Mites on only one Bird?

[thecochincoop]

I have a cockerel that keeps getting mites. I have dusted him several times and I have treated him with pour on Ivermectin and Ivomec Eprinex. He keeps getting them. The other birds all sleep in the same coop with him and they don't have any (at least that I can see) but I treat them too just to be sure. I have powdered the coop floor also. I have no idea why he is the only one getting them. I am loosing my mind

Has anyone else ever had this problem? What can I do nothing seems to work. They just keep coming back but only on him.

 

[JennsPeeps]

My banty cochin gets mites and my standards don't.

I think it's because she's so short and her feathers are always dragging on the ground, even though I've trimmed them.

I've read on BYC that roosters don't take as good care of themselves as the hens do: not as much dust bathing & preening b/c they're always trying to impress the females.

Wish I had some good advice for you. Whenever we notice mites on the cochin she gets dusted and the standards get checked.

 

[onthespot]

could be his immune system is not very resistant to mites. If he is your only roo of a variety you are trying to breed, you might be stuck with him until you find something better, but if he has a weak immune system against mites, you will be breeding that into your line if you use him... soup, anyone?

 

[ivan3]

There have been a couple of recent threads about this, i.e., cockerels and roos being infested with Northern Fowl Mites while the hens remain relatively free. This was all I found specific to the difference in distribution:

The area on the host most preferred by the NFM is the vent region but in severe infestations, mites can be found over the entire body (Cameron 1938, Anonymous 1959, Loomis et al. 1970, Lemke et al. 1988). Cameron (1938) seldom found mites on young birds. Kirkwood (1968) also found this to be true and suggested that it may be due to lack of contour feathers. He and others (Payne 1930, Cameron 1938, Hansens 1951, Abasa 1965) stated that roosters have more mites than hens, possibly due to differences in plumage in the vent area. Males have more contour feathers near the vent, whereas female plumage in this area is characterized by proportially greater amounts of down. Feathers are preferred over down by O. sylviarum (Kirkwood 1968), and population reduction has been demonstrated by clipping feathers in the vent area (DeVaney 1986b).

Interesting reference article (covers some other pests as well).

http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/66151020/downloads/lincoln.pdf​

 

[thecochincoop]

I have another roo unrelated so I will just use him and see how this one turns out. I am also going to give them a sand box to dust bathe in and see if that helps. I have them on gravel and they havn't been out much since it's been so cold.

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

I tried everything, and finally decided to go with frontline and spray with permethrins 10percent.
Frontline 4 to six drops on bantams do not spray.(SPray the permethrins around coop and can dip chicken in also)
Drop on back of neck drop under each wing one on back one on top tail area and one right beneath tail. Directly on skin. NONE by vent.
Once a month dont eat eggs dont eat chicken!
NO BUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope this helps we probly picked them up at a show UGH

 

[bigzio]

Sevin dust will take care of the mites, without any chemical problems, providing you don't get any dust in the feed or water.

Repeat in 7 days to control any eggs that were about to hatch and your in for a mite free environment.

bigzio

 

[sandypaws]

his immune system could be down..so the mite only attack him..
might want to try boosting his immune system... VIT in the water or something???

 

[thecochincoop]

I have dusted with 10% sevin dust and keep vitamins and electrolytes and apple cider vinegar in the water. Maybe it's just a prolem with him?

 

[cgmccary]

Most Roosters are not nearly as fastidious as the hens , who generally, take more dust baths.

Sevin is not always effective as some mites have built up resistance. Instead, Sevin dust seems to kill more of the beneficial insects (honey bees, praying mantis, ladybugs etc.). I have tried all of the above and while Frontline is by far, the most effective, I would use it only as a last resort.

The past year, I've been using "Poultry Protector," a non-toxic, all natural (enzymes) in my run and on the birds and although it will take it a little longer to to take hold, it should work for you:

http://www.carefreeenzymes.com/id36.html