Mites on duck?

[Artoflife90]

Hello everyone,

I spotted a few what I believe to be mites on my duck feathers. She also seems to be loosing feathers around her eyes. Is there any treatment reccomended for that?

 

[KaleIAm]

When my ducks had mites my vet prescribed ivermectin. You can buy it OTC.

 

[Isaac 0]

Before treating, it would be a good idea to check underneath her feathers to determine if there is an active infestation of mites. Ectoparasites tend to prefer the neck, and vent area; I prefer to check birds at night with a flashlight.
In the case you do see mites, you can use a permethrin-based product or Ivermectin.
I personally use permethrin and use a gallon sprayer to coat the integument. The treatment should be repeated seven-ten days after, and the whole coop should be cleaned as well.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gordons-permethrin-10-livestock-and-premise-spray-32-oz
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/durvet-ivermectin-injection-1-sterile-solution-50-ml

 

[Artoflife90]

Before treating, it would be a good idea to check underneath her feathers to determine if there is an active infestation of mites. Ectoparasites tend to prefer the neck, and vent area; I prefer to check birds at night with a flashlight.
In the case you do see mites, you can use a permethrin-based product or Ivermectin.
I personally use permethrin and use a gallon sprayer to coat the integument. The treatment should be repeated seven-ten days after, and the whole coop should be cleaned as well.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gordons-permethrin-10-livestock-and-premise-spray-32-oz
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/durvet-ivermectin-injection-1-sterile-solution-50-ml

I saw two today on the surface of her feathers but I checked her pretty well after that and I was not able to see any more. They are super small!

 

[KaleIAm]

I saw two today on the surface of her feathers but I checked her pretty well after that and I was not able to see any more. They are super small!

I never saw any at all. My vet found them when we were in for another issue. When I asked where she said she found them at the base of the wing feathers near the skin. I looked when I got her home and still never found them. They had me treat my entire flock. My issue went away with 2 treatments. I'm paranoid now, and ask them to intentionally look for mites at each yearly wellness visit and they haven't found any for 6 years so I'm pleased with the results.

 

[Artoflife90]

I never saw any at all. My vet found them when we were in for another issue. When I asked where she said she found them at the base of the wing feathers near the skin. I looked when I got her home and still never found them. They had me treat my entire flock. My issue went away with 2 treatments. I'm paranoid now, and ask them to intentionally look for mites at each yearly wellness visit and they haven't found any for 6 years so I'm pleased with the results.

Oh okay good too know! I am over here going crazy trying to find more hahaha .. I did see two though so I should get her treated for it

 

[Isaac 0]

In my experience, if you look thoroughly you can most certainly find them yourself. While mites and lice are small, they are still visible to the human eye. If you can't find any it's more likely the ducks don't have any mites, and the bugs were simply something they picked up from their environment temporarily.
Ectoparasites infestations are not a very common problem in ducks that have deep water provided daily.

 

[Artoflife90]

In my experience, if you look thoroughly you can most certainly find them yourself. While mites and lice are small, they are still visible to the human eye. If you can't find any it's more likely the ducks don't have any mites, and the bugs were simply something they picked up from their environment temporarily.
Ectoparasites infestations are not a very common problem in ducks that have deep water provided daily.

Yeah, I think you might be right because I did exame her pretty well and couldn’t find any more. I clean their coop daily! They have grass as their flooring and have a kiddie pool available all day.

 

[KaleIAm]

Yeah, I think you might be right because I did exame her pretty well and couldn’t find any more. I clean their coop daily! They have grass as their flooring and have a kiddie pool available all day.

When my ducks had them they had just recently been rescued off a pond where they had been mating with many wild mallards. My vet said that is how they were exposed to mites.

 

[Artoflife90]

When my ducks had them they had just recently been rescued off a pond where they had been mating with many wild mallards. My vet said that is how they were exposed to mites.

What about the balding around the eye? What could that be? It seems like it’s only one side