Help identify this Bug/Parasite on my poor Chickens...*PICS*

[TXmom]

My favorite 8.5 month old BO "Opal" had a purple comb yesterday, so I carefully inspected her and a couple other of my chickens to try to find the problem. I didn't see any lice eggs at the feather bases, nothing icky around the vent areas...eyes, ears, nostrils looked clean...but then I found these weird little bugs under their wings! There were dozens of them on Opal, and a few on Lisa. I don't think they look like lice, mites, fleas or ticks...they're too long and skinny, and way bigger than lice and mites (aren't they tiny...almost microscopic??). These were easy to see, once I was looking for them.

I pulled one of these nasty buggers off of Opal....What are they? And are they parasites???

Here it is on a paper towel next to a grain of rice (for size comparison).

And here's a close-up:

 

[The Chicken People]

Lice or mites use DE on your birds and dust their coop!

 

[1stepcloser]

I found a picture of something that looks similar. http://www.seidata.com/~rausting/books/rthawk5.html

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

It looks like a louse, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[sjarvis00]

Im pretty sure it is a mite. Either way the treatment for lice and mites is the same. you can use Ivermectin pour on for cattle. It will treat for lice, mites, worms. Pretty much all things internal and external. Just use 1/4 cc for bantams and 1/2 cc for standard on the back of the neck.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
DE does NOT get rid of lice and mites it is suppose to be used as a preventative. It does look like some sort of mite but none like I have ever seen. Use poultry dust or adams flea and tick spray with IGR in the coop and nooks and crannies, I use ivermectin pour on as well on the birds rather then going thru all the work to spray or dust them

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Mites

Lice

The article on the Lice gives a very accurate description that fits the picture posted by the OP.

 

[TXmom]

Hmmmm...after doing more research, I guess I would agree with Lice. They don't look at all like mites to me...mites are much tinier and barely visible, and I think they have more legs. Most pics of mites are under a microscope. I didn't see the tell-tale signs of lice (egg clusters at the feather bases near the vent)...but after finding more descriptions of the bugs themselves, that sounds right.

I immediately dusted the coop with DE when I saw the bugs, then I went to the store and bought Sevin and dusted with that. I didn't know I was looking at lice at the time, and I don't know if Sevin works on lice. I'll do some more digging and read about that......

Thanks for all your help!

 

[TXmom]

Quote:
Thanks greenfamily! I found that article, too (about the same time you were posting it

)...and it does say that Sevin works, so hopefully my lice problem will be gone soon, and Opal will get better! She acts fine...still eating and pecking the ground...not lethargic at all. But her comb turned purple yesterday and really scared me....that's why I started inspecting the girls.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
Thanks greenfamily! I found that article, too (about the same time you were posting it

)...and it does say that Sevin works, so hopefully my lice problem will be gone soon, and Opal will get better! She acts fine...still eating and pecking the ground...not lethargic at all. But her comb turned purple yesterday and really scared me....that's why I started inspecting the girls.

You are so welcome! She may be a little anemic. If you have some water-soluble vitamins, she may appreciate some.