can ducks get mites?

[new2ducks]

My ducks sometimes seem itchy. They are let out if their kennel in the morning and hang out in a fenced area all day as long as I'm home to keep an eye on them. It's been dry here and of course little birds enjoy their messes from their food. When we got them from a poultry farm, the woman said that chickens can get mites from the birds and she puts sevin dust on them! I WOULDN'T EVEN USE THAT ON MY GARDEN!!!! My husband wanted a chicken but he changed his mind after hearing that. I also went to an organic farm and she has ducks and chickens who all free range all day. She said it's just nature that they might get that stuff but it's nothing to worry about. She just said that this woman's poultry is all cooped up (pardon the expression) and they aren't happy.

 

[Amiga]

My ducks scratch a little as part of their preening. Bugs are part of the landscape, and also new feathers coming in seem to itch a little.

We have not yet had mite or lice troubles (hope that holds), but I have read you can often see them ( I would need to wear my glasses), some are little tan bugs. Some have said that giving them bathing water all the time helps keep that from being a problem. Some use diatomaceous earth in bedding (with the warning that DE is quite dusty and can cause respiratory problems if clouds of it are inhaled).

 

[new2ducks]

Thank you so much for the information. I really don't want to get any chemicals. I do give them bathing water and change it once during the day. I water my trees and garden with the water and also when the sun is hitting full on the west side of their area I just dump out their water to feed the weeds that they love to eat. They have a small wash tub that's with them all night with fresh water when they are put in their kennel. In the morning I dump that water and fill their bigger mortar tub that they swim in. They do have some fuzz stil so I gues it could be the new feathers. It's been so dry here too so it can even be dry skin.

 

[Amiga]

I would watch closely, and expect that it is new feathers and dry skin. I wonder if adding just a little bit of flax seed to their diet might help the dry skin?

 

[new2ducks]

I will, thank you very much!