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Help!! Red Mites!

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Baker1968

Chirping
Jun 8, 2018
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Terre Haute, IN
My nephew asked me if he could use some of my property for chickens and I agreed. I even purchased a 8x10 Amish Made Coop for him to use on my property. The chickens have been here since April 2017. He abandoned them in August 2017, and I have been caring for them, reading books and researching online. I have attended poultry seminars through our local extension office. The chickens have red mites and I have been completely cleaning the coop weekly. I spray the coop from top to bottom, then place fresh bedding inside and in the nesting boxes, then I spray the run. I spray the coop and the run every 2 days and then completely clean it out once a week. On the days I do not spray, I use DE in the coop and in the run. I also have 2 boxes of DE for them to bathe in. I have also been dusting the chickens individually. I have been doing this for 7 weeks and they are not any better, the rooster actually looks worse than the hens. I took one hen to the vet and he said it was early molting. Then our extension office and a farmer told me it’s red mites. They look terrible and I don’t know what else to do. I want them to feel better and look better. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Baker1968 said:
My nephew asked me if he could use some of my property for chickens and I agreed. I even purchased a 8x10 Amish Made Coop for him to use on my property. The chickens have been here since April 2017. He abandoned them in August 2017, and I have been caring for them, reading books and researching online. I have attended poultry seminars through our local extension office. The chickens have red mites and I have been completely cleaning the coop weekly. I spray the coop from top to bottom, then place fresh bedding inside and in the nesting boxes, then I spray the run. I spray the coop and the run every 2 days and then completely clean it out once a week. On the days I do not spray, I use DE in the coop and in the run. I also have 2 boxes of DE for them to bathe in. I have also been dusting the chickens individually. I have been doing this for 7 weeks and they are not any better, the rooster actually looks worse than the hens. I took one hen to the vet and he said it was early molting. Then our extension office and a farmer told me it’s red mites. They look terrible and I don’t know what else to do. I want them to feel better and look better. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Welcome to Backyard chickens!

DE is not the answer and will not get rid of the mites. You have to treat the chickens with an actual miticide at least twice with a week in between treatments. Best wishes! Mites are tough to get rid of.


Lice and mite treatment.jpg Mite resistance in CA.jpg no_mite_strips_main.jpg Northern Fowl mite on chicken.jpg
 
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I just wanted to say you’ve come to the right place for guidance and answers.

And I’m sorry for what you been through. It wasn’t fair to you or the chickens.

You are a good person to have persevered all this time, and worked hard to learn, and spent your money and energy generously.

You’re amongst friends now.
Welcome to BYC.
 
I've found ivermectin pour-on applied to the back of the neck (easiest at night while they're roosting) to be a fail-safe option for treating the chickens for mite infestations.

Your coop cleaning regiment and use of sprays and DE is also a fantastic preventative measure to stop future outbreaks. Keep doing this, it's fantastic animal husbandry that will keep your flock happy and healthy! Once the outbreak has been contained, you can likely back off a little on the every-other-day schedule and start a new, more sustainable schedule.

You do need to tackle the infestation on the chickens with more than DE though. A lot of folk here are against the use of ivermectin in favour of more organic/natural options, but ivermectin is fast and it works; I'd recommend it every time.
 
:welcome
I'm Haley and I greatly enjoy participating and learning on this site!
There are so many knowledgeable members willing to answer any/all questions...each member has their area of expertise as you will see. I learn something new everyday and am sure u will enjoy BYC as much as the rest of the flock!
We share stories, happiness, and occasionally, grief. I'm sure you'll fit right in so jump on in and enjoy:highfive:
 
Welcome to BYC - you have some great advice already so I'll just say hello!
All the best

Pork Pie
 

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