Just curious!

[Kiki]

Linda...if you already have a sand area for dust bathing, it didn't work.
(IMO)
If you aren't comfy handling your birds to check them closely for bugs then why bother trying to "fix" them?
You should go out at night with a flash light and check them when they are roosting.
If you can't...do NOT rely on anything but what is proven to work to kill bugs.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/control-solutions-permethrin-10-1-pt?cm_vc=-10005

 

[Kiki]

Good work...keep reading. You will find the more you read them more you find out just how not so good most "natural" cures are.

 

[JaeG]

If you go the garlic route you have to offer it separately, free choice, not mix it into food or water as you could end up with garlic flavoured eggs. Garlic takes awhile to work as it has to build up in their flesh. It's not going to cure it quickly and is more a deterrent than a cure. All the while your chickens are having their blood sucked out every night and potentially becoming infected with whatever the mites might be carrying. It's very draining to their immune systems and bodies and can kill them. The mites are in your coop (hundreds of the little suckers) and you have to get rid of them before they overwhelm your birds, and with only two to dine out on, that could happen quite quickly.

Run your hand under the roosts - they love hiding there and in nest boxes. If you see smears of blood on the fingers, that's the squished mites full of your birds blood.

If you want something 'natural' use neem oil. I've painted the inside of my coop, plus roosts and nest boxes with it diluted about 50% in hot water. In my country we don't have permethrin spray (wish we did - would make my life easier) and the products I tried did nothing (other than waste my time and energy). DE doesn't work so don't waste your money on that stuff.

Your bedding will be infested with them so you have to get rid of it. Either burn it or dispose of it in some other way. I couldn't burn in so I bagged it up, put it as far away from my birds as I could, and kept spraying it with fly spray every day to kill off any new mites that hatched out. They won't travel far but can live for months without a feed. Just be careful and put on some bug repellent, wear long sleeves, long pants, gloves etc before you clean out your coop - I got bitten a lot by them and let me tell you, I was SO ITCHY!!!

 

[Kiki]

It wasn't until I had my tiny bantam hen inside (in my laundry) sitting on some eggs for me that I discovered mites on her. And that was because the infestation was very bad and they had nowhere to hide - out in the big coop it was awful. It was a nightmare, and she actually died a couple of months after I got everyone clean and I have to wonder if it was from the mites. I was heart broken (still am) because she was my favourite. She was just the sweetest.

Mites are carried by wild birds, rats, wild rabbits etc. I'm pretty sure mine came from the rats that live round the water way that runs through the bottom of our property. Every time they turn up, so do the mites and I have just repainted my coop with neem recently, despite the fact that it's winter in my part of the world.

Those black spots by her eye and near her ear are the mites. They are tiny (she was an Old English Game Bantam which are more pigeon sized than your typical chicken size).
View attachment 1043701

As for handling your chickens, if necessary it's better to do it at night as they are more docile when they can't see. But if it's these kinds of mites that hide in your coop, treating your coop rather than your birds is the way to go.

I think you were dealing with these:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/a-cure-for-stick-tight-fleas.63059/

 

[JaeG]

Just checking...I came across that picture and it reminded me of the one you had posted.

Thank you.

I think it was also because I had her in a little plastic dog kennel (she was broody) so it was nice and dark for the horrid little blood suckers. When I took the top half off and discovered it crawling with mites I nearly freaked!

 

[Linda V]

Okay folks...here's an update on my girls scaly legs & mites.

I've employed some holistic measures but today I'm adding what ya'll suggested to me earlier.

What I've done so far (and will continue to do)
1. Got a 2-gallon, nipple-feed cooler set up (ice water for now) with my new BriteTap
2. Added 2 Tablespoons ACV (1 per gal, as per instructions
3. Added one clove finely minced fresh garlic to the water also
3. Serving 1 store-bought egg scrambled each a.m., with fresh, minced garlic in it
and a generous sprinkling of sharp cheddar.

They eagerly devour it and garlic will help get rid of the existing lice on them, plus eggs and cheese are good source of protein.

Today....I'm off to Tractor Supply for 4 items:
1. PERMETHRIN 10%
2. POULTRY PROTECTOR SPRAY (for body, legs, coop, run, nests, but not face!)
3. Gordon's poultry dust (for body, legs, coop, run, nests)
4. Minerals & electrolytes for poultry (for water supply)

Hope to hear something positive from my experienced advisors on here!

Please note that I will follow the instructions on the labels to the letter! I want to cure them...not kill them!

And last but not least....NO MORE D.E. AROUND THEM PERIOD!

I'll use up the rest of the supply around the outside of the coop as it's great for killing ants, roaches, etc., but not INSIDE their areas. When the rest is gone...no more!

