wood vs plastic

[silverback]

Plastic coops are no guarantee against red mite!, despite some sellers claiming they are! , plastic just makes it a whole lot easier to clean them out should you get them!.
With wooden coops as mentioned, there are lots of nooks and crannies for them to hide in, especially under felt roofs!, which usually get over looked if you are unfortunate enough to get an infestation, the felt would have to be stripped off and replaced, as well as treating the wood! .

[jannie]

I've heard quite a few people with plastic coops saying they have red mite this year so no guarantees. They will thrive in moist conditions no matter what coop you choose.

I have been keeping chickens for well over 40 yrs and I've never had red mite. My secret is quite simply to keep the coop dry inside. The first thing I do with a new coop is to mix Diatomaceous earth with water to make a paste and paint the whole of the inside with it, making sure it gets into every nook and cranny. Let it dry before adding wood shavings to which I add a good scoop of DE. Finally put some DE in a puffer and go around the outside joints. I have only ever deep cleaned coops when I had large flocks but with a few pet hens there is no need, simply poo pick every day and the coop will only need a wood shaving change every few weeks or longer in winter .. always add more DE to fresh bedding. I also add DE to the areas they dust bathe to keep them clear of lice. I won't use chemicals around my animals but haven't had a sick chicken yet.

The worst thing you can do if you find red mite is to hose it down ..the red mites love moist conditions and will simply hide in the surrounding area and crawl back in when your back is turned. If you find your coop is leaking or has any damp patches ..dust with DE till you can repair and add ventilation if condensation is a problem.
Hope this helps.

[sandy]

I suppose when u said don't get the coop wet you mean when cleaning? Mine are indoors so that is the only time they would get wet. I never had red mite in cottage or cube until this year gone back to my traditional cleaning method of vacuuming them