how should i check for mites and other bugs?

[Rowanh16]

tldr at end since i ramble. our hen rosemary has always been a bit scruffy but since last year has been basically bald. since she’s always been a bit strange and always seemed pretty anxious since we got her (she always had her feathers puffed up and is super protective about food and has a crooked beak and wonky shaped eggs) we just thought that was her character and was just a bit narcotic and possibly a bit traumatized. now our white hen who’s the top of the pecking order has started to loose all her feathers. we bathed her and it looked like a chicken had died because there was feathers all over where we dumped the bath water. we assumed molting since she was getting better and had feathers growing back (unlike rosemary who’s feathers looked snipped about an inch above the skin and never grew back) but today our white hens neck is looking like rosemary. her shoulders and back are getting better but her belly and underside is also naked. we have a dress that well put on her so that she won’t get sunburnt since that’s what we do with rosemary too. but how should i check for some sort of bug and then what steps should i take if there is bugs? their coop is washed construction sand and diatomaceous earth. the white hen doesn’t lay since she’s getting old but rosemary lays a wonky egg every day. the white hen is a year older than rosemary so probably 4 and 3 years. they have a small run that’s concrete covered in sand and has a roof for winter and then doors from that leading to their big run. we can’t have them free roam since the neighbours dog is aggressive. the coop they’re in is about 6 months old. their old coop was disgusting and rat infested so we tore it down but their run is over top the old soil so bugs possibly could still roam. the rats aren’t in the new coop but are in the run and we have traps just outside the run but the rats are learning to avoid them. our flock is 9 young hens (one laying rest are too young to lay), 3 3 year olds (rosemaries batch) 3 4 year olds (white hens batch, consists of two white hens and one plymouth rock only the plymouth still lays and only once a week or so) and our one very old hen who’s about 7 and never had any bug issues or sickness or anything.

TLDR
two hens possibly have mites, one started looking crazy a year ago, one started last week. how do i go about checking?

 

[Barbours]

tldr at end since i ramble. our hen rosemary has always been a bit scruffy but since last year has been basically bald. since she’s always been a bit strange and always seemed pretty anxious since we got her (she always had her feathers puffed up and is super protective about food and has a crooked beak and wonky shaped eggs) we just thought that was her character and was just a bit narcotic and possibly a bit traumatized. now our white hen who’s the top of the pecking order has started to loose all her feathers. we bathed her and it looked like a chicken had died because there was feathers all over where we dumped the bath water. we assumed molting since she was getting better and had feathers growing back (unlike rosemary who’s feathers looked snipped about an inch above the skin and never grew back) but today our white hens neck is looking like rosemary. her shoulders and back are getting better but her belly and underside is also naked. we have a dress that well put on her so that she won’t get sunburnt since that’s what we do with rosemary too. but how should i check for some sort of bug and then what steps should i take if there is bugs? their coop is washed construction sand and diatomaceous earth. the white hen doesn’t lay since she’s getting old but rosemary lays a wonky egg every day. the white hen is a year older than rosemary so probably 4 and 3 years. they have a small run that’s concrete covered in sand and has a roof for winter and then doors from that leading to their big run. we can’t have them free roam since the neighbours dog is aggressive. the coop they’re in is about 6 months old. their old coop was disgusting and rat infested so we tore it down but their run is over top the old soil so bugs possibly could still roam. the rats aren’t in the new coop but are in the run and we have traps just outside the run but the rats are learning to avoid them. our flock is 9 young hens (one laying rest are too young to lay), 3 3 year olds (rosemaries batch) 3 4 year olds (white hens batch, consists of two white hens and one plymouth rock only the plymouth still lays and only once a week or so) and our one very old hen who’s about 7 and never had any bug issues or sickness or anything.

TLDR
two hens possibly have mites, one started looking crazy a year ago, one started last week. how do i go about checking?

So you can usually see little bugs crawling around in the feathers. But you might not be able to see as good if she's white since they are lighter colored. To check you can have someone hold her while you move her feathers out off the way on her back, neck or under wings and check for little bugs crawling around, eggs that stick to the quills or iratation on the skin. If you suspect bugs, you can buy a spray for them at Walmart or your local feed store. Change the bedding then spray the whole enclosure down. You can also spray her down. On the back, neck, chest, under wings and butt around vent. She might be acting weird because if she had bugs it can be stressing her out. Hope this helps, best of luck to you and your critters!

 

[Barbours]

tldr at end since i ramble. our hen rosemary has always been a bit scruffy but since last year has been basically bald. since she’s always been a bit strange and always seemed pretty anxious since we got her (she always had her feathers puffed up and is super protective about food and has a crooked beak and wonky shaped eggs) we just thought that was her character and was just a bit narcotic and possibly a bit traumatized. now our white hen who’s the top of the pecking order has started to loose all her feathers. we bathed her and it looked like a chicken had died because there was feathers all over where we dumped the bath water. we assumed molting since she was getting better and had feathers growing back (unlike rosemary who’s feathers looked snipped about an inch above the skin and never grew back) but today our white hens neck is looking like rosemary. her shoulders and back are getting better but her belly and underside is also naked. we have a dress that well put on her so that she won’t get sunburnt since that’s what we do with rosemary too. but how should i check for some sort of bug and then what steps should i take if there is bugs? their coop is washed construction sand and diatomaceous earth. the white hen doesn’t lay since she’s getting old but rosemary lays a wonky egg every day. the white hen is a year older than rosemary so probably 4 and 3 years. they have a small run that’s concrete covered in sand and has a roof for winter and then doors from that leading to their big run. we can’t have them free roam since the neighbours dog is aggressive. the coop they’re in is about 6 months old. their old coop was disgusting and rat infested so we tore it down but their run is over top the old soil so bugs possibly could still roam. the rats aren’t in the new coop but are in the run and we have traps just outside the run but the rats are learning to avoid them. our flock is 9 young hens (one laying rest are too young to lay), 3 3 year olds (rosemaries batch) 3 4 year olds (white hens batch, consists of two white hens and one plymouth rock only the plymouth still lays and only once a week or so) and our one very old hen who’s about 7 and never had any bug issues or sickness or anything.

TLDR
two hens possibly have mites, one started looking crazy a year ago, one started last week. how do i go about checking?

This is what I have. I use it on all my animals. Other sprays probably work fine too though.

 

[aart]

This is what I have. I use it on all my animals. Other sprays probably work fine too though.

This will not kill lice or mites.

how do i go about checking?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Look fast, they will scatter quickly once the feathers are parted and the light hits them.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008