These will remain as an on-going treatment, prevention for the rest of their lives, but the scrambled eggs w/garlic, cheese may be an ocassional thing AFTER this infestation is over!

Took close up pics of both of their legs yesterday - and it's clear - Abigail's legs are pretty awful looking, but Henrietta's (the one with the bare butt) look clean and healthy. Not real sure if tops of Henrietta's legs have scales or not...but I'm treating both girls daily from now on no matter what!

After one week, I'll take another set of pics to see the before/after! If they are impressive, I'll post them. Today, however, I just posted pics of them enjoying their new ice water supply from BriteTap! Didn't take long at all for me to teach them how to drink from nipples....so proud of my girls!

Let me know what ya'll think please???

Linda in NC
June 21, 2017

HAVE A GREAT DAY, YA'LL!

 

[Linda V]

First of, I will start by saying LG and KisKis, You where being quite rude to Linda V, When she was just trying to get advice.

Linda V, I didn't read all of this, But from what I hear is your girl has Mites or Lice.
Your water setup and plain is great!I bet they love the scrambled eggs, I know mine do!
Anyway, I have to find it again, but there is a BYC member on here, @pipdzipdnreadytogo , Who used a Dog and cat tick and flea stuff to get rid of mites are.If tha tag worked, Could you please remind me what you used, Pipd?

Good luck!
-CC1215

Wow! I appreciate your being so thoughtful and kind to me and I'm sure they meant well, but they could have softened it a tad...lol! Their advice, however, was good but I'm still NOT going to chase my birds down or surprise them after dark by picking them up. Besides, I'm doing this by myself as they trust me a lot!

I'm going to treat them internally with fresh, minced garlic & ACV - according to directions of course AND today they get treated externally with Permethrin 10% as well as their habitat. Also...using Poultry Protection on them, their habitat but NOT on their faces or heads! Must use caution when wet or rainy as they sip from puddles you know...lol!

Let me know WHEN you have time please...if you read my full posting. I do have before pics of their legs & will take during and after pics each week too! Will share on here for sure!

Don't mean to be rude, but I must go now to Tractor Supply for those 4 items!!!

Back with more updates asap....and again, thanks for your "scolding" ....that was a surprise!

Linda
6/21/17

ABIGAIL - with horrible legs....but help is in progress now with more on the way!

 

[Kiki]

First of, I will start by saying LG and KisKis, You where being quite rude to Linda V, When she was just trying to get advice.

Linda V, I didn't read all of this, But from what I hear is your girl has Mites or Lice.
Your water setup and plain is great!I bet they love the scrambled eggs, I know mine do!
Anyway, I have to find it again, but there is a BYC member on here, @pipdzipdnreadytogo , Who used a Dog and cat tick and flea stuff to get rid of mites are.If tha tag worked, Could you please remind me what you used, Pipd?

Good luck!
-CC1215

Next time read through the entire thread before calling someone rude.
No one has been rude here except you, for name calling.

 

[Linda V]

Linda you need to get some vaseline and coat their legs with it to smother the leg mites.
Garlic will not get rid of the mites.

Thanks, I do understand that it doesn't rid/prevent them but I soaked Abby's legs with the POULTRY PROTECTOR twice since 12noon and dusted the heck out of their sand nests, upstairs & downstairs of their coop and TONIGT (after they go nite-nite), I'll spray Permethrin (10%) in their coop/run/cove etc. with the garden sprayer thingy so, for now I think Day One is not going too badly...and....Abby gave me her usual big, fat, dark, thick shelled egg just now!!!

KikisGirls: would you know by a pic of Henrietta's legs if she has them or not? I don't like the way the tops of her legs look....but the bottom part looks great. In either event, however, they will both be treated equally x daily x forever!

Here's pics of Henrietta's legs from today - before 1st treatment began. Abby's legs are dreadful looking but her legs are soaked with Poultry Protector (which rids them and keeps them off) and she's been exposed several times to the DUST on the floors of her coop, and nesting box!

No hurry to respond....I'm retired!

Linda 2pm

Henrietta's legs....

Right leg, left leg pretty much the same....looks yucky to me.

 

[Linda V]

ps: I know your advice on the Vaseline is true and I read it was recommended but...I just can't make myself do it AND I refuse to let my skin come in contact with that nasty stuff. It's a petroleum product and when I shine a black light on it ....it glows in the dark!

How do I know this? I have a cute, little glass "dish" called Depression Glass or Vaseline glass and it's beautiful when you shine that black light on it. I would love to have a collection of that stuff but it's freaking expensive as heck - even at flea markets!

It's not water-soluble...which is why it works great for that purpose, however!

Sorry....but spraying the heck out of their legs each day is hard enough!

Back with more pics next week....I'm counting on a HUGE difference by then!

Linda