Mites will not leave!

[Michael Apple]

Does anyone know where I can view pictures of mites, lice, other pests that get on chickens? And also, off subject kindof,
whats wrong with hay as bedding? I've always had that in my coop and bedding in nests. Does it cause mites ect?
My Bantams (free range) don't want to lay in the nest anymore, but the always did before.

Straw attracts mites and isn't as absorbent as pine shavings. Pine shavings are the substrate of choice for the coop. I clean up underneath my roosts with a small rake and scoop every morning to keep the coops tidy. It also allows me to see any potential problems from the appearance of the droppings. I never understood the droppings pan recommendations by some of the authors of certain poultry books. Droppings pans are for lazy people who don't mind their birds living in stench and filth until it's time to clean out the entire coop. I remember one author recommending cleaning the coop twice a year. I'd hate to see his coop, or even so, be a bird living in his coop.

 

[Harry Rooster]

So, do you just put only pine shavings in the nests, and where do you get pine shavings? My mother and stepdad started this flock, and he since has died, so now it's mine. It was already established and I have been keeping it up now for about 5 yrs with really no problems, other than preditors getting my chickens cause they are free range and go off into the woods sometimes. Could this be why they don't want to lay in the nests? They are Bantams and have a completely different disposition than the Domineckers we had. The Bantams don't want you to get their eggs, but the Domineckers always laid in the nests everyday. They always had hay though, that's what he kept in there and until I started on this site, I didn't know any different about a lot of things.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Find out what kind of chicken mites your dealing with then get back to us.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

All mites are not created equal. What kills one species may not work for all and don't confuse chicken lice with mites..

 

[kkowa]

seems to be the Northern Fowl Mite.

 

[Harry Rooster]

Find out what kind of chicken mites your dealing with then get back to us.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

All mites are not created equal. What kills one species may not work for all and don't confuse chicken lice with mites..

Okay, it sounds like the lice. They were not black or red in color. They were more white/straw colored, and long not round. So from the link it says they live on the host and not enviornment. But I guess you would have to dust or treat the house also. I have just put frest hay in there in the nests and on the floor. Will I have to get rid of that, replace it with pine shavings? And what the site recomended was a kitten dose of permethin (spray I think). The only thing anyone near me has is the 2lb bag dust of Ytex Guardstar 2.5% permethin @ Tractor Supply and at farm & garden store has, Manapro-all natural potasium sorbate 1% (spray on pet and area), and feed store has Permethin 10% liquid concentrate (for spray). Which is the best? I think she is pretty bad infested if they are just getting on me from holding her. One of the suggestions on the link was if dusting, to put her in a garbage bag with head out and shake around. What should I do?

 

[Michael Apple]

Okay, it sounds like the lice. They were not black or red in color. They were more white/straw colored, and long not round. So from the link it says they live on the host and not enviornment. But I guess you would have to dust or treat the house also. I have just put frest hay in there in the nests and on the floor. Will I have to get rid of that, replace it with pine shavings? And what the site recomended was a kitten dose of permethin (spray I think). The only thing anyone near me has is the 2lb bag dust of Ytex Guardstar 2.5% permethin @ Tractor Supply and at farm & garden store has, Manapro-all natural potasium sorbate 1% (spray on pet and area), and feed store has Permethin 10% liquid concentrate (for spray). Which is the best? I think she is pretty bad infested if they are just getting on me from holding her. One of the suggestions on the link was if dusting, to put her in a garbage bag with head out and shake around. What should I do?

Yes. Get the hay out of there. Sweep or vacuum up any loose material. Get the 10% Permethrin concentrate. I don't know anyone who likes using dust. Load up a pump sprayer and spray everything: nests, cracks and crevices, roosts, floor, and ceiling. It should have directions for treating the birds themselves too. You might have to treat the individual birds 10 days later depending on what the label says. Most of those Permethrin concentrates have 28 day residual, so I doubt it. Put fresh pine shavings in when done. Don't buy the real fine pine shavings since it turns to dust too quickly. America's Choice (Now called Eco-Flake) is a good brand of shavings.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've heard lavender and rosemary are natural miticides.
http://freemygreenpdx.com/index.php?/topic/799-lavender-as-a-miticide/

 

[Michael Apple]

I've heard lavender and rosemary are natural miticides.
http://freemygreenpdx.com/index.php?/topic/799-lavender-as-a-miticide/

Essential oils may work as a repellent on plants, but can be quite irritating to the skin of animals. Cedar oil is a great repellent but is toxic to chickens. Any oil will suffocate a mite or louse, but won't necessarily kill all their eggs. If one were opposed to using Ravap dip, I'm sure a Neem shampoo could work, or even a dog flea/tick shampoo with pyrethroids but the bird would have to be rinsed after. Pyrethroids work far better because exoskeletons of pests are porous to Pyrethroids and kills them faster.