Chicken lice? Or mites?

CTKen said:

Im no expert, but i doubt that the bugs will infest your furniture, since they do not have the right host to live on. It does't stop it being a gross thought though :/

All the best
CT

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Lady of McCamley said:

Depends on the type of mite.

Northern Fowl mite lives on the bird as does lice. While they may drop off, they die if not in contact with the bird.

On the other hand, Red Roost Mites live in the environment and only feed on the bird at night. And yes, they can infest whatever structure they happen to land on. Some people have tracked them into their home and had an infestation inside.

I wouldn't panic. You don't know what is on the bird yet, and a one time exposure won't create a horrid infestation...but if it were my sofa, I'd give that puppy a good vacuuming, disposing of the vacuum bag in a sealed bag into the garbage.  I'd also spray the sofa with something like Permethrin spray or some other pesticide type spray like a pet flea spray. 

Permethrin dust is highly effective against both types of mites and lice. With the scabbing, it indicates it is a body feeder which indicates most likely mite. Mites are small grains of pepper that move slowly. Red Roost mites can be seen on structures in crevices and can look red or black. You generally see them moving slowly at night in the light of a flash light.

Lice can be brown or straw colored and look like grains of rice or flat bodies that move quickly.

Dust your bird well at vent and under wings. It can be helpful to use an old nylon sock filled with Poultry Dust like a powder puff. The other option is to put dust inside a plastic bag, then place the bird inside the bag with head out, and "shake and bake" covering the bird with the poultry dust. Dust her well 10 days apart at least 2 treatments, 3 if it is a heavy infestation.

If it is particularly nasty infestation, I've had good luck with Ivermectin cattle pour on, a drop on the back of the neck on the bare skin, a drop below the tail above the vent (careful to not get into vent). To be effective you have to treat 7 days apart, 3 successive times.

Here's the parasite article with photos:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

LofMc

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