If your flock is troubled by lice and mites, you might try constructing their roosts using pine saplings–the more resinous the better. The rosin in and on the saplings is a natural, inexpensive deterrent to external parasites, I believe.
Ridin' the pine
We can always use a few good ideas in that area for sure.
I gave up on natural solutions and have been using seven dust. Not often, but once in awhile.
Ivermectin kills those too, and worms.
Yes, Ivermectin is a good product. We used it for years to worm cattle and cow dogs.
Yes Adam. Our dogs had whipworms once, and we had to order it. It worked too.
I just didn't realize that chickens were as bad or worse to get worms as dogs.
I got in trouble once on here talking about how people get worms and parasites too. Still true. I won't go there again though. On fb the other day I made such a statement and nobody said one word to my comment, nor did they click "like". Guess nobody wants to talk about that. I don't know the good of ignoring the problem though.
I believe that almost all living things support some sort of parasites. Not all are harmful. If the parasite kills the host, the parasite usually dies too, so the most biologically successful ones do little harm. However we keep animals in "artificial" conditions that open them up to exceptional parasite loads. That is when they need out help. For example free range chickens may not need to be dewormed while those in close confinement may. I seem to be living in peace with whatever free-loaders I am supporting, so I have no plan to deworm myself either...
If everyone is healthy, that is a good sign.
It is when we have sicknesses we start trying to discover the reasons why.
I usually give my hens Ivermectin towards the end of their molting. It seems to help buck them up and get those new feathers going.