Mites!! I need help identifying!

[Kimmi500]

Hi Guys!
I noticed today on of my sons roosters was a bit down and not as happy as usual. He was drinking a bit but is generally lethargic. I h
gave him a once over and noticed he has mites or lice. I am just not sure which one. They looked pinkish/light reddish. They are sort of long it looked like, and the were scurrying around quickly. On the underside of his wing, it looked like clumps of crusty white stuff at the shaft of the feather. We gave him and his hens a good dusting of DE until I know how to treat this better. Any advice would be great! I don't want to lose him or his girls!
Thanks in advance!!

 

[Michael Apple]

Those are commonly known as chicken mites. DE won't do much. You're better off using something with a residual. Some of the premise sprays like Ravap E.C. or Permectrin II have mixing directions for treating the birds. Plus there is a residual unlike the dusty powder you have to treat again 10 days later with. It won't do any good to treat the birds without treating the housing where the birds roost. Get a good quality dust mask or respirator. Clean everything out; shavings, dust from the floor, and nests. Use a 1-2 gallon pump sprayer. Spray the hell out of it with disinfectant (i.e. Oxine, Biophene), let dry, then spray permethrin/Ravap, saturating everything; walls, floor, ceiling. Don't forget the underside of roosts, nests, cracks and crevices. Do it every three months or so and you likely won't have this problem again, unless you have a bird's nest full of mites on your property where the birds pick and scratch.

 

[Kimmi500]

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much!

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Hi Guys!
I noticed today on of my sons roosters was a bit down and not as happy as usual. He was drinking a bit but is generally lethargic. I h
gave him a once over and noticed he has mites or lice. I am just not sure which one. They looked pinkish/light reddish. They are sort of long it looked like, and the were scurrying around quickly. On the underside of his wing, it looked like clumps of crusty white stuff at the shaft of the feather. We gave him and his hens a good dusting of DE until I know how to treat this better. Any advice would be great! I don't want to lose him or his girls!
Thanks in advance!!

That is lice. they will be a clear/pink color. The clumps of white are the lice eggs. Dont worry they are not the same as our lice and wont infect you. You can use sevin dust to dust them all over really good under the wings and under the tail around the vent, if you look around the vent area you will see LOTS of activity and LOTS of eggs. I put the seven dust ,same stuff used in the garden, in an old panty hose leg tie a knot in the top and use it like a powder puff to dust away the entire body, Then dust once more in 7 - 10 days when the eggs hatch and you will be all good.

 

[chicken pickin]

That is lice. they will be a clear/pink color. The clumps of white are the lice eggs. Dont worry they are not the same as our lice and wont infect you. You can use sevin dust to dust them all over really good under the wings and under the tail around the vent, if you look around the vent area you will see LOTS of activity and LOTS of eggs. I put the seven dust ,same stuff used in the garden, in an old panty hose leg tie a knot in the top and use it like a powder puff to dust away the entire body, Then dust once more in 7 - 10 days when the eggs hatch and you will be all good.

X2

Sounds like Lice. My chickens had mites back in Dec and I did the same treatment as stated above with Sevin Dust. Make sure to repeat dusting 10 days later and also be sure to clean out the entire house like stated in the other above comment. Good luck! Bugs are a pain

 

[Kimmi500]

Thank you so much guys! I will get on it tomorrow. Can I spread the Sevin dust on the floor if the coop and rn as well? I have a covered 10x10x6 dog run with their coop inside it. Will it hurt the chickens if they ingest it from scratching around?

 

[chicken pickin]

It is a pesticide so its not good for them. I did however dust it lightly in the coop and nest boxes under the shavings and I sprinkled DE in the run and around the run. That was 2 months ago and they all seem to be doing much better now. I will dust all the chickens and coops and runs again in a week or 2 since I am rearranging chickens to other coops for breeding. Just a precaution as I want to be sure Im not spreading any parisites.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I also dusted lightly before adding new bedding, make sure you get corners really well and nest boxes. They cant live very long without a host so make sure you dispose of the old bedding or burn it so another animal cannot get the lice and bring it back to the chickens. I use DE also in the coop and nest box and in dust bathing areas

 

[Michael Apple]

Thank you so much guys! I will get on it tomorrow. Can I spread the Sevin dust on the floor if the coop and rn as well? I have a covered 10x10x6 dog run with their coop inside it. Will it hurt the chickens if they ingest it from scratching around?

Sevin is potent but dusts and Diatamaceous Earth don't perform the residual activity that emulsified concentrates do. Plus you and your birds have to breathe it. Use Ravap or a Permethrin premise spray. The ones I mentioned before work well. When you said pink, I thought mites. Going back and seeing your description of them scurrying, I now think lice. Either way, avoid those messy, impractical powders and dusts.

 

[Kimmi500]

Has anyone used Frontline topical for this problem? I will use the sprays to clean everything really well!