mites, mites, mites

[livng my dream]

We had massive amount of rain for almost 3 weeks now and I just discovered mites on my poor girls. I usually cleaning out the coup once a week completely and heavily dust it with DE than a bag of dry pine shavings. I am very upset that this could happen in a such a clean facilities. My chickens are free ranged. We built a tractor coup on a long trailer and relocate it once in 2 weeks to a new location. Fence large area in and cover with bird netting. No wild birds have been getting into they food and it keeps hawks out as well. I understand that they might get mites from rodents passing through the field at night. I dusted every bird with poultry dust and the coup with laying boxes as well. I have an organic farm so I am very reluctant on using such strong cancer causing chemicals on my property neither on my livestock. Captain Spurs posted a link to the organic website that sells mostly liquids. Would it be effective during continuous rains? I am trying find an effective treatment for it. How many times do I have to treat my birds and the area?

 

[Celtics33]

As I have been battling mites for a couple of weeks, I happened upon this thread today and have read it in it's entirety. About a month ago, we had a huge snow storm with 12 - 18" of snow. My flock did not dare venture outside for a full week. That's when the problems began. I have used permitherin powder on my girls liberally about 4x in the last month. This did not seem to be fixing the problem, so after reading another thread, I decided to try Ivomec. The flock appeared to look better (redder combs, wattles, etc.) for a day or two. Now, I'm seeing pale combs, redness on the legs of one of my roosters (don't know if this is in relation to the mite issue or not), one hen's middle toe is swollen on both feet and I think she lost a toenail today. I've changed the nest box material twice and treated with permitherin powder. One of my biggest concerns is that I have sand for the bedding of my coop (a truck bed load to be exact). I understand that I need to spray my coop, but do I need to remove all of that sand before doing so? I chose sand because I thought it would be cleaner, but now I worrying that the little buggers are burying down and hiding in it

My vet has suggested using something called Atroban to spray my chickens and the coop. Has anyone used this and if so, did you have any luck? I've mixed cedar shavings in with the sand. I've bought the DE and seven dust today. I've also built a nice fire tonight so I will have some wood ash. I would set off smoke bombs in the coop, but with all of the ventilation, I don't think it would be worth the time or money. I just want the little demons gone now!!!! I am willing to empty the sand if necessary and hand dunk every chicken I have (27),but if I get rid of the sand, what do you put down in it's place that's any better??? Also, while reading this post, I got very concerned. I cleaned out the litter of my coop last weekend (like a huge cat little box) and put the waste material in my garden area. Yes, it had some feather shafts in it - so now is my garden going to be infested? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you to all who have already posted. I've learned a lot today.

 

[yoppercoop]

Now I am old and by no means an expert but:
If you have access to Small (1 inch diam.) Sassafras trees, Cut them and use them for roosts, Sassafras trees have leaves that look like a three fingered mitten,
We have used these since the 1940s, and have never had a lice problem.
Hope it helps.

 

[Celtics33]

Thanks. The builder of my coop said his Granny always used cedar poles for roosts. Therefore, I have cedar roosts. However, if it doesn't get better, I may find a sassafras myself!

 

[southernhusky]

I picked up a trio of OEGB today with a bad pest issue around their vent....Sorry for graphic pictures but are these red mites? I've got them quarantined outside as far away from my coop as possible in dog crates(over an acre away) and thoroughly dusted them with DE(only thing I have other than advantage which I read someone used but I'm not sure imidacloprid treats mites...I know advantix does for dogs, its got some sort of "mythrin" in it & I keep my dogs treated religiously), the ground they are on and their vents especially....Sorry for the graphic picture/video this female had it the worst & I can't find decent pictures to compare....I was sure it was red mites but then lots of stuff I read said they don't stay on the birds, only get on them at night....?

I did remember reading something about a kind of mite that left white looking things on the base feathers..I think I saw that on one of them? Its dark now so I can't double check....I don't remember it looking like depluming mites with chewed looking feathers but I've never dealt with anything like this....btw I plucked her vent feathers to get a good look..



Going to pick up Captain Jacks tomorrow...sevin dust...whatever I can get at a jeffers or tractor supply.

 

[Folly's place]

Permethrin dust (Poultry Dust) is approved for chickens. Carbaryl isn't any longer, and ALL of the dog and cat products are also not approved for use. Most of them aren't approved for ANY livestock species, so just avoid them for your birds. Mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Red mites live in the cracks in the coop, and in wood shavings. and they are tiny little things that mostly come out after dark, but they are visible with or by the unaided human eye.

 

[southernhusky]

I did a very lengthy search and did find people that have given advantage(I use this on a mother dog with puppies not old enough to treat). I don't know if this is depluming or red mites. I would imagine in a bad red mite infestation it *could possibly* be seen on chickens even in day? I did not see the coop they were kept in only pictures.

But anyways I did not give advantage. I did cover in DE dust and today the worst one looks waaaay better, not a mite in sight....found 2 shafts without feathers(so possible depluming mites?) but I plucked her rear end yesterday and did not take a good look at the feathers....much more focused on the pests.....dusting and thoroughly scrubbing my hands.

I couldn't find any other feathers that looked bad when I examined her this morning.

 

[ChickPalace]

I have been using rice hay as bedding and for bottom of coop droppings. It seems the mites may be in the hay bale since I get covered in mites when I clean the coop and out new hay in. So creeped out and crawlers all over. I feel like a dog with fleas. I poked at a few of my girls bottoms and don't see anything? I want to clean out the henhouse where they sleep. It may rain today/night so should I not spread DE until it's dry? I went to Tractor Supply and they suggested DE. Which I've used in past tho have never had mites. They frowned when I asked about Sevin. It's just me and I want to do right by my girls!!!

 

[kristip]

I have a few girls whose heads are bald and their combs are a little floppier than normal. It is just heads and nothing else. I am thinking it could be mites, but the roo really does not like me handling his girls... I have put DE in the nestboxes and in the one place they like to dirt bath... what else can I do at this point...it is going on 3 weeks and I dont want them to get worse if it is mites...