LGBTQ+ Poultry Keepers

[ChickyCh00k]

Do you happen to have any photos of said bug?

No photo. It was so tiny and light colored there's no way it would have shown up in a picture. I would never have even noticed it myself if I wasn't so anal about checking the eggs in the first place. The egg it was on is nearly white and this bug was either translucent or almost the same color as the egg. If the thing wasn't moving, I wouldn't have seen it. It was probably the size of a literal period. . (But more oblong, I think)

 

[ChickyCh00k]

One bug doesn't mean an infestation thankfully. And unless you see the birds developing issues, my personal opinion is to wait and see.
I wrote an article on the most common poultry bugs, look at the photos and see if your bug looks like any of these...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-fleas-dealing-with-external-parasites.74599/

Oh! Thank you for this. I'm going to take a deep breath. It's times like this that I wish I was a drinker.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh! Thank you for this. I'm going to take a deep breath. It's times like this that I wish I was a drinker.

It never hurts to remove all the bedding in the boxes occasionally, Peppermint and Eucalyptus kills all bugs dead on contact, if you have any of these oils, you could put a bit of each in a spray bottle, tiny drop of liquid soap, fill with water and spray inside the boxes and replace with new bedding. This mix is non-toxic to birds. You can even spray the birds themselves with it if need be. Careful of the eyes though.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

It never hurts to remove all the bedding in the boxes occasionally, Peppermint and Eucalyptus kills all bugs dead on contact, if you have any of these oils, you could put a bit of each in a spray bottle, tiny drop of liquid soap, fill with water and spray inside the boxes and replace with new bedding. This mix is non-toxic to birds. You can even spray the birds themselves with it if need be. Careful of the eyes though.

Thank you for that info! I did spray the nest boxes with Desecticide (from Southland Organics) which is "mint terpenes, clove oil, proprietary soap, and water" - its supposed to kill all bugs everywhere (I'm exaggerating) on contact, so hopefully it does just that. I'll be watching things like a hawk for the foreseeable future. Really appreciate your help (and counseling ).

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Okay, I got a little bit written. Thankfully it is still a fun part at least

 

[TwoCrows]

Beats this...

Seriously though, you might check a couple of birds behind the neck and around the vent. This is where mites and lice like to suck blood. The skin can look irritated, red, spotted with blood and or what looks like dirt at the ends of the feather shift at the skin. These would be eggs. If 2 birds pass the test, then there's probably nothing to worry about. Oh and the spray you mentioned sounds perfect, many natural oils are toxic to bugs!! Spray under roost bars too, mites lurk there all day to feast on birds at night.

 

[TwoCrows]

Okay, I got a little bit written. Thankfully it is still a fun part at least

Fabulous! It should always be fun and bring you joy!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Beats this...

Seriously though, you might check a couple of birds behind the neck and around the vent. This is where mites and lice like to suck blood. The skin can look irritated, red, spotted with blood and or what looks like dirt at the ends of the feather shift at the skin. These would be eggs. If 2 birds pass the test, then there's probably nothing to worry about. Oh and the spray you mentioned sounds perfect, many natural oils are toxic to bugs!!

Under the armpits and between the wattles too

 

[TwoCrows]

Under the armpits and between the wattles too

Under roost bars too!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Beats this...

Seriously though, you might check a couple of birds behind the neck and around the vent. This is where mites and lice like to suck blood. The skin can look irritated, red, spotted with blood and or what looks like dirt at the ends of the feather shift at the skin. These would be eggs. If 2 birds pass the test, then there's probably nothing to worry about. Oh and the spray you mentioned sounds perfect, many natural oils are toxic to bugs!!

That GIF sent me!

Under the armpits and between the wattles too

Under roost bars too!

Believe me, I check vents, necks, backs, cracks and crevices on the regular (like several times per week) . I feel like if I had an infestation there's no way I wouldn't know. BUT, seeing that singular bug on that singular egg had me questioning all of my life choices.