Any mite/bug evidence?

[SemiSweet2391]

I’m trying to treat my chickens’ plucked bums. I will be doing a permethrin spray, and I’ll start worming them tomorrow. I’ve given them some probiotics too.

Are there any bugs/mites on my chicken’s bare bum? I haven’t dealt with them yet so I’m not sure what to look for. Tia!

(P.S. Past thread related to this issue:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bare-bums-dirty-bums-help-diagnose.1685259/#post-29060305)
(P.P.S. Sorry the pics aren’t very good)

 

[alinas2010]

I don’t see any evidence of mites/lice. Just looks like feather plucking to me. Might be caused by other flock members yanking on feathers.

The best place to look for mites/lice is right by the vent and easiest at night when they’re on the roost for bed.

Here is what mites will look like - see all the brown clumping at the base of her feathers? This hen also injured herself itching at the mites:

Here are more pictures. Mites can case a scabby build up on the skin. It is made of dead skin and mite droppings and that’s what they sort of “live” in:

Mites on egg:

A lot of times you will see poop stuck on the butt feathers when a hen has a mite infestation:

 

[SemiSweet2391]

This is super helpful, thank you. I do have one hen with a poopy bum, so I think I ought to go forward with the permethrin. Is it bad for them to treat if they don’t have mites?

 

[alinas2010]

This is super helpful, thank you. I do have one hen with a poopy bum, so I think I ought to go forward with the permethrin. Is it bad for them to treat if they don’t have mites?

I can only speak about permethrin powder because that’s what I’ve used for mites. While Permethrin is effective at killing mites, the powder can cause respiratory issues for both humans and chickens, so for that reason I would not treat unless needed. It also requires at least one more application a few days after the first one to kill any hatched eggs, so you’d have to commit to that second application, also. If you feel batter treating them, that is completely up to you, though.

Have you checked all of your chickens for mites/lice? I do powder all of them if I see one who has mites, even if the others don’t seem to have any on them.

A messy bum can be caused by more than just mites. It can be because of diet, an extra fluffy bum, or the hen just isn’t able to shoot poop out as far, among other things.

 

[SemiSweet2391]

Hm okay. I have checked everyone, and I can’t see any mite evidence. Maybe I’ll just keep monitoring it and treat if/when I find mites.