Cat Flea Drops & Red Mite

[Roisin]

Hi there
I have read that you can use cat flea drops on birds to keep them free of red mite. Do you guys have opinions on this? I have two questions; 1) is it safe for the hens and 2) is it safe for us to eat the eggs?

 

[tygrysek75]

I had never used on mine but know people who used and it work very well.They used in the spray version never spot on as this can kill a chicken.They has eaten the eggs to but its really your choice.This product is for cats so manufactures did not made any tests if you can eat the eggs or not as you know cat's do not produce eggs

 

[Marigold]

This made a lovely picture in my mind, Tygresek, of a contented cat curled up cosily on a clutch of eggs. She'd probably eat them when they hatched, though!

 

[chrismahon]

Presume you mean Frontline spray for lice and fleas Roisin. We use it for neck lice at 3 sprays per Kg. The dose can't be repeated for 28 days it says on the packet so perhaps that's a sensible egg withdrawral period. But we have covered this topic recentlt and it appears only the spot-on enters the blood stream, which is why it kills chickens as even at one spot the dose could be too high. But you can get the spot-on anywhere, the spray is vet prescription only. Expensive treatment and I'm not sure it would work on red mite as they are not resident on the chickens for very long -just enough to drink full of blood.

 

[dianefairhall]

I have no experience of it on hens but I use it on my cats (Spot-on). The packaging says it kills fleas 'on contact' not through the cats' blood. Don't know how it works but hope this is useful.

 

[Marigold]

I just add plenty of red mite powder to the chickens dust bath and they work it well down where it's needed for themselves as a routine precaution. You need to treat all the crevices and joins in the coop as well, then with luck the problem won't develop enough for more drastic options such as Frontline to be necessary.