Just added 2 hens and noticed black bugs on hen - what do I do?

[sturek]

I have 2 hens and 3 big chicks, and I just got two hens that are 2 years old. I noticed black bugs on the 2 new hens crown, neck and around the eyes - they are about the size of fleas, but they don't move or jump - I had to pull one off with tweazers. What are these and how do I get rid of them? I saw photos of mites on the web, but these black bugs are bigger than mites. I noticed the bugs about 20 minutes after I brought them home and have quarantined them.

 

[crj]

They could be ticks. Get some Sevin dust on your birds.

 

[sturek]

would they look like tics that dogs get? they don't look like that. They are "stuck" on the birds. Do I just rub the dust on the tics, or all over the chicken? Should I spreadh diatomacious earth in the coop?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

DE is good at drying. It will not treat an infestation. It may help prevent one. Since you have bugs that appear stuck on the birds, ticks does seem to be a liklihood. I would recommend using ivermectin pour on on the bird, I would probably be temped to put a tiny tiny bit on the visible bugs.

 

[Pam Allan]

Deer ticks are really tiny - they don't look that much like a wood tick. Well I suppose they do, but you'd have to examine them under a magnifying glass.