Flea or mite or something else?

[NewBeeChickGurl]

I noticed this on one of my hens....on the eyelid...can anyone tell me what they think it is? Thank you so much!!

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

Here are the other pics with her eyes closed. She seems active enough and eatting and roaming as normal.

Planning to clean out whole coop and treat everyone with DE regardless. Should I be more aggressive?

 

[coach723]

Can't see it close enough to tell what that is. Did you try to wipe it off or remove it? If it's not mites or lice it may be a stick tight flea, those are often seen around the faces where there are no feathers. The article below has close up pictures of those for comparison, and tells how to treat with permethrin, and the second link has pictures of lice and mites, with treatment options. DE is ineffective and may cause respiratory irritation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...tight-fleas-in-poultry-with-permethrin.74325/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

Would DE be good to use at all? Dust bath mix with sand, soil and DE?

Will Neem oil work also? Or is permethrin the only way? I saw a YouTube of a lady using cooking oil and dish soap with water spray for red mites.....thanks for any help.

If it is fleas....I will have to remove it manually or treat it with something? I didn't remove it since the chicken ran away before I could. I will have to check her again.

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

Would DE be good to use at all? Dust bath mix with sand, soil and DE?

Will Neem oil work also? Or is permethrin the only way? I saw a YouTube of a lady using cooking oil and dish soap with water spray for red mites.....thanks for any help.

If it is fleas....I will have to remove it manually or treat it with something? I didn't remove it since the chicken ran away before I could. I will have to check her again.

I'd like to add, idk, my flock seems to be itching lately, but I haven't seen anything crawling on them when I check except for that one picture. Regardless I'm planning to clean out the coop first chance I can....just trying to figure out which products I need to use and if I can possible do something natural if possible. Thankd again.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would just try to see if it comes off. Some ticks are very tiny as well. It could even be a small scab or cyst. Look the chickens over well under the vent and elsewhere for lice or mites. No need to treat them unless you see something. If there is a mite or lice issue, permethrin or Elector PSP are both good for treatment. The mites will hatch every 5-7 days, and lice about every 10 days. So at least 2 treatments 7-10 days apart may be needed to get the mites or lice, and the newly hatched ones. Plus the coop should be treated as well once old bedding has all been removed. DE can irritate eyes and lungs, and won’t treat a bad infestation. Neem works on roosts but has to be applied often. Just having a good dust-bathing area with dirt is fine for them to use.

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

I would just try to see if it comes off. Some ticks are very tiny as well. It could even be a small scab or cyst. Look the chickens over well under the vent and elsewhere for lice or mites. No need to treat them unless you see something. If there is a mite or lice issue, permethrin or Elector PSP are both good for treatment. The mites will hatch every 5-7 days, and lice about every 10 days. So at least 2 treatments 7-10 days apart may be needed to get the mites or lice, and the newly hatched ones. Plus the coop should be treated as well once old bedding has all been removed. DE can irritate eyes and lungs, and won’t treat a bad infestation. Neem works on roosts but has to be applied often. Just having a good dust-bathing area with dirt is fine for them to use.

I'm just thinking they need to be treated since ive got some of my birds with feather problems so I thought I'd just treat for lice, mites, fleas.....even if I don't see them. I'm really ovwhelmed atm with all my chickens going broody and having chicks die (I made a post recently on this and it seems to be ok now, but I won't know what's caused it).

Plus I have a rodent problem atm....I did one of those big trash can feeders with port holes and thought that rats/mouses couldn't get in it...only to see them eating happily at night on the night cam. So I covered the port holes at night and so now the rats and mice just come during the day!! My coop is an open coop but no way rodent proof....but it has kept out the coyotes which is a big problem for me.

I just want healthy birds. They sleep in the open coop which I'm planning to redo when I have a chance, but they have a decent area to roam during the day with both sun and shade under some trees. Since they free range area isn't covered, there are birds and squirrels that will be there also....

I didn't get a chance to drop by the feed store today to get the permethrin but I'll take a look at the hen again today and see if it's on her eyelid anymore. I was at home depot and did get something w/neem oil and I also got something called seven. I know this isn't better than permethrin, but it's what I could get today. Tomorrow is another day tho and I'll try to get something from the feed store.

I've got broody hens in the main coop so I don't want to use anything chemical wise unless I have to and since I can't see any bugs on my chickens I may wait until the chicks are out and I move the mama hens and chicks away to another area.

Thank you for your reply and help....makes me feel less alone in dealing with all these chicken issues that seems to be coming all at once.

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

This is so weird. I got permethrin but since I didn't have it before I decided it wouldn't hurt to just use the DE I had on hand first. I sprinkled it in the coop and I know my original post was on insects, but I do not see any rodents in my chicken coop tonight on my night cam in there.

I actually set up a new rodent trap tonight but I suspect the rodents aren't crossing the DE to get to the peanut butter rodent trap. Also when I was at the feed store today, the lady told me that they sell a lot of DE. I know there a lot of debate on how effective DE is and I'll continue to keep a watch on my flock but it is a pleasant surprise that I think the DE is keeping rodents away. I should put out some cinnamon and peppers also to continue to keep the rodents away.