Lice, Mites, or something else

[mehchickengurl]

Could you guys please help me? My chickens (10 in number) have some type of feather eating/destroying pest on them. it leaves patches of feathers gone and the skin is red and rather itchy looking. I don't know what it is. Have any of you ever experienced this?

 

[LynneP]

Pics would help, and Moderator Miss Prissy is very good at knowing what these things are. Do you have some DE (diatomaceous earth) and Sevin? No-pest strips containing pyrethins can also be hung in the coop away from food/water. You'll need to get this knocked down fast before your birds' immunity is knocked down. Once you get the birds treated you need to address treating the coop on a long-term basis.

 

[dixygirl]

As bird owners, we are supposed to provide regular parasite preventive measures. A dewormer added to the food and a mite medication as well.

I use Rooster Booster Wormer

http://storesonline.com/site/681439/page/45031
And Rooster Booster Sulfur Salve Ointment for Relief from Mites and Lice on Poultry or Fowl

http://storesonline.com/site/681439/page/207490
Which products do you use regularly for internal and external parasites?

 

[seriousbill]

First of all, are you sure it's a pest? Patches of missing feathers and red skin (on the back especially) can be caused by an overzealous rooster. Do you have a rooster? Are the hens molting and getting a lot of sun?

That said, if you do have mites or lice, have you seen them? What do they look like? Either way, you'll probably need to apply Sevin (carbaryl) or permethrin dust to the birds once per week til the bugs are gone, clean the coop thoroughly and put down some Diatomaceous Earth.

Here are some links to some information on poultry pests:

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/2/2-5/Laura_E_John.html

 

[mehchickengurl]

Here is what I've noticed:
First, we don't see any lice or mites,
Second, its only a patch close to the tail feathers on the back,
Third, the feathers get dry and brittle before they fall out or the chicken pecks them out,
Fourth, we do have a rooster, however he is very, vERY old,
Fifth, we don't really use any internal/external medications for parasites,
Sixth, we did buy some medicated stuff but it has not worked, it is:
Permethrin Garden and Poultry dust from Prozap,
we used this after we noticed the feather-patches,
Seventh, the two other chickens are showing signs of brittle feathers,
Eighth, do you know if the product listed above is bad for the birds?
Ninth, the chickens don't get alot of sun,
Tenth, no, the chickens aren't molting either

Would you reccomend those items you listed, dixygirl.

Thanks for helping me out guys, i'm pretty new to the world of Poultry.

 

[chickenannie]

If it's chicken lice, you will see clumps of whitish, almost powdery-looking egg masses clumped at the base of the feathers where the chickens are preening/pecking. These hatch, then adults crawl around and lay more eggs. if you google chicken lice eggs you may be able to find pics of them.

 

[seriousbill]

Ten hens should be adequate for a geriatric rooster. How old is he? But the pattern you describe: on the back near the tail is the pattern associated with roo wear. I've seen it many, many times.

If you've dusted with Permethrin, then you've pretty much treated for pests. You should probably apply it again in a week to be on the safe side. It is safe and legal for use on poultry. I've used it to treat Northern Fowl Mites and it worked fine. Don't know if it was that specific brand name, though...

 

[mehchickengurl]

Yeah, I have tried the permethrin and I'm going to try it again, I think its chicken lice. Thanks for all your help, but one more question, Is chicken lice transferable to humans?

 

[rooster-red]

No, chicken lice are host specific, they can't live on humans.

 

[rooster-red]

Easiest way to confirm lice is to check the feathers right around the vent area for the clumps of white eggs at the base of the feathers.