Help....Bugs

[mmajw]

How does one know if Your chickens or Roosters has lice or mites?

I dont know what either one of these looks like or how to treat.

I saw a few little white bugs near my Roosters eye, they crawled around near his eye then crawled up near his comb and into his feathers.

Uggghhhhh Nasty what were they????

 

[MissPrissy]

Your chickens have chicken lice. You cannot catch it. It is species specific.

I use Sevin dust - gardening dust by any other name is not the same. You want the brand name Sevin 5% dust.

I cut the foot off a pantyhose and fill it with the dust. Tie the end off. Now you have a powder puff to dust with. Work quick but gentle. Turn up your chickens upside down carefully. They will usually relax and hold out their wings. Use the puff and pwder them up from vent to neck. Don't puff it too much it is not that great for them to inhale it. You either. Put a bandana over your nose and mouth.

Clean out the coop. Liberally dust the coop. Add new bedding and dust it too.

Redust your birds in 7 days. Check them again after 7 days and they should be gone. If not dust them again.

2 dustings should work.

 

[mmajw]

So how would I know if we had mites?

I saw them on my Roo who free ranges during the day and only comes into the coop at night in his own seperate pen.

Do I need to dust the ladies too even though they are not kept together? I just put 6 week old pullets in another pen in the coop as well should I dust them too? Can I dust 6 week olds?

ETA: The only place I saw them on my Roo was near his face and comb. Would they also be on the top of his feathers?

 

[MissPrissy]

Lice and mites live down at the skin. At night they feed down around the wet vent. White or clearish is usually lice. Mites are red/brown/black. I would dust everyone but the babies unless you see bugs on them too.

 

[mmajw]

Ok so I dusted the Roo and he wasnt real impressed about going upside down. So, I did his top and lifted his wings and did underneath and I did his vent area and his belly side. I attempted to dust the ladies and they all took off to the run. I will have to get them later.

Did I dust him ok??

Now what ???

 

[MissPrissy]

You will have better luck if you go out at night and get them while they roost. Turn up a few bottoms with a flashlight and take a look around the vent.

 

[mmajw]

Only dust the ones that I can tell have bugs??? Or try and dust all even though they dont come in contact with eachother??

 

[MissPrissy]

Bugs crawl from place to place. I would dust them all and the coop.

 

[mmajw]

Thank you for all your help

 

[MissPrissy]

You're welcome.