Ivermectin on baby chicks?

[PioneerChicks]

Right now I'm treating my adult flock with ivermectin pour on for depluming mites. I have no idea how they got these mites, but it's the only mite that matches my hen's symptoms. Namely, bare spots with red skin (base of tail, sides, and neck).

I have a large batch (50+) of chicks, two weeks old. I just saw bare spots at the base of the tail on a couple. Again, I have no idea how the chicks got the mites because there has been no direct contact and minimal indirect contact with the adult flock. But mites work in mysterious ways?

Anyways, I want to get these guys treated quickly before it gets worse. Would one drop each of ivermectin hurt two week old chicks?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would not use ivermectin on chicks that young. Maybe they are pecking each other’s feathers?

 

[PioneerChicks]

I would not use ivermectin on chicks that young. Maybe they are pecking each other’s feathers?

That was my first thought too, but it seems like a big coincidence. Several had bare spots right at the base of their tails, like my adults, with no lost feathers/fluff anywhere else. Any chance you've seen feather picking like this before? I'd love for it to be a simple issue like that!

I was wondering if the heat lamp is promoting quick mite growth?

 

[Eggcessive]

How hot is the heat under the lamp? Is it a red lamp or clear one? I always used the red lamps years ago, and that helped prevent pecking, but they are very hot.

 

[dawg53]

Ditto what Eggcessive stated. It's probably feather picking with the adults as well.
Try giving Gamebird feed to the adults for a one month period and the feather picking should stop, then switch them back to regular layer feed.
As far as the chicks go, switch to a chick starter with a higher protein content.

The only way depluming mites can be detected is a skin scraping must be done and examined under a microscope.

 

[PioneerChicks]

How hot is the heat under the lamp? Is it a red lamp or clear one? I always used the red lamps years ago, and that helped prevent pecking, but they are very hot.

It's red. The brooder is outside, so I've been adjusting the lamp several times a day to match whatever temperature is needed. The heat varies.

Ditto what Eggcessive stated. It's probably feather picking with the adults as well.
Try giving Gamebird feed to the adults for a one month period and the feather picking should stop, then switch them back to regular layer feed.
As far as the chicks go, switch to a chick starter with a higher protein content.

The only way depluming mites can be detected is a skin scraping must be done and examined under a microscope.

Hmm, I'm starting to think this is picking. Thank goodness!

I am pretty certain the adults have depluming mites though. They're on high protein feed and have lots of food. One has had bare sides since last fall, and they all started showing symptoms and getting worse when it got warmer, which from what I've read corresponds with depluming mites lifecycles. I started treated and saw some quick improvement in their skin color, though not complete healing or feather growth.

Thank you guys so much for this help! I'm glad I won't have to treat them!

For future reference though, since mites never truly go away, at what age would you feel safe treating with ivermectin?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would not treat the chicks until they are grown. But I would try to get some of the adult’s feathers looked at by a vet for the feather mites in the feather shafts to really get a diagnosis. Are you seeing sores or skin damage? Do you know anyone with a microscope to look for the tiny mites? If it is just bare skin, and the feathers don’t grow back until after a molt, I still think it could be feather picking. Do your birds use a dust bath? Have you done a deep cleaning of your coop after treating them with permethrin? I have never seen feather mites before in my chickens. Here is some reading that may help.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/ectoparasites/mites-of-poultry

https://poultrydvm.com/condition/depluming-mites

 

[PioneerChicks]

I would not treat the chicks until they are grown. But I would try to get some of the adult’s feathers looked at by a vet for the feather mites in the feather shafts to really get a diagnosis. Are you seeing sores or skin damage? Do you know anyone with a microscope to look for the tiny mites? If it is just bare skin, and the feathers don’t grow back until after a molt, I still think it could be feather picking. Do your birds use a dust bath? Have you done a deep cleaning of your coop after treating them with permethrin? I have never seen feather mites before in my chickens. Here is some reading that may help.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/ectoparasites/mites-of-poultry

https://poultrydvm.com/condition/depluming-mites

Thanks for the resources! It's always helpful to read more!

I don't have a vet or friend who can look with a microscope

I've dealt with common times of mite and lice before and can't find any visible signs of them, so if it is a mite it's not Red or Northern Fowl. That much I'm 99.5% sure of.

I treated the birds with permethrin dust three times and saw no improvement. A few birds continued to get worse during treatment. Everything I read, though it wasn't mentioned in these two sources, said that liquid (whether it be ivermectin, permethrin, etc.) and sulfer is the only thing that had effect against depluming mites.

I have given the coop a thorough clean and sprayed with a homemade solution. I sprinkled elemental sulfer everywhere but it is small flakes, not dust, so I'm not sure if it's doing anything. I'm using that in the chick coop bedding too.

The specific symptoms I've been seeing, roughly in order, are 1) loss of feathers (first under the wings and at the base of the tail, then the front of the neck), 2) dry, red skin, and 3) a couple hens got to the point of slight bleeding at the base of the tail. Except for one hen who showed signs last fall, signs appeared on my birds when the weather warmed up. When I treated with ivermectin all bleeding stopped and the skin turned a bit closer to normal. The feather loss seems to have stopped too (though it's hard to keep track).

They have dirt to dustbathe, but no specific spot (it seems different every day, unlike previous flocks I've had) so my wood ash and sulfer might not be taking affect. I'm considering making them a bath in a tub.

As for feather picking, I haven't dealt with it much before, maybe because my previous flocks were better behaved. Does it normally make the skin look red and irritated? Where do they normally pick feathers from?

I think I'll make them a couple homemade flock blocks just to be safe.

 

[Finchbreeder]

Ivermectin diluted is a great wormer for small birds too. But essential to make sure your vet knows the correct dilution.

 

[tripletfeb]

Do you have a rooster who could be hurting the girls when he's mating them? Those spurs can be pretty rough