day old chick with red mites

[I4Him]

We hav a day old chick infested with red mites. We had been dealing with an infestation prior to the hen sitting on the eggs. Thought we had it gone. We dusted her with Diatomaceous earth prior to letting her sit, then a week later just in case. Now we have a day old chick covered with bites.

Can we do anything for it? I almost hope the other 10 eggs don't hatch!

 

[ReikiStar]

Give the little chick a dunk in nice warm water with Apple Cider vinegar in it. Try to hold them inthe water (up to their neck) for at least 5 minutes to drown the mites and let the ACV do it's job.

You could try spraying down the coop with the ACV too. As for the hen, normally I'd suggest a flea shampoo with permethrin (not pyrethrins) but if she's sitting I wouldn't want the chicks to come in contact with the chemicals in the shampoo. If you're able to bathe her, do the same AVC dunk with her.

 

[Chris09]

I have never had luck with Diatomaceous Earth (DE) so I don't wast the money on it.

Diagnosis:
Lift the tail feathers and blow on the feathers around the vent area to expose the vent. You will see very little red mites scurrying around, and possibly a gray colored nest attached to the skin.
Treatment:
Sevin Dust
Ivomec
Deet, like deep woods off brand repellent.
To treat fowl for red mites, apply a small amount of Sevin Dust to the vent area, and under the wings. Make sure to retreat your birds 10 days after the initial treatment, and pick off any nests still attached to the vent area.
Along with treating the birds, you need to thoroughly clean there bedding and roosting areas, and spread Sevin Dust around liberally on everything afterward, as red mites can live off the bird for approximately six months, and will re-infest your birds after they come in contact with the mites again. Make sure you put it in the nesting areas, on roosts, and in dusting areas.
Also, you can take mites with you from pen to pen on your clothes, and body, so if you find mites, it is a good idea to check all your birds. The treatment of Ivomec is actually a wormer, but it is very effective in keeping mites from coming back because when the mites bite the bird, the Ivomec affects them.


Ivomec Injectable (ivermectin)
Ivomec injectable is used for treatment of worms in your fowl, and can be used to help keep external parasites, like Red Mites, down too.
Dosage
You will need a syringe to get ivomec out of the bottle, and you can use it to apply the dosage listed below by holding the birds mouth open, and dripping it into the back of its throat. Another method is to apply the correct dosage to a piece of bread, then feed it to the bird you are treating.
5 to 7 drops orally for adult size birds.
3 to 5 drops orally for bantam size birds.
It is recommended to worm your fowl on a regular basis, and this method will need to be repeated every 2 to 3 months to keep worms under control. In severe cases, you may want to retreat the bird10 days after the initial treatment, to make sure you take care of the problem.
Ivomec can be purchased at most farm supply stores in the cattle section.
Warning
Take care not to eat the eggs after treating with Ivomec until the treated fowl has laid at least five to seven eggs.

Some of the information above is from Ultimatefowl Wikipedia


Chris

 

[kelar]

I agree with Chris - you need to forget the DE - you can see the results (none) right in front of you. Premises and birds need to be treated asap because the mites will easily kill a baby. I prefer using Adams Flea and Tick plus for these situations, but sevin dust works well too.

 

[dawg53]

I agree that DE is useless in this instance. I do not recommend using ivomec products on a day old chick, it could possibly harm or kill them since their organs arnt fully developed and not able to filter/handle it. I would use sevin dust, a little bit on your finger and gently rub it onto the chick. Do your best not to get it in the eyes or nostrils. Repeat dusting in 10 days.

 

[I4Him]

Thanks for all your advise! We had waged major war on the mites over the winter, but I believe they must be in the insulation in our coop because they gradually keep creeping back. I'll try the apple cider vinegar on the chick. I have Frontline and Ivomec cattle pour-on, so I will Ivomec the hen. I just didn't want to mess with her too much seeing as eggs are in the process of hatching. Would you recommend putting the chick back with her, or should I separate them?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:

Ivomec cattle pour-on, so I will Ivomec the hen.

I have never used Ivomec pour-on I only use the Ivomec Injectable, the Injectable is cheaper and has a wider range of use.
You wold dust everyone and everything and hit the hens with Ivomec.

I would separate the chicks from the hen.

Chris​

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
In this case, I would suggest that you consider moving your birds elsewhere for the time being, and "bomb" the coop with a good pesticide. Not sure which ones come in bomb formula, but preferably one that contains an insect growth regulator and/or will kill eggs as well as all stages of the mites.

 

[I4Him]

Chick #2 just arrived. I bought foggers today. I will be moving everyone out to my summer coop as soon as this hen is done. The summer coops aren't insulated.

They've been vacant since October. We need this coop bug free by end of June for when my daughters' 4H meat chicks arrive. Has anyone ever tried to get mites out of insulation? Does it help to bomb again in 10 days?

Isn't taking the chicks going to be hard on the hen? This is her first batch.

Cindy

 

[JulieAGill]

I have a day old chick that we found this afternoon (10-12) It was laying near mom and we thought was dead. She was laying on the other chicks nearby. The runt isn't dead but has tiny red mites on it. I have Prozap garden & poultry dust. Can I put it on the tiny baby? We believe it was exposed to the open air during the night. I have it on pine shavings, a wash rag and under a light to keep it warm. I have tried giving it sugar water from a dropper and medicated food mixed with sugar water. It is kind of weak but does perk up once in awhile. Any suggestions would help.