POOPY BUTT = MITES OMG

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mom wewantchicks!

mom wewantchicks!

Songster
11 Years
Apr 23, 2008
366
1
149
buckhannon,wv
i was just reading another post about mites. they said if your chickens have poopy butts that they have mites. ewwww,a few of my hens had poopy butt this summer and after posting about it my dd and i did chicken butt cuts for them lol. now they all have it again and i just figured they needed another cut. but if this true,do my girls have mites. i dont see any when i look, but im totally grossed out now,i mean my kids carry this chickens around like cats for gods sake. i have never treated for mites,or worms or anything,everyone seems healthy and happy. so if this is true,what am i looking for and how do i get rid of it. seriously its flipping cold out but im going out to inspect my chickens right now
 
Look around the vent area at night wiyh a flash light. I treat for worms about 3x a year and lice/mites everytime I clean the coop. I sprinkle the floor. roost, nest boxes with Sevin dust.
 
You'll see little black dots crawling around. Treat with Sevin, as Katrinag says, and it'll be fine.

Don't worry about mites getting on your kids or cat. They're species-specific and while the mites might transfer to the skin of the cat or kid, they can't survive on anything except a bird. It has to do with how their mouth parts are adapted to various skin types. They can't even bite humans.
 
The bugs I find on my chickens aren't black but a pale tan. They're very small & more cigar-shaped than dots. I look for them on the backs of their necks first, fluffing the feathers up so I can see their skin there. If I don't see any there but are still suspicious, then I'll look in the bare patch under their wings. If not there but I'm still suspicious, then I'll examine the vent.

I often check necks whenever I'm holding a chicken for any other reason. And I treat with 5% Sevin dust, in a shaker container (like one for parmesean cheese) or the toe of an old stocking. I apply it to those same areas I check, the back of the neck, under the wings, & around the vent.

Edited to add: I would be careful about dusting chickens with DE. It's really bad for you if inhaled or gets in your eyes. It's bad enough dusting them with the Sevin, I keep a bandana over my nose & mouth, wear glasses, & need to take a thorough shower afterwards. I think most folks just spread the DE on the floors & in the chickens' dust bath places.
 
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There are all different types of mites and bugs that hit them in different, specific areas...let me see if I can find the link that discusses the differing types...

They don't have to look like other people's experiences looked- if the feather shaft isn't clean where it goes into the skin or the skin is infested with spots of any kind, you have a parasite. I have had NO experience with this in my chickens, but I've heard Sevin, DE and Ivermectin are particularly helpful. I also know that with any infestation, you need to re-treat in 10 days to hit the bugs that hatch from the eggs, because eggs don't respond to the treatment. You have to re-treat because they'll hatch, and you want to get them before THEY lay eggs...it's crucial to re-treat.

I'll post that link when I find it.
 
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Thanks for the heads up.
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So far I've only been using the food grade DE mixed in with my DLM (deep litter method). The next time I check the girls, I'll do a closer inspection. I saw some poopy feathers on one or two of them, but their vents looked clear of any pests. Knock on wood. I sure hope it stays that way. I'm doing pretty good at this chicken raisin' thing, but the moment it turns medical, I think I'm gonna be down and out for the count.
idunno.gif
 
Oh no, my Buff orpington has a poopy vent, maybe that's why she's been laying eggs in the yard! YUCK! We were planning on cleaning the coop this weekend anyhow, time to use the poultry protector spray and order some DE online! Maybe that's what's crawling on one of my eggs in the incubator from her- how disgusting! She's the only one though, that has it.....
 
Ok, so I got paranoid. I went and checked all my hens and their vents are all clean- no creepy crawlies at night when checked with a flashlight. Whew! Thank Goodness! I still have the poultry protector ready!

Maybe my Buff orpington was just too fat and fluffy to preen very well. I trimmed the offending clumped feathers with scissors. I swear it was like performing surgery so close to the vent! Yipes! Reminds me of when one of my first chicks had pasty butt.... Never quite trusted me after that....

What a relief to know their dust/sand/bath spot works wonders.
 
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Hmmmm, you might want to cross refernece that with a whole host of posts on BYC covering the topic of dusting chickens with the food grade DE only. Seems to me I've read that many organic poultry raisers are using it effectively to combat many insect infestations on the birds. I don't believe you use huge quantitiies, either, a little goes a long way.
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I've read many posted success stories, with no ill effects to the chooks.
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