MItes or Lice? Fluffy feathers with pic

[dawg53]

Since you have no roosters and havnt seen any external parasites, have you seen feathers on the ground? If not, you have a feather picker(s) and they are eating the feathers. This behavior can (and probably has) spread throughout your flock. If this is the case, it will be difficult to stop your birds from feather picking. You can purchase gamebird feed and give it to them for about one month. Then wean them off the gamebird feed back to regular layer feed. Eating feathers is an indication of a lack of enough protein in the diet. Gamebird feed has a higher protein content and will hopefully help stop the feather picking.

 

[CluckNPluckFarm]

Thanks for the feedback! I plan to up the protein definitely. I watched the girls for quite a while tonight and there's a lot of head scratching going on. I'm going to check again tonight for mites, as I've done a lot more research and reading than I had the last time.

 

[dawg53]

Thanks for the feedback! I plan to up the protein definitely. I watched the girls for quite a while tonight and there's a lot of head scratching going on. I'm going to check again tonight for mites, as I've done a lot more research and reading than I had the last time.

Besides full blown molts, birds can go through mini molts throughout the year. Mini molt could be a cause of irritation, but I think there might be something else going on. Lice cause irritation and feather loss more so than mites. Lice are white or off white in color and move quickly through feathers and fluff. They feed off feather sheaths, dander and skin, sometime blood from irritated skin.
Mites are killers. They are black or red in color, look like pepper. They suck blood causing anemia and then death.
Pick up your hens and closely inspect them head to vent...especially the vent area where it's warm and moist. Take your time, be patient and thorough in your inspection.
If you find any external parasites, and have a magnifying glass; here's a link with pics to help you identify what they are:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig140
Then if you scroll down to "Table," there are many treatment options available to choose from.
Again if no external parasites are found, go with the gamebird feed for the protein boost for one month. Good luck.

 

[CluckNPluckFarm]

Sadly, I did find mites. I just went out and pulled down the worst looking girl from the roost and went over her for almost 10min before I saw one single black mite scurrying around. The coop is getting completely emptied and scrubbed top to bottom, including Poultry Protector spray. The run is getting all the poo and top few inches of ground dug out and replaced with fresh clean dirt/sand/grit/etc. The girls will also get cleaned and poopy bums will be spot bathed.

I'm super bummed that my girls are going through this but at least I have a concrete cause. It's most likely from the bitterly cold winter we had and my inability to keep a proper dust bath available to them. I'll know for next winter though. Just have to find a way from all the ground freezing rock solid.

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[dawg53]

Sadly, I did find mites. I just went out and pulled down the worst looking girl from the roost and went over her for almost 10min before I saw one single black mite scurrying around. The coop is getting completely emptied and scrubbed top to bottom, including Poultry Protector spray. The run is getting all the poo and top few inches of ground dug out and replaced with fresh clean dirt/sand/grit/etc. The girls will also get cleaned and poopy bums will be spot bathed.

I'm super bummed that my girls are going through this but at least I have a concrete cause. It's most likely from the bitterly cold winter we had and my inability to keep a proper dust bath available to them. I'll know for next winter though. Just have to find a way from all the ground freezing rock solid.

Thanks so much for the help!

I dont see why you'd need to do all that work to remove dirt. Simply haul in a truck load of sand and cover your pen/run about 5-6 inches deep. Here where I live, a truck load of sand (one cubic yard) is $25. Use a snowshovel and wheelbarrow to haul the sand from the truck to the pen and fill it in. Of course if you have a large pen/run, another truckload might be needed. Sand dries quicker than dirt and wont wash away in a storm like dirt, no more nasty mudpuddles. It's easier to scoop poop and helps deter insects and parasites. Keeping everything as dry as possible is key to chicken keeping, and sand is the way to go. Think beach. Then you can watch your birds laying out sunbathing in the sand, then all you'll have to do is provide the cold drinks and sunglasses! LOL.

 

[CluckNPluckFarm]

I dont see why you'd need to do all that work to remove dirt. Simply haul in a truck load of sand and cover your pen/run about 5-6 inches deep. Here where I live, a truck load of sand (one cubic yard) is $25. Use a snowshovel and wheelbarrow to haul the sand from the truck to the pen and fill it in. Of course if you have a large pen/run, another truckload might be needed. Sand dries quicker than dirt and wont wash away in a storm like dirt, no more nasty mudpuddles. It's easier to scoop poop and helps deter insects and parasites. Keeping everything as dry as possible is key to chicken keeping, and sand is the way to go. Think beach. Then you can watch your birds laying out sunbathing in the sand, then all you'll have to do is provide the cold drinks and sunglasses! LOL.

Well the purpose of removing the dirt/sand that's in there is because adding new will put if above the small barrier that borders the the run. We do use 90% sand in our run, that we get from a local quarry (construction sand size, so it serves as grit too) and it's only about $10/ton. It's just easier to till up the run and remove the old so the fresh stays in. We had to line the run in 6in boards around the base because with all the scratching/bathing/playing, they were kicking everything out of the run.

 

[chickisoup]

Been following this and all I can say is a huge "thanks guys!!!". I am having the same problem, when the feathers started disappearing on the back of the heads of my girls I thought it was from a very zealous hen that had turned into a bully on steroids. She had been targeting two of my three Aussie pullets over the past few months and had been ramping up her attacks and grabbing one girl in particular, grabbing the back of her head and neck and she was the one that was practically bald but then my other girls started looking like they had roo damage on their bums (fluff feathers) even tho I had given my roo away months ago and there were feathers everywhere. What the heck??? I had checked them for lice (had a problem with that last year) but did not see the "q-tip" feather shafts on anyone and I always put sevin under the woodchips on the catch board under the roost and I looked for mites but didn't see anything. We live in the far north so we usually don't have a problem with "critters" except in late summer. However, my DH had to take over caring for my girls from September to February due to my breaking my leg, among other things and not being able to walk for that period. He did a pretty good job (sweety) and the best he could but I know he didn't do anything that I normally did for "critter" control. Now I know what I'm dealing with and I can get on it today and give my girls some relief.
Again, thanks guys, I HATE BUGS!!!

Dawg-what do you use/recommend for mites???

 

[CluckNPluckFarm]

Dawg-what do you use/recommend for mites???

I'm curious too. I grabbed Poultry Protector to get things going, but I've read where a lot of people actually dust each chicken in Sevin 5%. I didn't think Sevin was safe for poultry use though. That and dusting the coop/run in garden bug dust as well.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Gotcha, I understand.

 

[chickisoup]

I'm curious too. I grabbed Poultry Protector to get things going, but I've read where a lot of people actually dust each chicken in Sevin 5%. I didn't think Sevin was safe for poultry use though. That and dusting the coop/run in garden bug dust as well.

I actually use the "shake and bake" method with Sevin for lice and I am curious if it's effective for mites. I have never dealt with them before and not positive I am now or just a type of lice I have not dealt with before after reading Dawg's very helpful link. Might just go pick up some permethrin today anyway. (Have some on hand for the furry creatures around here but it's getting old and flea and tick season is just beginning for us, sigh).