All of my roosters have mite infestation; hens are fine

[thkosan]

WOW -- great reference. I think this explains it. I have a Ph.D. and I LOVE a good scientific article! I can't thanl you enough for taking the time to type in the details!

Yes, we use DE we sprinkle food grade in their food for internal parasites. Does a dusting on the bum work for external as well? Maybe we need to dust it around the chicken yard.

Our roos do take dirt baths -- and to support your theory, the one who bathes the most in the dirt had the least infestation.

Thanks for your replies-- this is good, useful stuff!

 

[M@M@2four]

Here's how I dust--as I said before, I use Sevin dust. It works great for my chickens. Whatever you choose to dust with, pick a well venilated area as it will make a bit of a mess and wear gloves. I take a large pan or bucket and set the chicken in and just take small handful of dust and sprinkle and rub in the dust on their back, nape of their necks, base of their tail and around their, under their wings, and chest. Try not to get it in their eyes, but i do rub some carefully on the top of their heads as well and then just set them down or place them where they go if their caged(most of mine free range). I use the pan/bucket because it catches the loose powder, so you can scoop it right out of the bottom and re-use it for the next bird. I then re-treat about 7 days later just to make sure I got everything. We also sprinkle DE on the flooring and in bedding once every couple months. Also, another note, do any of your chickens have raised scales on their legs or feet? Cause they can also be suffering from "scaley leg mites." This is where the mite burrows under the scale of the leg/foot and it causes the scale to raise. It is painful for the chicken and can cause toe loss and discomfort. I treat this by lathering their legs with vaseline. Yes, it's messy, but it suffocates the mite and within a week or two the old, dead skin falls off, revealing new scales and in turn, a much happier, healthier chicken!

Hope this helps!!!

 

[MrsSmitho]

morning!! re-booting this thread...question?

I have an infestation and have lost several chicks...how old do they need to be?? The hens and adult chickens seem to not have a problem with the mitesd, but the "big kid" brooder is inside the coop and I am afraid of them spreading!!
I have spent 2 days bathing the babies and they are in the bathtubs until I know the mites are dead in the coop and on the poor little buggars

So, question is: How old do the chicks need to be to use Eprinex??

Thanks!!
Kim

 

[thkosan]

That's a good question -- and I don't know the answer. I'd like to know, too, so hopefully someone here can answer that. I will also ask around off-line and post a response here if I get one.

 

[thkosan]

The recommendation is 7 months old.

 

[MoodyChicken]

That's how it is with my flock too! You can check any of my hens, not a single mite, don't care how hard you look, you won't find one. But my roos are always heavily infested. I've also noticed that mites prefer lighter colored birds than darker colored (ie, splash, white, self blue). My males and my light colored birds all preen and dustbathe just as often, but they still get bugs. I've been trying to find an answer for this for a while, but all I can think of is that perhaps hormones influence how badly a bird becomes infested. I think mites prefer testosterone. Just a theory I've been mulling around, quite odd though.

 

[thkosan]

Exactly! My darker roos are not as infested as my lighter ones. And the poor light guys are always dirt bathing to get them off, to no avail.

So far the combination of dusting and eprinex are working though...

 

[MoodyChicken]

Quote:
It's pretty dumb, cause the mites stick out like a sore thumb on a white bird. You think they'd want to blend in on a dark bird.

 

[Celtic Hill]

I know this is an old thread, but i just noticed this with one of my roosters. What did you guys do to cure this? I dusted them and looked into the Eprinex, but its like 100 dollars!

 

[thkosan]

As per my Avian vet, I dusted them with Adams flea and tick powder (blue canister for dogs and cats). Use just a little and apply it with gloves. Put a bit in your hands and then run your hands under the chickens' feathers. Worked very well -- the bugs just dropped off dead.