Mites!
I’ve neglected the coop clean out I thought I’d do late this summer, and now I’ve discovered some kind of tiny mites, they crawl onto my hands when I grab the roosting bars or mess with the nest material. They are out during the day roaming around and I think in the coop poop tray bedding under the roost bars too. Last night I ran a paper towel under and around the roost bars, checked one chicken’s vent not very well (much protesting so I made it short and will look better tomorrow), and ran the paper towel in crevices and under the roost bars again this morning, even over a bunch I found on the roost bar end - no red smears at all. So I don’t think they are red mites. Maybe Northern Fowl Mites?
I also had not purchased the Permethrin 10% liquid I think folks talked about earlier in this thread, though I had it ready to go in a cart, so now it is coming in a few days. Of course now I can't find the FBA posts around that.
So in the meantime I took everything out of the coop and nest box (plastic Omlet coop) and put that in the compost pile, and took out all the parts I could easily remove - the roost bars, both doors, the nest box divider, the poop tray, and strongly hosed it all down, then brush-scrubbed them and everywhere I could get into, tray rails, ceiling and walls, with a solution of water and dish detergent, then hosed that down again and finally wiped dry with a towel. The idea being that at least I can maybe reduce the free-ranging numbers that aren't actually living on the ladies. Replaced everything, and put new pine shavings in the nest box. Made it just under the sunset roosting time wire, gotta say the ladies were telling me to hurry up and put it all back together!
I plan on doing it all again when the permethrin liquid arrives, this time ending with a spray of the permethrin diluted to some amount - and letting it sit in and on all the coop surfaces for 15 minutes? Then repeat the spray again that day? Leave it on? And then wait a week and repeat it again? Also, assuming these guys are on the chickens (these mites are visible on my own skin, I think I'll be able to see them), giving the ladies a spray around their vents and under the wings, and neck and back, and massaging the spray in, as I saw on a Tractor Supply video? And do I repeat that in a week?
That's my question - in searching on BYC articles and in my Chicken Health Book (but I'll check again) there isn't really nuts-and-bolts instructions on procedure. I'll post this elsewhere too. Thanks for your advice!
I’ve neglected the coop clean out I thought I’d do late this summer, and now I’ve discovered some kind of tiny mites, they crawl onto my hands when I grab the roosting bars or mess with the nest material. They are out during the day roaming around and I think in the coop poop tray bedding under the roost bars too. Last night I ran a paper towel under and around the roost bars, checked one chicken’s vent not very well (much protesting so I made it short and will look better tomorrow), and ran the paper towel in crevices and under the roost bars again this morning, even over a bunch I found on the roost bar end - no red smears at all. So I don’t think they are red mites. Maybe Northern Fowl Mites?
I also had not purchased the Permethrin 10% liquid I think folks talked about earlier in this thread, though I had it ready to go in a cart, so now it is coming in a few days. Of course now I can't find the FBA posts around that.
So in the meantime I took everything out of the coop and nest box (plastic Omlet coop) and put that in the compost pile, and took out all the parts I could easily remove - the roost bars, both doors, the nest box divider, the poop tray, and strongly hosed it all down, then brush-scrubbed them and everywhere I could get into, tray rails, ceiling and walls, with a solution of water and dish detergent, then hosed that down again and finally wiped dry with a towel. The idea being that at least I can maybe reduce the free-ranging numbers that aren't actually living on the ladies. Replaced everything, and put new pine shavings in the nest box. Made it just under the sunset roosting time wire, gotta say the ladies were telling me to hurry up and put it all back together!
I plan on doing it all again when the permethrin liquid arrives, this time ending with a spray of the permethrin diluted to some amount - and letting it sit in and on all the coop surfaces for 15 minutes? Then repeat the spray again that day? Leave it on? And then wait a week and repeat it again? Also, assuming these guys are on the chickens (these mites are visible on my own skin, I think I'll be able to see them), giving the ladies a spray around their vents and under the wings, and neck and back, and massaging the spray in, as I saw on a Tractor Supply video? And do I repeat that in a week?
That's my question - in searching on BYC articles and in my Chicken Health Book (but I'll check again) there isn't really nuts-and-bolts instructions on procedure. I'll post this elsewhere too. Thanks for your advice!
fl
Fingers crossed I'm not jinxing myself! It was earlier in the year, and so far so good for the past 2 months.) The next coop I make (in process now), I am gluing the heck out of it so fewer places for them to hide, as per 
