Eye mites

[louiseschwieker]

My chicken hasn't been feeling well for around 2 weeks and I JUST noticed she has little mites all over her eyes. I posted a couple times about a possible respiratory infection and I've been giving her antibiotics this whole time like an idiot, not noticing her eyes up close. I bathed her body with soap, and rinsed her head off and put olive oil on her eyes and face. She's drying as I'm typing this. She's taking short small steps to walk around but I feel like she can see a little better. What should I do now? Thanks

 

[louiseschwieker]

I think I got them all off. I put the ivermectin high on her neck so she doesn't preen it. It was blue and smelled like rubbing alcohol. I hope i got the right stuff lol. She looks like crap right now

 

[dawg53]

If you live down south, you might be dealing with stick tight fleas. The fleas attach themselves around the eyes and face. Birds scratch around their eyes/face and an open wound can become infected.
Smothering the fleas with vaseline will kill them as will any oil based product. Ivermectin pour on will kill them as well. The problem is that the fleas will still be stuck or buried in the skin even when they're dead. If you dont pluck them out, chickens will continue to scratch and/or the effected areas can become infected.
You'll have to pluck them out one by one.
This is the time of the year stick tight fleas are at their worst. They come up out of soil to feed and reproduce.
You can spray liquid permethrin on the soil or malathion to kill them. A freeze would be best to kill them all.
Please post a close-up pic when you get the chance so we can see if they're lice/mites or stick tight fleas.

 

[janiedoe]

If i did give her too much ivermectin, what should I do?

I dont think you gave her too much. This past summer I accidently dosed the same 10 week chick old twice (I had four that were almost identical) I suffered from anxiety for a couple of days but he wasn't hurt in the least.
You could try giving her Poultry Cell in her water. I had a horrible time with lice and my hens were looking pale. While treating the lice I gave Poultry Cell and it really perked them up. It has iron & b12. She may need that extra iron if she lost very much blood from the lice or mites.

 

[WhiteWyan]

No, not in the eyes. You can do what I did and put 5 drops of ivermectin pour on directly to the skin. The eggs must be thrown out for 10 days in my opinion. Pull her feathers gently back to expose the skin and drop it on. Also you need to thoroughly clean the chickens residence and also treat the whole flock.
Mites are horrible but treatable.

 

[louiseschwieker]

I can't find ivermectin on the TSC website. And I'll post pictures of her after I take a shower. After finding the mites I feel itchy! Uggghhh

 

[WhiteWyan]

Of course! It might be locked in a glass case.
You can repeat treatment a week later if you think it's necessary but I never had to. One dose and we were good.

 

[louiseschwieker]

I dont think you gave her too much. This past summer I accidently dosed the same 10 week chick old twice (I had four that were almost identical) I suffered from anxiety for a couple of days but he wasn't hurt in the least.
You could try giving her Poultry Cell in her water. I had a horrible time with lice and my hens were looking pale. While treating the lice I gave Poultry Cell and it really perked them up. It has iron & b12. She may need that extra iron if she lost very much blood from the lice or mites.

Thank you!

 

[louiseschwieker]

My whole family voted me for that too

 

[louiseschwieker]

I'm literally shaking I'm so worried. I've never had this problem before and I have no idea what to do