Mites?

I have seen and heard about chickens getting sick that have mites? How do you know if your chickens have them are what are they? Will I see them? Is it like having lice? I have diatanatious earth and told if you sprinkle in their house you won't get them.

Whether or not DE will prevent mites and lice is controversial--there are proponents who feel very sgtrongly about each side of this question. However, DE will definitely NOT treat mites or lice if present on the bird.

Some mites and lice can be seen and some are microscopic. Some live on the bird and others "visit" them when they roost. Both mites and lice can pass disease to and between birds. Also, most of them suck the blood and cause anemia and other health issues directly from feasting on the birds.

DE will not treat mites as they hatch in the wood, and you should never dust a bird with DE. Mites spend precious little time on the bird, what they do is devestating.

For mites, the best thiung to do is check both in the day and at night - when the birds are on the roost, and several times over two weeks. Also look for ashy substances in the eyes of the wood, in the cracks, etc. Or just do a preventative spray of Permethrin (not pyrethin, and certainly not carbaryl) on the wood of the coop, dust your birds with permethrin dust. Permethrin spray is simply goat lice spray (10%). Use it straight on the wood. Since industries use a diluted version directly on the bird by spray methods, you'll be using it safely and putting the spray where the mites usually are as well as their eggs. Redust the bird with permethrin dust every 7 days for three times total for best effect.

Lice are similar although they spend most of their time on the bird, laying on the bird.

And you'll get mites despite DE because sparrows and wild birds bring them.

I use DE also and just had Mites almost kill 3 of my birds. I thought they had aquired some kind of Resp. desease and have been fighting that for the last week. Just noticed yesterday that they had mites and thats what has caused the other problems. I dusted the birds with Seven dust 5% and sprayed the coop today.

I have tried treating the birds with Duramycin, Corid and Sulmet and nothing was helping the respiatory problems and they were getting worse. Yesterday I started the Tylan 50 injections and the 3 birds are much much better today and I believe their gonna survive.

This, I believe, all started because of Mites. They weaken the birds.

I am still going to use DE but I had to use the spray and Seven Dust to knock them out. If I continue to have problems while using DE then I will stop.

Watch their eyes and nose for swelling and discharge.

Hope this helps.

Steve