Do my chickens have mites and how do I get rid of them?

[Luke82]

Whenever I handle my birds I get tiny tiny bugs on me, I can mainly only see them when they get on my phone screen. Is there a way I can get rid of them very fast? I can’t necessarily see them when I look in my chickens feathers.

 

[aart]

Need to part the feathers and look at their skin.

Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[casportpony]

Whenever I handle my birds I get tiny tiny bugs on me, I can mainly only see them when they get on my phone screen. Is there a way I can get rid of them very fast? I can’t necessarily see them when I look in my chickens feathers.

Get some permethrin spray and treat them and the coop.

• https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...dated-with-product-pdfs.1448295/post-24089092
• https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gordons-permethrin-10-livestock-and-premise-spray-32-oz

 

[Luke82]

Need to part the feathers and look at their skin.

Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

Thank you, I will check better tonight. I just have fair next week and am worried I won’t be able to enter my chickens