- May 25, 2013
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My birds free range and always have. They are almost 2yrs old. My birds never had mite/lice problems until I moved this past October. Early this Spring I noticed my Polish had a head full dark debris - upon inspection I realized it was full of mites. I checked all my birds over...she and a sultan were the only ones that seemed affected (likely their poofy heads were perfect dwellings).
I clean their shavings twice per month and always sprinkle the new bedding with permethrin powder. I gave the puffy headed birds bathes and doused their 'wigs' with the powder. I cut off any head/vent feathers that held eggs. I thought everything was fine- everyone was acting fine... until I notice that not only did the mites NOT go away, most of my birds were now affected. Mainly my tiny antwerps whom spend all day in the leaves along the wood line (we have 1 acre completely fenced in and used the tree-line as fence posts for our chicken wire) so they can't go in the woods but can go up to it. We are surrounded by woods on 3 sides. One of our roosters we don't usually pick up, because he is mean, completely stunk- we could not tell what had happened but there was a huge whole instead of a vent plugged with fecal matter. I was so upset that perfectly healthy looking and acting birds were suddenly being devoured by microscopic mites. We culled the rooster....
I treated all 50 birds with Ivermectin Pour On. I put 2-3 drops on most my small bantams and 5-7 on my standards. It seems to have done the trick on the ONE bird with lice. Half my birds seemed mite free (???) but the birds who had mite infestations seemed untouched- I thought maybe I did not dose them enough so put 2 more ivermectin drops on an Antwerp hen that had a red irritated vent AND powdered her vent with permethrin ....2 days later I inspected her and to my dismay found MITES crawling all over her now scabby and swollen vent that looked raw and smelled infected! I immediately brought her inside gave her a warm bath in a disinfecting/antifungal dog shampoo and powdered her yet again with permethrin- however it clumped on her damp feathers and she kept trying to groom herself and was eating the wet powder so I rinsed her off for fear of her becoming ill...hoping that enough residue was still on her skin. Because of her vent smelling of rotting flesh I gave her a 0.1 ml of baytril which was probably more than she needed.
Now, I am noticing a couple other birds with irritated vents- I am ready to cry!!!!!!! I can't take these mites. I am doing all I can and failing. I applied the ivermectin 1 week ago, if that....I would think things would be getting better not worse.
Is there a yard spray I can saturate the environment with that will be safe for the birds and eggs?
I know that pest control companies can spray treat yards for ticks - I am assuming that it would also take care of mites...but how safe is that for the birds to continue free ranging on chemical treated soil/grass????
I am so upset over these disgusting parasites.
Also not sure what to do about my sweet birds and their irritated vents... it seems I inspect a bird that looks fine and 2 days later they are NOT fine... :/
Help
I clean their shavings twice per month and always sprinkle the new bedding with permethrin powder. I gave the puffy headed birds bathes and doused their 'wigs' with the powder. I cut off any head/vent feathers that held eggs. I thought everything was fine- everyone was acting fine... until I notice that not only did the mites NOT go away, most of my birds were now affected. Mainly my tiny antwerps whom spend all day in the leaves along the wood line (we have 1 acre completely fenced in and used the tree-line as fence posts for our chicken wire) so they can't go in the woods but can go up to it. We are surrounded by woods on 3 sides. One of our roosters we don't usually pick up, because he is mean, completely stunk- we could not tell what had happened but there was a huge whole instead of a vent plugged with fecal matter. I was so upset that perfectly healthy looking and acting birds were suddenly being devoured by microscopic mites. We culled the rooster....
I treated all 50 birds with Ivermectin Pour On. I put 2-3 drops on most my small bantams and 5-7 on my standards. It seems to have done the trick on the ONE bird with lice. Half my birds seemed mite free (???) but the birds who had mite infestations seemed untouched- I thought maybe I did not dose them enough so put 2 more ivermectin drops on an Antwerp hen that had a red irritated vent AND powdered her vent with permethrin ....2 days later I inspected her and to my dismay found MITES crawling all over her now scabby and swollen vent that looked raw and smelled infected! I immediately brought her inside gave her a warm bath in a disinfecting/antifungal dog shampoo and powdered her yet again with permethrin- however it clumped on her damp feathers and she kept trying to groom herself and was eating the wet powder so I rinsed her off for fear of her becoming ill...hoping that enough residue was still on her skin. Because of her vent smelling of rotting flesh I gave her a 0.1 ml of baytril which was probably more than she needed.
Now, I am noticing a couple other birds with irritated vents- I am ready to cry!!!!!!! I can't take these mites. I am doing all I can and failing. I applied the ivermectin 1 week ago, if that....I would think things would be getting better not worse.
Is there a yard spray I can saturate the environment with that will be safe for the birds and eggs?
I know that pest control companies can spray treat yards for ticks - I am assuming that it would also take care of mites...but how safe is that for the birds to continue free ranging on chemical treated soil/grass????
I am so upset over these disgusting parasites.
Also not sure what to do about my sweet birds and their irritated vents... it seems I inspect a bird that looks fine and 2 days later they are NOT fine... :/
Help
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