A massive contamination scare has swept across multiple EU countries and now into parts of Asia, requiring many eggs to be dumped. (August 2017)

The countries affected include 15 EU countries, Britain, Switzerland and as far as Hong Kong it has been reported. Dozens of farms have been closed and millions of eggs pulled from supermarket shelves.

The epicenter of this crisis includes Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Australia is NOT included in this egg contamination due to more stringent regulations.


CAUSE OF THE CONTAMINATION
The eggs have been contaminated by Fipronil which can harm human health.

Fipronil is a broadspectrum insecticide and is commonly used to control fleas, lice and ticks on animals. The EU has banned Fipronil from the use in the food industry.

In Australia, Fipronil is generally used against termites rather than on poultry. It may also be used to kill ants, cockroaches and beetles.

Fipronil is toxic to fish, aquatic invertebrates and bees.
​To protect the bees, Fipronil is banned from being used on corn.


HOW DID IT GET INTO THE EGGS?
Fipronil can be absorbed into the skin or taken orally. In the case of these chickens, it would have been adsorbed through the skin into the blood stream. Traces can be found in the eggs. 


HOW IS IT DANGEROUS FOR HUMANS?
The World Health Organisation says if these contaminated eggs are eaten in large quantities it can harm people's kidneys, liver and thyroid glands. 

An adult weighing 65kg would need to eat more than seven (7) eggs a day. A child of 35kg could not exceed 1.7 eggs.


WARNING FOR AUSTRALIANS
Can we still be at risk from ingesting Fiprinol in our own home laid eggs?
The answer is YES.

FRONTLINE products have the active ingredient is Fipronil.

Please do not use any Frontline products on egg/meat producers.
All Frontline products work best for other domestic house pets such as dogs and cats.
For use on rabbits and guinea pigs, please consult your Vet for the appropriate active ingredient.
Do not assume one product is safe across all animal and bird species.


To guard against lice, fleas and mites on poultry use:

• Pestene powder
• Ivermectin (veterinary product - topical)
• Malaban Wash or Maldisan (as a last resort, as a bath)

​

RELATED NEWS STORIES

Contaminated Eggs Scandal Spreads from Britain to Asia - SBS

Toxic egg crisis reaches Hong Kong as 17 nations are affected by the scandal - The Mirror

Fipronil contamination scare: Aldi pulls all eggs from shelves in Germany - DW

Fipronil: What is it - and how did it get into our eggs - DW

EnviroMax Fipronil

Frontline Plus - official Frontline website

Frontline - Fipronil active ingredient - Pet Education

Squatting

​Squatting is a sign of submission. The chicken is acknowledging that you are at the top of the pecking order. That position is usually reserved for the rooster, so feel very honoured. After giving her a stroking pat she is very likely to give a little feather shake. The reason is, if you were a rooster, it would give the semen a shake down into her reproductive tract to aid fertilisation of her eggs.

Hens may also squat for another hen because they are bowing in submission to acknowledge that hen is now above her; in a plea to her not to attack.

​Squatting also indicates that the chicken is at an egg laying age.
​
Take squatting as a sign of friendliness, not a plea for a rooster.
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Pecking at you

​Pecking is often mistaken for aggression, when in actual fact it’s grooming.

Hens often groom their best friend amongst the other hens as well as any roosters they adore.

But there is another reason why they particularly like to peck at humans and that is because of a phosphorus in our clothing. Birds can see light emitted from certain chemicals that we cannot see in our eyes light spectrum. Many bugs give off a chemical illumination which encourages birds to locate and eat them. Black and blue clothing seem to attract chickens the most as this makes the phosphorus stand out the most.
​
Pecking at you while on the nest is for a different reason, and that is merely only to protect her eggs. The peck is usually not as violent as we imagine. It’s more of a shock than anything. Always place your hand under a hen with confidence and don’t linger. She will submit to the eggs being taken from under her.
​

Dust Bathing and Sun Bathing

Dust and Sun Bathing are natural and healthy behavioural characteristics in poultry. It is not a neurological disturbance.

Dust bathing helps to get rid of pests from between their feathers and can provide a cooling effect in summer, especially to their belly and legs. That is why their dust bathing areas are often quite deep.

Sun bathing allows light onto the belly and under the wings to promote more intact of vitamin D which helps with calcium absorption in their diet and keeps their bones strong and healthy. They never stay too long in the sun.
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Both of these behaviours are instinctual and are observed within a week or two from hatching. This is not taught behaviour. Chicks are likely to dust bath in their wood shavings in the brooder even though they have not grown feathers as yet.
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Broodiness

When a hen refuses to leave her nesting box, growls and squats down low, this is what is known as being broody. Certain breeds and personalities are more likely to go broody than others. Some will be regular broodies. Usually it is set off by hot days. The first sign will be a large broody poo, two to three days before it starts.

Being broody does not mean she has to have fertile eggs under her to hatch, nor is it a plea for a rooster.

