Flea dust? Mites? Lice?

[Shannon93]

I have a 2.5yo RIR who seemed very lethargic today, after a closer look, she has what looks like flea dust around her tail feathers. I may have seen a tiny black dot moving but could have been a trick of the eye, not sure. What could it be and how do I get rid of it? Other hens seem happy and healthy, skin and all. Thanks!

 

[Perris]

I don't know what that is, but have you looked at the relevant articles? Click on the 'Articles' tab at the top, then 'Learning centre', then from 'Categories' in the left panel click on 'Predators and Pests' . There are 43 articles there, so you should be able to match up your bird's symptoms with the cause, and find out how to treat it. Good luck!

 

[dawg53]

It's probably debris from dust bathing. Mites are tiny, red or black in color and have 8 legs. They move slowly or not at all. You can go out to the coop at night with a flashlight and inspect roosts for crawling mites, the chickens legs as well.
You can go ahead and dust her with Permethrin dust if you think it's in her best interest, but you'll need to closely inspect the other birds and treat accordingly including inside the coop.