Mites on top of chicken feathers? Hen not doing well

[MixedFlock23]

How’s she doing today? I’ve found only my hens with other issues have gotten mites. So she may have other things going on too.
I try to check monthly for mites. I check by the vent as that’s where I see them the most. Pick them up off the roost after sunset and blow the feathers apart a bit. Takes just a moment per bird.
I have used pour on ivermectin (for cattle) for mites (& maybe it treats for internal worms too—I’ve read that it does & it doesn’t) and I’ve used Safeguard for horses (pea sized amount) as a dewormer. I’ve had chickens for five years and only recently started worming. I didn’t see any worms and no eggs came up in a fecal float ($10 at my vet), but I read many people do routinely use wormer as preventive.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

How’s she doing today? I’ve found only my hens with other issues have gotten mites. So she may have other things going on too.
I try to check monthly for mites. I check by the vent as that’s where I see them the most. Pick them up off the roost after sunset and blow the feathers apart a bit. Takes just a moment per bird.
I have used pour on ivermectin (for cattle) for mites (& maybe it treats for internal worms too—I’ve read that it does & it doesn’t) and I’ve used Safeguard for horses (pea sized amount) as a dewormer. I’ve had chickens for five years and only recently started worming. I didn’t see any worms and no eggs came up in a fecal float ($10 at my vet), but I read many people do routinely use wormer as preventive.

She’s been doing okay, thanks for asking. I’ve noticed she is moving around more, still hunched and poorly walking but somehow manages to end up in the run or back up in the coop so must be doing okay strength wise. I’ve been giving her food and she seems to be eating the scratch I’m giving too. I sprayed her and replaced all the coop bedding but she still has mites. I was trying to avoid giving a bath but it’s looking like I’m going to have to. Thinking about tonight and letting her dry in our shed/husbands office tonight putting her back in the coop tomorrow morning (I don’t want the others to realize she was gone, they are so meantime reintroduced chickens). I really am holding out hope she makes progress and starts to walk normally again

 

[VeryHappyHens]

Epsom Salt Bath Could Help? You Should Separate Her!

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Epsom Salt Bath Could Help? You Should Separate Her!

What type of soap should I use for her in addition to the epsom salt bath? Also she isn’t getting picked on and is moving around enough that her buddies are normally always with her so I’m not going to separate unless I need to like tonight when I bathe her so she can dry

 

[MixedFlock23]

What type of soap should I use for her in addition to the epsom salt bath? Also she isn’t getting picked on and is moving around enough that her buddies are normally always with her so I’m not going to separate unless I need to like tonight when I bathe her so she can dry

I use dish soap. Kills mites & is gentle enough. Dawn is used as the bird cleaner of choice after oil spills, so I’ve read.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

I use dish soap. Kills mites & is gentle enough. Dawn is used as the bird cleaner of choice after oil spills, so I’ve read.

Thank you

 

[casportpony]

Sorry your hen is not well. I strongly recommend that you *not* bathe her since bathing a sick chicken can kill them. Instead, treat the mites and lice with permethrin.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Sorry your hen is not well. I strongly recommend that you *not* bathe her since bathing a sick chicken can kill them. Instead, treat the mites and lice with permethrin.

At this point I used permethrin dust 3 days in a row, still tons of mites. Then I used a 1:4 ratio of spinosad (Captain jacks dead bug brew concentrate) to water and sprayed under each wing, vent, above tail, belly and neck and she still has mites. I am thinking about trying to spray her again but I am starting to feel helpless with getting rid of these stupid mites. She is walking like a penguin and not very well but she is definitely getting around which at least is an improvement. I put out some fresh dusting dirt and she seems to be over in it today which I’m hoping helps. I really just feel awful for her but she does seem to be improving minus still having mites, so I want to give her a chance and not just euthanize

 

[casportpony]

At this point I used permethrin dust 3 days in a row, still tons of mites. Then I used a 1:4 ratio of spinosad (Captain jacks dead bug brew concentrate) to water and sprayed under each wing, vent, above tail, belly and neck and she still has mites. I am thinking about trying to spray her again but I am starting to feel helpless with getting rid of these stupid mites. She is walking like a penguin and not very well but she is definitely getting around which at least is an improvement. I put out some fresh dusting dirt and she seems to be over in it today which I’m hoping helps. I really just feel awful for her but she does seem to be improving minus still having mites, so I want to give her a chance and not just euthanize

If you're using the Captain Jack's you're probably not mixing it correctly. Let me go get the mixing instructions.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

If you're using the Captain Jack's you're probably not mixing it correctly. Let me go get the mixing instructions.

I checked her again and she does still have live mites on her, but it seems like less today. I’m honestly worried about how skinny she is. Her crop had food in it and is empty in the morning so I don’t think that’s an issue