2 Dead chickens in one week?

[Elizabeth Stewart]

Two of my chickens have died in the past week. One died today. She was a white leghorn and the other was a black sex-link. The black sex-link died Tuesday. The white leghorn had some sort of parasite on her after she died. Attached is picture of her head, a picture of her body and a picture of the parasites. I am worried about the others (9 chickens, 1 roo, 2 ducks). Anybody know what these are and how to get rid of them?

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for the circumstances. Your birds are infested with mites. Do an on site search for treatment protocols, and treat immediately. They suck blood and are very debilitating. Birds will need to be treated, and coop will need to be cleaned and treated. Good luck.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

When one loses birds in short order, it is a good idea to have a necropsy.
The mites can kill them but something else could have been wrong which made them more susceptible to the mites.
What sate are you in?

 

[Elizabeth Stewart]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for the circumstances. Your birds are infested with mites. Do an on site search for treatment protocols, and treat immediately. They suck blood and are very debilitating. Birds will need to be treated, and coop will need to be cleaned and treated. Good luck.

Cleaned the the coop today. Put Diatomaceous Earth down in both coops.

 

[lazy gardener]

Please put your state or general location in your profile. It will help folks to give appropriate information.

 

[Elizabeth Stewart]

When one loses birds in short order, it is a good idea to have a necropsy.
The mites can kill them but something else could have been wrong which made them more susceptible to the mites.
What sate are you in?

Northern Nevada

 

[lazy gardener]

DE will do nothing to clear out an infestation. For such an infestation, I recommend that you completely clean out coop and nest boxes, treat with permethrin, paying particular attention to the roosts, and the cracks between roosts and walls. Nest boxes are also a lurking place. You will need to dust your birds as well. Then, you will need to repeat entire treatment again in 7 - 10 days.

 

[lazy gardener]

Also destroy bedding (burn it or remove it from your property). Mites can live without a host for 10 months. If you simply pile the bedding somewhere to compost it, your birds will get reinfected.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That is a serious infestation. Lazy gardener gave excellent advice. I would be treating everyone and everything asap.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
DE is a decent preventative measure but once you have an infestation you need to bring out the big guns.

Nevada state poultry lab information follows.
Call them to see how they want the bird sent.
Most states will e-mail you a FedEx shipping label.

Animal Diagnostic Laboratory
Nevada State Department of Agriculture 4780 East Idaho Street
Elko, NV 89801-3364 Phone: (775) 738-8076
Fax: (775) 738-2639

Animal Diagnostic Laboratory
Nevada State Department of Agriculture 405 South 21st Street
Sparks, NV 89431 Phone: (775) 688-1182 ext. 232
Fax: (775) 353-3600