Best dust for mites?

[rojororeo]

Okay, so I bought a new to me coop Tuesday and it came with 5 chickens.
I saw one had a bit of a goopy butt. So I looked closer, and a chunk of what I can only assume was old poop and bedding was stuck to her butt feathers. I got it off. But I did see that her butt feathers are rather dirty and goopy, and the other birds appear the same. Her vent was very clean and not swollen, and I am fairly sure she is laying fine. I got 4 eggs Wed and 3 Thurs, so not bad for 5 just uprooted chickens, I would think.
Several of them were also picking at each other's butt feathers last night when they went to bed.
I looked up pics on mites vs. lice, etc., and it appears to be mites.
I am going to bathe everyone and then treat the coop as well as the birds. I will have a better idea of the bug once I bathe.
My question- which is better, Sevin dust or the permethrin powder for mites? I am buying both to have them on hand.
Also what is the withhold period for both in regards to eggs? And if there is a period, can I feed the eggs to the dogs, or boil and feed back to the chickens?

Thanks so much, BYC is awesome!

 

[Wyandottes7]

I would use the Sevin. I have used it, and it works. There is some controversy over the correct withdrawal period when using Sevin, but I think that it is seven days. If using Sevin, you will want to dust once, and then dust again a week later. This is because mite eggs take one week to hatch. So, in total, you will have fourteen days when you should not eat the eggs.

 

[sumi]

Both sevin and permethrin are good, though I personally prefer sevin. I've always eaten the eggs afterwards, with no ill effects.

 

[rojororeo]

Thank you!! So that must be where a neighbor got the 14 day withdrawal period. I hadn't factored in the 2nd application for the withdrawal, just that I knew to do it.
Do you have any thoughts on feeding the eggs to animals?

 

[rojororeo]

Okay, so I have a new question related to the possible mites.
I just got done doing a thorough examination of all 5 chickens- not a single bug to be found on any. It is 12noon, I did it in bright sunlight. I felt no bugs on me, saw none on them, saw no raw skin.
What I had thought was due to mites, it can just be chickens that poop sitting on a 4inch roost and it gets stuck to their feathers, I hope?
I did spend a very thorough time picking out all of the poop on each one, I just did it dry, scraping it all off. Fortunately they were all quite calm and went to sleep.
So, my question- am I missing the bugs, or do we just have a case of dirty poop roost butts?

Thanks so much!!

 

[cafarmgirl]

They could also have intestinal parasites causing the poopy butts. Probably need to deworm them. Valbazen would be a good choice. 1/2 cc per standard bird, repeat in 10 days.

As a side note: If indeed they did have lice/mites, you need to do more then just one follow up treatment. You need to treat coop and birds every 10 day until the bugs are gone. It's so easy to miss a few and then they just repopulate. It's best to spray the coop down with Sevin as it's easy to get the spray into all the nooks and crevices.

 

[rojororeo]

They could also have intestinal parasites causing the poopy butts. Probably need to deworm them. Valbazen would be a good choice. 1/2 cc per standard bird, repeat in 10 days.

As a side note: If indeed they did have lice/mites, you need to do more then just one follow up treatment. You need to treat coop and birds every 10 day until the bugs are gone. It's so easy to miss a few and then they just repopulate. It's best to spray the coop down with Sevin as it's easy to get the spray into all the nooks and crevices.

I def. agree on the retreating, if it is needed! Now, do you think they have external parasites? Or can a person with really good vision and a thorough exam not find any and be fairly sure they are clear of them?
Also- the Valbazen- do you hold back eggs? Where do I get it and I assume that is a syringe in the mouth I do? Thank you so much!!

 

[mikeumr]

Any help identifying problem?

Mh hens have had raw lower backs for most of this year. Particularly my 2 black australorps who are also a bit raw on the backs of their necks. I have not seen any bugs or eggs on them but it looks like they're gnawing off their feathers. Themselves or each others.

 

[rojororeo]

Any help identifying problem?

Mh hens have had raw lower backs for most of this year. Particularly my 2 black australorps who are also a bit raw on the backs of their necks. I have not seen any bugs or eggs on them but it looks like they're gnawing off their feathers. Themselves or each others.

Hmm. that big one on the right is a rooster, right? I think those are marks from being topped too much by a rooster, that would make her his fav. . I am a chicken newbie, so I might be wrong. But def different than my girls. Mine have no real feather damage, tho one EE has a bit missing on the sides of her neck. And slightly ratty tail feathers.

 

[mikeumr]

Yah, that was my second guess but haven't found any discussions on that to compare to what I'm seeing.