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X3 on the permethrin, that's what I would use.
There is an "organic" "approved" for poultry pesticide called PyGanic. Double check that it treats mites.View attachment 1043501 View attachment 1043502 :
Mites don't stay on the birds, they hide out under roosts and in nestboxes, plus in every crack and crevice, coming out at night to dine on your poor birds. Completely treating the coop will go a long way to winning the battle but you will have to do it at least twice to break the cycle and clear up any stragglers. They can live for months without a meal so you need to kill them off.
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/
Just checking...I came across that picture and it reminded me of the one you had posted.We don't have those types of fleas in New Zealand, and these things were all through her nest and crawling all over her eggs. I couldn't believe I'd missed the warning signs before it turned into a full on infestation. I used Vetafarm Insect Liquidator on them (safe to use on finch eggs and newly hatched chicks) and that knocked them off pretty quick. Now I am hyper vigilant as I do not want to have to deal with that nightmare again.
Just checking...I came across that picture and it reminded me of the one you had posted.