Every Type of Mite, at once?!

[DellaMyDarling]

A few months back I treated coop and birds with Permethrin 10 for small red mites (seemed a minor breakout). Repeated treatment after that. Things seemed good for a while.

Last week I discovered a horror scene of parasites so I treated every single chicken. Permethrin 10 mixed to directions for bird application, birds dunked in a "bath" of it.

I am not seeing any improvement whatsoever since last Wednesday. I'd say worse.

Butchered a hen who happened to have HUGE crawly things. Darker colored in a red hue. Are these the lice themselves? Haven't seen them on other birds.

I have clearly identified lice eggs on many hens.

Don't see any creatures on the younger birds, just my layers and old farts. They like to roost on a different roost and aren't using nest boxes, don't imagine that saves them forever though.

I can easily see many patches of dark red small mites on several hens.
Some of these hens are also doing poorly in health. Treating one hen for doughy crop right now and I'd venture to say the mites probably pushed her health that direction. Clearly, out of control parasites.


Today, I shall remove bedding from the coop.
I cannot afford tons more bedding right now, which is why I've been trying to avoid this. It costs a good chunk of money because there's so much floor space to cover. Ill source grass clippings and hay first, but will it need to be cleaned out again with another treatment in a week? If bedding is put in compost, will mites survive? Chickens are not free ranging for forseeable future, they wont reinfest themselves from compost if mites will die.

I've been spraying and spraying the roosts. Have no idea if it is a source of reinfestation, but could painting them help me at all? Have paint, could do it NOW and have roost ready for tonight.

What does one do about the run? Is this a concern even? No wood in run. Mostly dirt floor I add excess hay and grass clippings to periodically.

Do the ducks get lice and mites from chickens? They share the space.

The mites keep crawling on us. Are we going to get infested?!


:'(

 

[Folly's place]

Nasty! Wild birds bring in the mites and lice, so it can happen any time, as long as the birds are outside, or wild birds get into the coop and run.
With the bedding gone, spray the entire coop, walls, ceiling, everything. I do use the permethrin powder under new bedding on the floor and in the nest boxes too. Spray all the birds, and it's easiest at night when they are roosting.
I don't have ducks; make sure the permethrin directions are the same for them.
Bedding from outside can also bring in parasites, so be aware when using plant material, including hay or straw.
Call around for prices on baled shavings, because they do vary, and bale size varies too. It doesn't take a lot to cover the floor in 2" to 3", which will do as a start.
Mary

 

[azygous]

You really do have a nightmare situation. I don't envy you. But there's hope.

Several years ago I heard of this product. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042L8S7A/?tag=backy-20

It appears to be hideously expensive, but if it was a two and a half gallon jug of ready-to-spray liquid instead of eight ounces of super thick concentrate that makes gallons and gallons of ready-to-spray solution, no one would balk at the price.

The bottom line is it works. If you are familiar with the "Chicken Chick", she touts it highly for stubborn mite infestations. I've been using off the same 8 oz bottle of concentrate for three or four years and still have two thirds of a bottle left. I have used it for lice and scaly leg mites with huge success. It's supposed to be the last line defense when you have stubborn coop mites that respond to nothing else.

I would even go so far as to recommend you simply spray the solution on everything - bedding, coop, run, and chickens and see if that works before going to all the trouble of replacing bedding.

 

[cmom]

I agree with Mary. I use the shavings on my coop floors too. Most feed stores carry compressed bales. They are usually cheaper than places like TSC and larger in size. I also spray the floors with permethrin before I put the shavings down. I also spray the ceilings, walls, on and under the roosts, any cracks and crevices, inside and outside the nest boxes. I spray thoroughly everywhere. You must repeat spraying weekly for awhile. I put some permethrin powder in places they like to dust bathe. I use the concentrate in a gallon sprayer. My initial spray I mixed the concentrate a little heavy. After the spray dries I put fresh shaving down on the floors and in the nest boxes and sprinkle the Permethrin powder in the shavings. It has worked for me. My birds looked so bad. I thought they were molting which may have been happening too but upon close inspection they were covered with mites. I did bath them and it did help some but not completely. Now the birds are beautiful again but it took quite awhile.

 

[cmom]

Elector PSP is great but very expensive that is why I use permethrin. It works and costs way less. I had mites and a lot of flies. I used permethrin concentrate, mixed it with water in a sprayer and sprayed in the coops thoroughly. With the mites, it does not kill the mite eggs so repeat spraying is necessary. My surprise was it also eliminated most of the flies. It is used on cattle for flies and it works. I have way less flies now. If you have a TSC they carry the permethrin powder, premixed spray bottles and the concentrate. Some of the cow ear tags also have permethrin in them to control flies.

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Our original floor bedding is the compressed bales of shavings.
It took 6 bags (with a few handfuls for each nesting box). $5 a piece.
Start with 4 bags, walk on it for a week, then add the other 2.

It really is a damn nightmare to remove all this deep litter. Loads and loads going to compost one barrow at a time.
I have periodically refreshed just the nest boxes, but was planning on leaving this floor bedding as long as possible. (The whole point of deep litter?)

I'll check that other chemical out, but I'm guessing it costs more than bedding replacement does. Since I still have Permethrin, I can't justify another chemical

 

[cmom]

It is actually isn't an actual chemical it's derived from natural products. There are some versions produced in labs. There is no egg withdrawal with either product. Both are quite effective.

Elector PSP is around $145. per 8 oz/ 1 cup.
Permethrin 10% Is less than $20. for 16 oz/2 cups/1 pint.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosad = ElectorPSP

 

[cmom]

I use shavings but not really deep litter. I'm lucky and have a tractor so I put the used shavings in the bucket and take them to my compost piles. Years ago I used a wheel borrow.

 

[Compost King]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MZGF2E/?tag=backy-20 The spray works fine but I spread this around any new bedding I put in any coop or brooder. Actually I don't even spread it I throw it in haphazardly (feeders removed when I throw it) and and the chickens spread it around. It seems to prevent the little buggers from coming back. I have no official study to say how beneficial it is but since I started adding it I haven't had an infestation. I started adding it after I had a massive infestation. Cleaned out every coop sprayed down every wall floor roost and ceiling. rebedded every coop and added the dust. Same active ingredient as the spray (Permethrin) but it lasts longer. Usually people spray once and then again shortly after to get all the eggs that hatched since the first spraying. I just throw in some dust and I believe (not certain) the dust takes care of the ones that hatched later so I only spray once.
Garden shops carry that product, Not sure if the Chicken Feed stores or TSC does because the Garden Shops tend to be cheaper for such items around here.

 

[cmom]

I buy this at TSC too. It's permethrin dust. I haven't noticed the other mentioned, but next time I go I'll look.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gordons-poultry-dust?cm_vc=-10005