I’ve had mites, in my little flock of three, for several weeks now. That’s the first time I’ve heard of using coconut oil! I really dislike using chemicals so this is ideal - I’m out on Monday to get some! Thankyou so much!
This article provided excellent pictures of the pests being discussed and very descriptive explanations how to complete the process. My rating is based on some questions regarding how the chicken is effected after this process is completed.
I am a new chicken owner and I have a few questions about using coconut oil on the chicken. How will this effect the chicken in future dustbaths? Won't the coconut oil cake up the dust and other materials in the bath and create a mess on the chicken? How do you prevent this from being an issue?
I have given this article a four star rating mainly because of the pictures and the details of treating in the ear and around the eyes. But I do have some concerns.
The article seems to deal with one type of mite; the so called Red Mite. But, the Red Mite does not live on the chicken! The Red Mite lives in the coop, or environment. It tends to feed at night and return to its place of hiding in daylight, or when exposed to light. It is easy to mistake lice for red mite because the Red Mite has a similar colour to a Louse until it has fed. It is the blood the mite sucks from the chicken that turns it's body red.
There are many other mites that live on the chicken. The number of different types of mites on the planet has yet to be established. My point here is that the most common mites that live on the chicken are not red and some are very difficult to see with the naked eye. I doubt that many people have seen the Scaly Leg Mite, or The Straw Itch Mite. You can see The Northern Fowl Mite and The Feather or Depluming Mite with the naked eye.
While it is true that an accurate application of coconut oil wil kill a mite and such a method may be suitable for dealing with mites one can see in sensitive areas such as the ear and eyes (The mite drowns or is suffocated by the oil) this isn't a practical method of treating a large scale infestation.
I liked the mention of alternative chemical treatments to the standard most commonly recommended. This is helpful for people who live in regions where Permethrin and Ivermectin may be difficult to source. I have no idea of their efficacy but any insecticide should do the job. The concern is allergic skin reactions to some common insecticides.
I also need to point out the very common mistake in the belief that dust bathing will erradicate mites. Chickens dust bath primarily to absorb the waste oils that condition their feathers. While it may be true that some mites, and moreso lice, may be dislodged during dust bathing, a major infestation will not be addressed by dust bathing.
Thanks for the review and input! I feel like I made clear the mites are only red when sucking the blood, and that is what the owner needs to search for. I have to disagree with your claim that the mites do not live on the chicken. Once they attach and turn red, they do not detach, they will eat and stay until removed or the host dies. It is the red clusters that are dangerous and must be removed and the white ones i only offered a method to see them at night, nothing else. Chickens dust bathing will definitely shake up the hundreds of thousands of mites, but since I defined an infestation only as the red blood suckers, it is not a part of the discussion whether dust bathing is to remove mites or not, because I did not say dust bathing was a method to remove the red clusters.
My future updates will be to add more photos of red mite clusters, because I feel like it will help owners identify potentially fatal mite infestations especially for the 0-3 month old chicks.
My future updates will be to add more photos of red mite clusters, because I feel like it will help owners identify potentially fatal mite infestations especially for the 0-3 month old chicks.