It is just a matter of course for many hens which needs to broken quickly for the sake of her health. Leaving her stay broody will cause her to lose body weight which can cause her immune system to become weakened and is more likely to become infested with lice and mites. Broodiness is especially dangerous during severe hot weather, where dehydration and coop heat can cause her to die on the nest.
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Lock her out of the nesting box area. Placing her in a fenced off area with shade and cool grass with only food and water for the day will be sufficient. Return her to the coop at night to roost. In the morning, return her to her grassy area until her broodiness has ceased. By cooling her, it lowers her body temperature which will stop her broodiness.
​

Throwing straw onto their back

Some hens may sitting in a nesting box or walking around picking up a piece of straw and placing it on her back.
​This crazy behaviour is known as nesting.

It’s another indicator that a hen is thinking of going broody.

Noisy chicken but won’t go in to lay

​Cheerleading chickens are the hens who love to encourage the other in hens in their nesting boxes to lay their eggs. She is not interested in laying her own egg. She is only acting as encouragement. Placing her into a nesting box will only result in her jumping straight back out. The more hens you have, the more noticeable this behaviour will become at egg laying time.
​

Feather Pulling

Feather Pulling is when a chicken pulls out her own feathers, and there are two main reasons.

Moulting season is the most common reason. It even sounds like the hen is unscrewing her feathers (click-click-click sound). She is helping some of her feathers to come out. Many fall out by themselves, but during daily preening they are able to identify those feathers that need a little more help to come out, to let the new feather quills come through.
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Nesting to hatch chicks is the other reason. Mother hen really does feather the nest. These feathers are soft and downy and come from underneath her, from her belly and lower chest. Many broody hens also lack feathers underneath as their body heat encourages the feathers to come loose.
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Crowing Hen

There are some rare occasions when hens will attempt to crow like a rooster.

This is because of either assuming the position of flock protector or due to a hormonal imbalance. Once crowing starts, she is unlikely to lay. It would be worthwhile to have her checked out by a vet. Sometimes hormonal imbalances can be caused by a tumour in the reproductive tract. More common amongst ISA Brown (New Hampshire X) hens.
​

For anyone who is new to chickens, seeing a hen dust bath for the first time can be worrying or just down right hilarious.
Relax! Its all part of normal happy healthy chicken behaviour that is part of their every day routine. Make sure you have a nice area for your hens to dust bath in. I recommend loamy soil.

Music copyright via Jamendo.com - 04 La Noche by Andres Garcia Z


​Here are some other great ideas to create a dust bathing area for your own poultry.
Click on the images to visit the websites for more information.

I regularly receive calls from worried poultry owners that they might have mites in the chicken coop but are just not sure. So before I venture out on a call out I always recommend that my clients grab a roll of corrugated cardboard rolled up (with a rubber band) into a tube and placed in the coop over night as a test.

It may take more than one night to identify if they are indeed in there, so I recommend leaving the cardboard for up to a week, but to tap it out daily onto a white piece of paper to see if any bugs drop out.

If you positively identify bug life coming from the cardboard tube, make sure that the tube is then either double bagged and placed in the general waste bin, not the compost, or burnt.

Red mites are so tiny that they are not usually visible on searching through the coop or on the hen.

But they are not impossible to see. Check around the base of the feathers on each hen: around the vent and under the wings closest to the body. As you part the feathers, watch patiently.

The poultry Red Mites are often confused with the garden variety of Red Spider and Dust Mites. They are not the same.

They love to live in gaps, joints, nooks and crannies. This includes inside feeders, especially metal ones which have folds.

These mites can migrate to the house and dwell in the soft furnishings, but they prefer to live around the areas of the skirting boards and in the cracks and gaps the most. Regularly sweep and vacuum the floor and furnishings. Soft items can be sealed in a plastic bag and left in direct sunlight for a couple of days in an effort to help kill of any bugs.

Red mites do not live on humans as we regularly wash, but they can leave a raised red lump on the skin from a bite.

They are most active at night, when they like to run along the perches of sleeping hens. If the hens are reluctant to go into their coop in the evening, this could be a sign that mites are in there. They are just as keen as you not to get bitten.

Red mites do not always attack the legs of poultry. Other signs include a drop in egg production, blood streaks on egg shells, pale egg yolks and anemia which shows in a paler wattle and comb.

Look for blood smears along the perches for signs of nocturnal activity of mites. Particularly check UNDER the perches by running a piece of paper towel along to see what you can pick up.

If treating the hens for mites, the coop must be thoroughly cleaned at the same time or the problem will be immediately reintroduced. Pay special attention to the roosting rails, where they are connected and to all small gaps. Sweep and scrub with warm soapy water throughout.

Treat the shed with either Pestene, Diotomaceous Earth or a residual spray such as Coopex (available at Bunnings).

Treat the hens with Pestene throughout their feathers: vent, under wings close to the body and breast area.

If the mites have migrated to the legs (causing a lifting of the leg scales), proceed to treat with washing and applying olive oil and Vaseline as per my earlier tutorial.

