Is there a pest bugging my chickens?

[gatorrr101]

My month old chicks are doing a lot of twitching their heads and digging in their feathers and was wondering if I should be worried or what they are doing is normal?? Heard things about black flies and have me worried about my girls cause they are now just going outside and don’t want anything to happen to them. This is my first time with chickens so not sure what’s all normal and wants not! Thanks in advance!

 

[KikiLeigh02]

That sounds like mites or lice, maybe something else? Do you have a video?

 

[gatorrr101]

I tried to post it but it won’t let me

 

[KikiLeigh02]

I think you have to upload it to YouTube and then post the link.

 

[gatorrr101]

 

[sylviethecochin]

They look like normal, slightly bored chicks to me. At about a month old, they're still getting feathers, and that can be a bit itchy. Sitting there grooming themselves is perfectly normal.

You may still have pests, but if these are your first birds and they're just going outside, it's less likely (any neighbours with chickens, by chance?) You can stock up on some permethrin spray, of course, but I doubt it's necessary.

 

[gatorrr101]

I put them all on the board to take the video but they are very active other than the twitching and seem healthy but wanted to be safe than sorry. Normally they are running on the ground trying to get as many ants as possible so wouldn’t be able to get a video of what was going on. I had brought them inside their brooder again to see if they kept twitching and only would when I would talk. Could they twitch their heads when they hear other birds as well? I’m going to put vanilla around their coop later to make sure it isn’t gnats bugging them out there. And I’m the only one around me that I know of with chickens cause most people around here rent and less likely can have chickens.