Bugs on my chicks!

[dustilaine]

I have 3 day old chicks that were born in my coop. Today I noticed tiny white bugs, about the size of fleas, crawling around on a couple of their heads. What are they and how can I treat them in the coop and in my chick box?

 

[Msulli15]

Diatomaceous earth Should work, they're likely mites I believe. Powder the birds down and put a good layer in the coop w their bedding so the bugs can't nest there either

 

[realsis]

White bugs? Not sure but possibly lice, not the kind humans get but poultry lice? I did a Lot of research on this stuff because a few years back I bought a chick that was full of Northern Foul mites! If I remember correctly lice are usually straw color though. I've not came across a description of a white bug? If you find out for certain please let us know what it is. Even mites that live in the hen house and feed at night are not white. Eggs are whiteish but the bugs are not??

 

[dustilaine]

I'll try to get a pic but it's hard.

 

[dustilaine]

Can't get a pic, they could be straw colored I guess, different sizes, I can see them crawling around on the black chick when they are sleeping under the lamp. Is all that stuff safe for babies? Can I get it at the feed store?

 

[dustilaine]

I think they look most like the picture of a poultry louse. I haven't noticed them on the other chickens so they must not be terrible. They have a lot of dust bathing spots though. Mostly I'm wondering if it's safe to treat the chicks and how.

 

[dustilaine]

I've decided it must be poultry lice and since they were hatched in the coop all the birds must need treated.to what extent should I worry about treating the grown hens? They regularly dustbathe. Are they harmful?
Is sevin dust a good option? I also read that washing the chicks with dawn dish soap is the safest method for them?

 

[itspebbl]

Our chickens had some bugs that were probably lice and what we did was bathe them in
apple cider vinegar water with dish soap. Most of the worse ones I did twice then poured some pure ACV on them after. Might be worth a try if you don't have DE readily available.

 

[Choco Maran]

Yes D Earth is safe for the chicks. Just make sure it is FOOD GRADE Your feed store should be able to help you.

 

[Britney M]

I'm having this same problem what can I put down for them to kill the bugs and not hurt the chicks