Bugs invade during summer and lice and mites can be a big problem passing from pets to humans. I recommend using Diotomaceous Earth (DE) (food grade) on your pets and their housing and dust bathing areas first. Pestene is an alternative dusting powder but has more of a chemical base (not natural).

Then investigate if you have lice in your house in your soft furnishings. Use DE on furnishings too, but do not use or sit upon the items you have dusted. DE is very drying, so when applying it please cover up FULLY and use a dust mask and gloves. DE will suffocate the bugs. Its completely natural and very effective.

DE is NOT a cure but a preventative.

Get the dust into ALL cracks and crevices - wherever tiny bugs can hide. 

Use a tomato sauce squeezy bottle for application.

If using on soft furnishings, leave for at least 24hrs and then vacuum. DE is normally recommended for treating bed bug infestations, too.

Please do not apply to your skin. Once your pets and home are treated, seek medical advice. And give all of your clothes a thorough hot wash.

To avoid future infestations, regularly dust your pets with Pestene or DE. Schedule worming and dusting every 3 months for best results. Do not use swimming pool grade DE.

Check for lice on hens by holding them upside down by their feet. Inspect around their bottom, and check the base of the feathers for any crustiness. Feathers should be clean, if they show any signs of crustiness this is a definite sign of lice and needs to be treated immediately with pest dust.

BUT...

When Pestene is not enough, give the hens a soak in Maldison 50. It is an insecticide wash or spray.
The ratio is 500ml to 8 Litres.

If you find that mites are on you - fix immediately. Hot wash everything!!! Yes, you can spray a little Maldison on your clothing before removal. Best to wear a disposable coverall suit if you know you are dealing with mites.

When I go chicken sitting I certainly notice that every yard is set up so differently from one to another. No two are exactly the same. They all suit their yard space and location. But sometimes I notice one thing missing that I think no chicken should ever do without. In fact its as important as their food and water!

A place for their chickens to have a dust bath.

I love the comment from one chicken owner in a forum who thought that her chicken was having a seizure the first time she ever saw her hen dust bathing. Its a natural behavioural instinct that all poultry have and they do it for two good reasons.


Health Benefits

A dust bath is a way for your hens to keep clean, as ironic as it sounds. The dust movement through their feathers helps them to dislodge any lice, mite and other parasites.

Dust bathing also helps them cool down during the summer as the cool earth rest against their skin to cool the blood and prevents over heating.

If your flock does not get access to a dust bath you may find that they become heavily infested with bugs and display behavioural problems. It really is imperative to their overall health and happiness.

You know how pigs love to wallow and elephants dust spray, so do all poultry. You may find more than one hen dust bathing at a time as its quite a social occasion for them. You may even notice that they peck at the ground around them during their bath, eating up any dislodged bugs. Nothing is wasted!

Chickens start dust bathing as soon as they start to develop feathers as young chicks.


Dusting versus Dust Bathing

Dusting is a little different to dust bathing. Dusting is usually in the form of a commercial powder such as Pestene or food-grade Diotomaceous Earth (DE) which is applied to the area around the vent (backside), under the wings and through the chest area to kill any bug infestations. Lice and mites are the most common and they do need to be regularly treated every season. Be particularly watchful during winter as the bugs are all looking for a warm body to snuggle up to.

Allow your poultry to continue their dust bathing after being dusted. This will ensure that the dead bugs will be removed as well as their eggs. They need to go hand in hand.


How to create a Dust Bath

If your hens are free range they may have already created their special spots for a dust bath by scratching an area of dirt until it becomes a dust. They tend to work at the spot daily until it becomes quite a dusty crater for their 'day spa'. Inevitably they create pot holes that make lawn mowing that little more tricky.

Deep litter is not ideal as a dust bath as they can kick manure through their feathers which may contain infectious materials which can cause the trouble rather than prevent it.

Hens keep their dust baths immaculately clean. They never leave any manure in their bathing area. Smart birds!

Chookies kept in a caged run will need a large tub that can fit up to 3 hens at any one time. Bury the tub into the ground slightly to hold it in place so that it is not easily tipped over if hens sit on the side.

Choose a nice dry spot that gets sun.

There are so many different dust bath 'recipes', but simply filling a tub with some loamy soil or wood ash that will reduce to fine dust is all that they really need.

Do not use potting mix or compost. No clumps or twigs.


Super Delux Day Spa Dust Bath Recipe

There are many things you can add to a dust bath tub that can benefit your flock as a little something special, such as mixing:

• Loamy Soil
  
• Food-Grade Diotomaceous Earth (DE) - go sparingly as it can be breathed in which may cause irritation.
  
• Wood Ash
  
• Sand
  
• Commercial Dusting Powder
  
• Dried Herbs
  

Dried Herbs

Wormwood, lavender, mint and rosemary are all natural insecticides. Add them to the dust bathing or nesting areas, where ever bugs are likely to be present. Herbs do not kills the insects but they will help to discourage them from the area.

Here are my free-range hens in the winter sun having their daily dust bath. Note that they peck the ground around them to eat any bugs they 'wash' out with the dust. Clever girls.