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!

 

[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.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Mites from chickens cannot infect humans or dogs.

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.

The flea and tick spray -is it just something you get from the store (like walmart or similar) or do you have to order it? My dogs get a chewable pill every 3 months. So we don’t use flea and tick spray.

As far as a warm bath - I highly doubt that my husband would agree to bring the chickens in to the house. So, would a small bin in a heated building work? I could get the water hot and let it cool to warm before sticking a chicken in it.

I am working on a dust bath. The one I made them is too short and they just scratched all of the contents out.

I will research the ivermectin. I found a handy chart when I had the Guinea Pigs.

I just feel really bad for them. But, read that these things can come from wild birds. Prior to coming here they were free ranging - roosting in trees at night. Now, that I look back on a close up photo that I took last week, there was hint of the mites on the one’s comb even then.

 

[chickenluver10]

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

 

[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]

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

 

[sylviethecochin]

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

Yes, should have mentioned--with the the flea and tick spray, I checked active ingredients and allowed dosages--the active ingredient was approved for use in poultry. I also don't directly apply it. Should have specified that better. I lock the hens out of the coop for the day when I clean it, and then spray it on the bottom of the wooden perch (because mites migrate to the underside of the perch) and the bottom of the nesting boxes, which I then cover in a thick layer of hay.

I've directly applied it to a rooster once--he was covered in mites and had lost a couple pounds. It helped, but I don't plan on applying it to any bird supplying eggs I would eat!

And the baths is a thing I do only if the hen is losing weight or getting an odd color to her comb. If she's not too bothered, then don't bother yourself.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

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

I was stressing myself out about the bath let alone the poor chickens. I have read about permethrin as well. I will look into it more.

I made up a solution of dish soap, oil, and water earlier and sprayed it on the areas of the coop where the DE would not have gotten. I figured it wasn’t going to hurt anything.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Yes, should have mentioned--with the the flea and tick spray, I checked active ingredients and allowed dosages--the active ingredient was approved for use in poultry. I also don't directly apply it. Should have specified that better. I lock the hens out of the coop for the day when I clean it, and then spray it on the bottom of the wooden perch (because mites migrate to the underside of the perch) and the bottom of the nesting boxes, which I then cover in a thick layer of hay.

I've directly applied it to a rooster once--he was covered in mites and had lost a couple pounds. It helped, but I don't plan on applying it to any bird supplying eggs I would eat!

And the baths is a thing I do only if the hen is losing weight or getting an odd color to her comb. If she's not too bothered, then don't bother yourself.

I totally understood your original post to spray the roosts and such and did not take it that I would be using the spray on the chickens. I will use the bath as a last resort. I’m too nervous to just try it. I’ve only had these chickens for a week going on two now. Before I got them, I had never even picked up a chicken and I can’t ever remember petting one either!

 

[sylviethecochin]

I was stressing myself out about the bath let alone the poor chickens. I have read about permethrin as well. I will look into it more.

I made up a solution of dish soap, oil, and water earlier and sprayed it on the areas of the coop where the DE would not have gotten. I figured it wasn’t going to hurt anything.

Sorry, I really should have clarified on the baths.