I found mites on an egg and believe they are on the combs of at least two of my hens. :(

[Soon2BChixMom]

I was out doing my normal chicken chores -cleaning up poops from the roost and collecting eggs. One of the eggs is lighter in color and speckled. It looked like it had particles of dirt on it, so when I brought it in I wiped it with a dry paper towel. I examined the particles. They looked rusty red and then I noticed one moved. Could this be something from the pine shavings?

I have diatomaceous earth that I bought once I got the chickens. But, now after reading a few articles, it’s not the best to use. However, it’s what I have and so I dusted their nests and run. Plus, on their bums and back. I’m sure I didn’t do it like I should because afterwards, I read there are techniques to doing this.
I have read that elector psp and some garden poultry dust is highly recommended vs. the DE.

What do you use?

Also, after closer inspection a few of the hens have mites on their comb. I looked at photos online and it is the same as what I saw.

Could the mites be caused by stress (recently moved)? I have had Guinea Pigs before and they are known to get mites from stress which I treated with pour on Ivermectin (and I still have that product on hand too).
Ugh. I know this is part of chicken keeping, but I feel itchy all over. Lol
Please reassure me that the mites will not transfer to my indoor dogs!

 

[Folly's place]

I'm happy to use an approved and safe product for chickens; permethrin spray. It's inexpensive and easy to use, and no egg withdrawal it. permethrin dust is harder to use and way more expensive! spinosad is also approved, but much more expensive; I'm saving it for when permethrin no longer is effective. De fails. Products approved for pets are usually not approved poultry, especially laying hens. Read the label!!! If it doesn't have directions for laying hens or poultry, just don't use it. It's not necessary to do flea baths for your chickens! Too stressful, basically a waste of time. Mary

 

[Kiki]

Get some Permethrin based spray and use it on the coop and birds asap.

 

[JaeG]

Is DE ok to use on the bottom of the nest box, with the nesting pad on top, for added protection? I was also planning on dusting wall studs and joists, with DE, my next cleaning.

Sulfur powder is much more effective. I had DE in the bottom of my nestboxes and under the bedding in my coop. It did nothing to prevent an outbreak. The mites were quite at home in it actually.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I buy my flea and tick spray at Walmart. Nothing fancy--just the seven-day stuff for dogs that's supposed to kill eggs and adults.

And I meant that I wash my chickens outdoors in the summertime. Warm water, a little bit of clorox, and dawn dish soap all mixed up in a five gallon bucket. Each hen gets a few minutes of soaking and then they wander off to enjoy the sunshine and curse me in chickenese.

Good luck on getting rid of the bugs.

 

[Folly's place]

Sick chickens are the last birds that should be bathed, it's just one more major stress that they won't be able to handle. Spray at night while they are roosting; easy and effective, and not too hard on them. Mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I'm happy to use an approved and safe product for chickens; permethrin spray. It's inexpensive and easy to use, and no egg withdrawal it. permethrin dust is harder to use and way more expensive! spinosad is also approved, but much more expensive; I'm saving it for when permethrin no longer is effective.... Products approved for pets are usually not approved poultry, especially laying hens. Read the label!!! If it doesn't have directions for laying hens or poultry, just don't use it. It's not necessary to do flea baths for your chickens! Too stressful, basically a waste of time. Mary

Permethrin in it's natural form (pyrethrum) has been used as an Insecticide for maybe 1,000 years and counting. In fact it seems to be as effective today as it was in Napoleon Bonaparte's day when the French tyrant used powered cresumthium flowers to delouse the French Army. The easiest way to confer resistance to an insect pest is to depend on only one insecticide. If you have concerns about the continued effectiveness I recommend that you use a series of miticides so that the next application kills any survivors from the previous miticide application.

 

[Kiki]

I'm afraid neither DE or Poultry Protector will get rid of mites.
Use a Permethrin based spray to do the job.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Mites from chickens cannot infect humans or dogs.

There are two basic types of mites--ones that live on the chicken and ones that live on the perch and just attack the chickens at night for feed. You may have both; I did, this summer.

The ones that don't live on the chickens are an easy fix. Some people paint their perches and nesting boxes with motor oil (I've done it; it seems to work) and other people (such as myself) simply spray nesting boxes and perch with dog's flea-and-tick spray every time I clean the pen. So long as you're making it a hostile environment for tick eggs, it should work. For both of those methods, you should lock the chickens out for the day so that everything can dry and/or degrade a bit.

The mites that live on chickens may require a bath. I use dawn soap and a five-gallon bucket when the weather's warm.

One highly recomended product that I've never used is permethrin spray, available at most local feed stores. Some people also use Sevin dust. It's noted for being highly effective and somewhat toxic--and cheap.

Also, making a dust bath can help. A lot of people use old tires and fill them with DE, wood ash, and plain dirt. Hens will lounge in a dirt bath like you would in a sauna.

EDT: I just re-read your post. Some people use the pour-on ivermectin for chickens, and this is supposed to be very effective, but I don't know doseage.

 

[chickenluver10]

yes inside a heated building will work make sure the water is not too hot and keep her warm and dry after.