Mites or Lice?

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

I have no idea if my chick has mites or lice but I do know that it is one of those.
They are brown little things that are craling all over her/him!

Please help!!!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Lice is present when there are nits or lice eggs glued to the base ends of the feathers. Also fluffy chickens seem to be bothered more by lice than more normally feathered birds because the fluffy fluff is a better place for lice to hide out in and to lay nits on.

Pull out a hand held magnifying glass and give a look see. Lice are insects and adult insects have 6 legs. Mites belong to the spider family and adult mites have 8 legs.

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

Thank you for the advice!

 

[snow5164]

I don’t think it really matters? They get treated the same way no matter how many legs they have ...

Time to clean the coop and dust or spray the birds !!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Some liquid Permethrin mixed with the correct amount of water and sprayed freely around the vent, under each wing, between the legs, and under the neck hackles will solve your problems with creepy crawlies be they lice or be they mites. If you have red mites a good spraying of the cracks and crevices of the coop is in order. To determine if you have Northern Fowl mites or Red Mites, squesh one of the little buggers between your thumb and forefinger. Red mites are blood suckers and if they have recently fed will leave a little red stain behind. Don't forget to wash both your finger and your thumb.

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

How do I know how much is enough?

 

[aart]

To determine if you have Northern Fowl mites or Red Mites, squesh one of the little buggers between your thumb and forefinger. Red mites are blood suckers and if they have recently fed will leave a little red stain behind.

Aren't the other mites also blood suckers?
(I have no idea how to tell them apart)

How do I know how much is enough?

This is what I used for lice, should work for mites too:
Gordon's Permethrin 10 Livestock and Premise Spray 10 ml(2tsp) per 1/2 gallon.
Applied with small pump sprayer.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Aren't the other mites also blood suckers?...

Northern fowl mites eat dead skin and like to gnaw holds in your chickens hides that then fill up with lymph fluid and then Northern Fowl Mites drink that. They also enjoy the odd blood meal if it just happens to pool up in one of the divots, but they don't have sucking mouthparts, at least not that I'v seen.