I have a mites problem

[Wild--Star]

Hello
So one of my little chooks (a small frizzled pekin) got mites and she has lost a lot of her feathers. She lost just about all er wing feathers also. And she has become very skinny, which i did notice beforehand. I feel horrible. I hadnt been paying too much attention too them lately as I have been busy and when I saw all the feathers shedding I assumed she was molting. Mites didnt even occur to me until yesterday I saw all her wing feathers were gone and then some. Now I have dusted her and the others with mites dust as well as changed their bedding. I will dust them again in a day or so. And I have added a little bit of antibiotics to their water along with some apple cider vinegar. But I am now worried with the days getting colder as Winter is on its way that she will get cold. She seems to be staying in her roost area a lot over the past couple of days. She seems rather happy other than that but she is a fragile little hen and I'm concerned.
I was thinking of getting a jumper for her but i dont know if thats a good idea or also where I could get one or how one could be made. I also think she could get her claws caught in it if i got her a jumper. Anyone have any advice on what I could do please?
I feel like such an awful owner for letting it get this far. (Its only been a week or two thats shes been shedding feathers but I feel like she's been so careless.)
Thanks

 

[Wild--Star]

Also do you think she will be fine? Since I've treated her? I haven't left it too long have I? When should u start to worry?

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you actually seen the mites on her? Permethrin spray 5-10% or the permethrin dust is excellent for treatment of mites or lice. Mites can hatch out every 7 days, so retreatment, and removal of bedding with coop treatment is needed to control them. A jumper or hen saddle is easy to make out of a rectangle of polar fleece. two slits for the wings is all that is needed, and no sewing. It scares the other chickens at first, but they soon ignore it. I would also make sure that she has a good place to dust bathe. Here are a few examples:

 

[Wild--Star]

Thank you so much! That was so helpful! I will be sure to look right into that.
Aldo yes when I checked her feathers I saw a tiny yellowish bug crawling on her skin within the first minute of checking and that along with the feather loss and weight loss was enough for me to give everything a dust with the parasite killer. It has been a bit wet lately but I have a bag of the stuff that's good for chickens to bathe in so I will spread that in a little area for her,(I can't remember the name, ot starts with a D and the second word is Earth). But yeah I will be sure to find some of that polar fleece and make a jumper of it. Thanks again so much, I really appreciate it

 

[Eggcessive]

Be very careful using DE--it will not treat an active outbreak of mites or lice, and it can be harmful to use much of it if it gets into their lungs. If you use it, just use a little mixed into some dirt and sand for dust bathing. DE is very overrated in my opinion, but that is one of those controversial subjects. In some countries where it is difficult to find permethrin to treat for mites and lice, such as in the UK, I have noticed in their poultry magazines that it is really touted as being a great product. It may help with drying things out and prevention, but not useful once there is an outbreak.

 

[Wild--Star]

Oh, thanks so much, I had no idea! I will use it very sparingly then.
So today we found an old tea cosy and put it on the hen but she hated it and started flipping in it and trying to get out and just wouldn't walk. She also kept leaning and sitting on the ground so we took it straight off and I will go out and buy some of that polar fleece tomorrow and hope she will tolerate it better considering it will be more like a jacket than a full body thing.

 

[Wild--Star]

Okay so I noticed that my other hen has some red and black spots around her come and also the sides of her beak are raised and crusty black. Is that from mites or could it be something worse? Ik black spots can be fowl pox but please tell me this could just be from mites that were biting her face? I have both hens on antibiotics still. And they seem happy.

 

[Eggcessive]

Okay so I noticed that my other hen has some red and black spots around her come and also the sides of her beak are raised and crusty black. Is that from mites or could it be something worse? Ik black spots can be fowl pox but please tell me this could just be from mites that were biting her face? I have both hens on antibiotics still. And they seem happy.

Can you post a picture? Do you have mosquitoes out right now?

 

[Wild--Star]

Mosquitoes are ramped at the moment.. I have a feeling its fowl pox

 

[Wild--Star]

Sorry the photos aren't great