Hi everyone, first timer here!

[Tiglett]

Hi everyone, 99
I am brand new to the chicken keeping hobby and am hoping you'll be able to answer all my daft, and not so daft questions when the chooks arrive.
I live in Warwickshire and have been thinking about keeping chickens for a while and have done quite a bit of research. I must have read every post on this forum!
I must admit I've been feeling quite apprehensive about how easy it is to keep them. Red mite sounds like a complete nightmare. I'm sure I'll get into the swing of it.
The coop arrived on Friday and after unpacking I discovered two of the panels are broken so I'm now waiting to hear when the replacement panels will be delivered. I hope that's not a sign of things to come! 19

I'm looking forward to getting 4 hybrids towards the end of March once I've got their house and run set up. I've gone for an 8ft coop/run combo. I was originally thinking of getting 2 chooks but after reading posts I didn't want to get a small coop and then want more so I've decided on the larger size and if I want less then they'll just get more room.
What are people's thoughts on using Creosote? Does it stop red mite and although the government have outlawed it, is it still available?

Thanks.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Tiglett and welcome. My family on both sides comes from Rugby.

Yes creosote does stop red mite. It is only outlawed for the general public. We bought ours from an agricultural merchant -20 litres smallest size. They are supposed to ask for proof that you are commercial so we told them we had a registed holding number and Animal Health registration for sheep and chickens. We apply a thin coat of Creosote /paraffin mix to the inside with the coop panels upside down so the stuff goes into the groove of the cladding. Lasts 12 months but it is at least 2 weeks before the chickens can go in and if you try to apply it in an assembled coop the fumes may make you quite ill, as they did me. Burns on skin contact so don't coat the perches all over, just the ends. It's nasty stuff which is why it has become restricted.

 

[Tiglett]

Thank you for the welcome.
I'm based in Rugby, what a coincidence! The replacement panels for the coop also turned up today so I'm a happy bunny.

The creosote does sound nasty so I might give it a miss and go with another preservative and then go mad with the red mite powder instead.
That was a really useful tip about painting it upside down so the preserver runs into all the overlaps. Top tip, thank you.

 

[Marigold]

The creosote does sound nasty so I might give it a miss and go with another preservative and then go mad with the red mite powder instead.
That was a really useful tip about painting it upside down so the preserver runs into all the overlaps. Top tip, thank you.

Hi Tiglett, i've just posted about a similar query from someone else in the Cocoon coops thread at http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5941 with a link to some good preservative that I've used. I do agree there's no need to use the horrible creosote stuff when you have no redmite, and can probably avoid getting it, at least for some time. Unless you can buy one of the huge containers of 'real' creosote, you're left with 'Creocote' which is a less effective alternative anyway from the POV of redmite, so you might as well just use a really good wood preserevr instead.