key word in this OP's post is "assume". If you don't "know" its mites don't treat for mites. Especially don't use bleach, it's highly toxic. First check for mites and then find a safe treatment.

 

[PeepsInc]

In the summer, I put bleach in the miracle grow garden attachment on the hose and spray the whole coop (with the birds being safely outside). This time of year I just dust or my birds would get frost bite from the humidity.

 

[TACEYPERKINS]

I don't know for sure if it will even work on the lice or mites or whatever it is. But, I am with the last poster, I would not put it on my chickens at all. Bleach is not only highly toxic for them but it will burn them too. As far as the habitat, you could clean it out down to the dirt, then spray it on. But I would do it only if you could return your chickens to a dry coop. It can't be wet at all or it will burn them. There are alot of other things you can use that would be better. I would try to find out spacifically what is on them, then do a search on BYC to see what your best result is.

 

[Sasquatch]

Ok I will get dust. I was just wondering. Stripping the coop clean in Idaho this time of year is not feasible. The straw bales insulate the greenhouse and keep it bearable for the birds.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Quote:
Gee- maybe they are going into a moult? Lice and Northern Fowl Mites (most common) can be seen on the birds during the day. Other mites at night. Know before you start treating them.

Anyway you got hosed at the farms store. I suppose that if you had enough citric acid you could come up with one way or another to kill external parasites. Maybe freeze it into a club shaped ice cube and beat the chickens with it untill all the parasites are dead. Yeah - that would work.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0019.html