Fleas? Depluming mite?

[Livipedia]

I'm starting to get super frustrated as this issue is one I feel I have been battling for over a year and nothing has been effective.

Two of my hens have bald patches with crusty skin, one on her neck and the other on her belly. I determined it was not cannibalism after lots of careful observation, and I put goggles on all my hens for a few months. Instead of getting better, the issue got worse with both of them. The other hens seem to be unaffected. I suspect they may have depluming mite or be feather pulling on themselves at night from stress. I treat the coop with Spinosad, normally, but this weekend I busted out pyrethin and sprayed down the whole thing, letting it completely dry and changed the bedding from straw to pine shavings. Then I bathed all the girls with Sebozole shampoo. Ivermectin does not seem to have any effect thus far.

I noticed today when I went out to the coop that there are hundreds of tiny black specks all over after I sprayed. They are barely noticeable and don't seem to have any features other than being slightly shiny. They are maybe the size of a pinhead and predominantly on the roosts and quite a few collected on the piece of bailing twine I use to hang the waterer. There are little dried drops of what looks like blood all over my roosts, also. I haven't seen any mites around since I sprayed. It reminds me of flea dirt. I'm wondering if they are chicken fleas, but I can't seem to find much information on them about signs of them. We have also been having issues with vermin around, so I'm wondering if they are attracting parasites.

What is eating my chickens? One of them is looking very thin, the others seem okay but egg production and condition has dropped. I have never dealt with any problem like this with hens that has been this stubborn. I'm about ready to burn this coop to the ground.

 

[MrPepers]

If you think that it is some sort of mite like creature on your chickens, sprinkle diatomaceous earth against your chickens skin and all around the inside of you coop and run. It does not harm the chickens and is a natural way to kill mites.

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

The spots just sound like flyspecks. If you think it's fleas, you can give them a bath with dog fleabath stuff.

 

[Livipedia]

I have never had any luck with DE and I don't use it anymore. Seems to work until you actually get parasites. Furthermore it can cause respiratory issues, so it's not necessarily safe.

 

[Livipedia]

The spots just sound like flyspecks. If you think it's fleas, you can give them a bath with dog fleabath stuff.

I think you are right, I looked it up and those fit the description. I'm still wondering what is making them pull out their feathers, so I think the culprit is depluming mite. Conventional mite treatments don't work on them since they burrow under skin.

 

[Jessica Spaw]

do the spots move at all like they're alive? Did the spots show up before or after you sprayed? If after, how long after? if you want to use DE make sure it is food grade not filter grade. The latter contains more silica. Filter grade is for use in soil to kill flea eggs, grubs, etc in garden soil and yards. i read you can feed it to them and dust them with it. look it up though for more details. Good luck!

 

[Livipedia]

do the spots move at all like they're alive? Did the spots show up before or after you sprayed? If after, how long after? if you want to use DE make sure it is food grade not filter grade. The latter contains more silica. Filter grade is for use in soil to kill flea eggs, grubs, etc in garden soil and yards. i read you can feed it to them and dust them with it. look it up though for more details. Good luck!

They don't move and they seem to have been there before I sprayed. I think previous comment was correct that they are simply fly specks. Still doesn't resolve what I suspect is depluming scabies, and DE won't have any effect on that. Again, I don't use DE, I have tried and found it completely ineffective. My chooks were coughing and sneezing too.

 

[Seabright12]

Have you had any success treating your chickens? I'm thinking mine have depluming mites too.

 

[Livipedia]

Have you had any success treating your chickens? I'm thinking mine have depluming mites too.

I have not. I tried sulfur cream/rinse with no luck, so I'm thinking the culprit may indeed simply be cannibalism. We're going to try building a better coop this fall and give them more feeders/space

 

[Jillio]

I have not. I tried sulfur cream/rinse with no luck, so I'm thinking the culprit may indeed simply be cannibalism. We're going to try building a better coop this fall and give them more feeders/space

Since they have crusty skin, it really does make me think depluming mite. That's what they produce, is cristy skin where they buried in to eat the feathers. Did you happen to notice feather plumage slowly leaving the areas before they went bald there? My flock has these as well and it is such a pain. I hear and am about to try Ivermectin pour on, from Tractor Supply, and I believe you only use a very small amount on back of beck. Like a drop. I know you said this hasn't worked so far for you but wasn't sure if that's the same kind you used or not. Any update on your chickens?