Don't feel badly. I feel the same way. I can't seem to get rid of a mite/lice infestation and I can't believe the amount of time I am spending worrying about this, without solving it. I don't have the heart to euthanize them, but I feel really uncomfortable about the fact that I don't know why this isn't getting better. I think this is a hobby for someone who has experience or friends with experience. I love this forum, for starting me on the right path, but I feel like I need someone who can come over to the house, tell me if my basic assumptions are correct and then actually show me what to do. It drives me nuts that I can't fix my own problems and I hate feeling helpless. We are moving in a few months and won't be having chickens again. The chickens themselves have been fun, but I don't have the skills or resources to handle issues that come up.
I think we can just do our best now and look back on this as a learning experience when it's over. There have been some very fun moments.
Here is what I do (I have dealt with mites repeatedly and have been in tears many times over this...but have finally found what works):
If you skip some of these steps they come right back:
1. Wear mask, gloves, long sleeves, (take shower afterwards) and put some Poultry Dust from the feed store (permethrin) in a tied-off sock. Turn a chicken on its back on the ground and hold onto the feet with one hand. Dust with the sock around the vent area, under the wings, and the abdomen. Turn chicken over. Dust the neck and back. Don't dust the face. Next chicken.
2. Scatter some Poultry dust in the coop if you use sand in the floor of the coop. If you use shavings toss all shavings first. Then dust the coop (get the cracks and crevices with some permethrin spray or dust). I use liquid permethrin for the cracks and roosts (even the underside of the roosts). I have found that by switching to sand in the floor of the coop (I scoop with kitty litter scoop and plastic rake) that I have fewer mite problems. Also with the sand I don't have to throw anything away with my treatments except nest box shavings.
3. Also make sure that you get rid of all nest box shavings too OR they will come right back!!! I now use cedar shavings in the nest boxes unless I have a broody hen (normally cedar shavings are not good but they say not to put insecticides in the nest boxes). Those mites crawl around in the nest boxes and if you don't clean them out too they crawl back on the hens. I have covered plastic kitty litter pans that I use and they clean up better than wooden boxes.
4. Repeat this FULL treatment of the birds and coop and nest boxes at 7 days.
Because of the life cycle of mites, if you don't retreat them the mites come right back and it is like you didn't treat them.
If you have collected mites in your house, be sure to vacuum and wash sheets. They will NOT breed on human blood, but they do bite humans and the Northern Fowl Mite can live for 3 weeks with no poultry blood meal. The red mite (lives in the coop) can live for 9 months with no poultry blood meal.
There are some websites still recommending Sevin Dust (which worked VERY well) but is not labeled for poultry anymore.
Now I dust my coops and chickens every 2-4 months. When I get a bite or feel itchy, I do it right away. This works and the Poultry Dust makes them instantly die. Don't try to treat an infestation with Diatomaceous Earth- it doesn't work.
There are some other products (like Ra vap I believe) that are approved for chickens- you can research what you can use to rotate to prevent resistance of the insects to the pesticide.
I think most of us have felt something like this from time to time
