Mites killing my chickens, please help!!!!

[georgieboy11]

You don't need to rinse off the pyrethrum. It works on contact to kill insects, but it is completely harmless to anything with vertebrae. It's basically an extract from the chrysanthemum flower that acts as a neurotoxin to anything with an exoskeleton.
Mites are most commonly an issue when the ground is frozen, preventing regular dust bathing, and birds spend most of their time inside the coop. A few tubs with sand will provide an unfrozen dust bathing area to help prevent future outbreaks.

Thank you!! Is Permetherin the same as as Pyrethrum? I just went to the store and got a couple bottles of Permetherin 10 and a big spray bottle. I should have got Pyrethrum

 

[junebuggena]

One is a synthetic, one is naturally derived. Both will do the same job.

 

[apryl29]

Thank you!! Is Permetherin the same as as Pyrethrum? I just went to the store and got a couple bottles of Permetherin 10 and a big spray bottle. I should have got Pyrethrum

Just make sure you follow the instructions on the bottle for treating the birds directly if you're going to use it on the birds. There's very different concentrations to use on different animals and on surfaces.

 

[RockyVanRhodes]

I am so sorry for your loss I know when you take care of them when they are sick you get really close and they become like your baby and its hard to lose them

Yeah, i cried when he passed, it was very difficult, especially since he was my favorite rooster- my profile name was his name

 

[georgieboy11]

Yeah, i cried when he passed, it was very difficult, especially since he was my favorite rooster- my profile name was his name

I just buried my Georgie boy last night we had to wait a couple days until the ground thawed a little bit.

 

[RockyVanRhodes]

I just buried my Georgie boy last night we had to wait a couple days until the ground thawed a little bit.

Im so sorry, its such a terrible thing to have to experience.

 

[georgieboy11]

Update: Two nights ago I completely cleaned out the coop, even though it was only about 15 degrees and snowing at about 4 i took all my boys and girls out of their nice big coop and put them into an old empty little coop that I used to use when I had only a few chickens. And then I took a shovel and a broom and cleaned out all of the old bedding that I took in bucket fulls and made a burn pile away from the chicken coop, just this took me about two hours to do because there was a lot of nooks and crannies to try and sweep out and lots of frozen piles of crap to scrape up. When I got all that done i sprayed the coop down with the permethrin 10 and sprayed all the roosts and everything. Then while that was drying I dusted everyone with sevin dust, I know a lot of people dont like it but its all I had so I hope it works. Then I put them back in the little coop while the spray dried (or froze) and I added two bags of pine bedding and put everyone back in. By then it was about 8 or so and everyone was ready to go to bed. I checked my rooster Bruce today and I could still see eggs all over near his vent but I didnt see any mites, so I hope thats a good sign.

 

[apryl29]

Make sure you clean that smaller coop when you get a chance. They mites have been transferred over there during the clean up process.

 

[grannymom]

About a few weeks ago I noticed my favorite 3 year old rooster George (a bantam D uccle) acting very sad, tired, and losing weight. It was extremely cold outside so i brought him in the garage with a heat light, I thought he was just cold so I let him be for a couple days. I picked him up and was looking him over and noticed scabs on his comb and on his missing eye hole (when he was a chick he got an infection in his eye and lost his eye) I saw little red mites crawling all over the scab on his eye hole and I was shocked. He had mites all over his ears, and all around his neck. He was covered in eggs too. I started searching all over google and immediately gave him a bath with dog flea and tick shampoo and dusted him with diatomaceous earth. I continued to dust him with it for two weeks and it seemed for a while like he was getting better and he even crowed for the first time in a long time (he hadn't crowed since we got a new rooster). It even seemed like the mites had gone away and he was better for a while until he suddenly got worse two days ago. He stopped eating and drinking and wouldnt move, I brought him in my house and warmed him up by the heater and got him to eat a little and drink some water with poultry vitamins in them. He started perking up and walking around and clucking at me. the next day the same thing happened so I brought him back inside and got him to drink and eat and then I noticed the mites hadnt gone away they just moved to his vent so i dusted his butt with DE. Later in the day he started having diarrhea. I woke up this morning and went to check on him and he was laying down and wouldnt move or open his eye but he was still alive and breathing. I made him a vet appointment and while I waited until it was time to take him to the vet he woke up and started standing and when it came time to take him to the vet he completely crashed and wouldnt stand or open his eye or move. On the way to the vet he started trying to flap his wings a few times and kept moving his head and neck like he couldn't control it. The vet said his heart beat was under 100 bpm when it was supposed to be over 200 bpm. He said the mites were definitely contributing to making him sick but it could be something as well and whatever it was was effecting his brain which is why he was moving weirdly. He was going on to tell me how it was too late and there's nothing he could do when George started freaking out and then dropped dead right there on the vet table. Im still crying from it he was like my best friend and he was just the sweetest chicken ever. I got home and checked my other chickens to make sure they didn't have mites as bad as he does but sure thing they all have them and one rooster Bruce has them bad around his vent. Please help me get rid of these mites!!!! The vet said something about a deworming shot to get rid of them and im willing to give them all shots myself if I have to.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I am at that same spot right now with my pet hen. I inherited her from my aunt when she passed a couple of years ago. I thought she had scaly leg mites, so covered her legs with Bag Balm, and I have ordered premethrin but had a terible time finding it in my area. She cannot walk and is not eating/drinking. Hugs to you on losing your friend. It is surely a heart-breaker.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I am at that same spot right now with my pet hen. I inherited her from my aunt when she passed a couple of years ago. I thought she had scaly leg mites, so covered her legs with Bag Balm, and I have ordered premethrin but had a terible time finding it in my area. She cannot walk and is not eating/drinking. Hugs to you on losing your friend. It is surely a heart-breaker.

You might want to start a new thread for your hen. In the mean time, you can warm her up to start. Would you consider tubing fluids? If you can get her hydrated, she might also benefit from some beef liver or canned cat food for quick iron and protein. I assume she is pale in her comb and wattles?