Mites

[chickiemama27]

We’ve discovered via our Vet that our chickens have mites. They’re very tiny and brown. Our Avian vet rec prometherin. My concern is that they preen their feathers and I don’t want them eating it. Any other suggestions on how to get rid of them? Does DE work? Would so appreciate some guidance. Want to get rid of these things!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can find Permethrin Poultry Dust or Spray at your local TSC or feed store.

Treat your flock, clean out their housing and treat that too.
Repeat treatment in 5-7 day intervals.

There is no withdrawal period when using Permethrin.
Yes, your hens will preen, they may get a bit on their beaks, but they are not going to really be chowing down on it.
Better to get rid of the mites and risk they inject a small amount instead of the mites sucking the life out of them and possibly killing them if the infestation is great.

 

[chickiemama27]

You can find Permethrin Poultry Dust or Spray at your local TSC or feed store.

Treat your flock, clean out their housing and treat that too.
Repeat treatment in 5-7 day intervals.

There is no withdrawal period when using Permethrin.
Yes, your hens will preen, they may get a bit on their beaks, but they are not going to really be chowing down on it.
Better to get rid of the mites and risk they inject a small amount instead of the mites sucking the life out of them and possibly killing them if the infestation is great.

View attachment 3261532View attachment 3261533View attachment 3261534

How long do you have to keep doing that cycle of treating?

Does DE work? I read that it kills mites?

 

[ChickyCh00k]

DE is pretty much useless in any treatment situation (and inhalation can be harmful to both you and your birds). Zero stars, do not recommend.

 

[Shadrach]

We’ve discovered via our Vet that our chickens have mites. They’re very tiny and brown. Our Avian vet rec prometherin. My concern is that they preen their feathers and I don’t want them eating it. Any other suggestions on how to get rid of them? Does DE work? Would so appreciate some guidance. Want to get rid of these things!!

Did your vet happen to mention what kind of mites your chickens have?
This is quite important because you go about eradicating mites by type of mite.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How long do you have to keep doing that cycle of treating?

Does DE work? I read that it kills mites?

Unfortunately DE is not an effective treatment for a mite infestation.

You will want to break the cycle, so repeat treatment in 5-7 day intervals until the mites are gone.
There are different types of mites, that's true. Most mites have a life cycle (from egg to hatch) from 5-12 days, depending on type, weather conditions, etc. So treating in a time frame of every 5-7 days will help break the cycle.

Make sure to treat all the nooks, crannies, crevices, roosting bars, nesting boxes, ceiling, etc. of your housing.
For treating housing, I like to use Permethrin Spray it's easier to apply and spray into corners, onto walls, etc. The concentrate is also economical and will last a long time, you just mix it up as needed.
For the birds themselves, I like to use dust. Place the powder in a sock or knee-high hosiery, then gather up your bird, tap the sock onto the feathers releasing a fine dust, making sure to get around the vent, under the wings, etc. I usually just tap all over and make sure to rub the dust down to the skin. The sock helps you control the dust and where it goes. At least that's what works more me. I then just store the sock in a jar with lid so it stays dry and out of the way. If you are doing a number of birds, then you may want to wear gloves and a mask. I usually only treat a bird or two at time, mainly broody hens or individual roosters, so I'm not breathing in much at one time or handling it a lot.

Anyway, that's my 2¢

 

[chickiemama27]

Did your vet happen to mention what kind of mites your chickens have?
This is quite important because you go about eradicating mites by type of mite.

She said fowl mites

 

[Folly's place]

We also use permethrin spray concentrate, the most economical and easiest to use product out there! Here we spray every inch of the coop inside, walls, everything, ideally after removing all the bedding, at least with the first spraying. The dust is useful in freezing weather when spraying the birds is a poor idea, and a bit of the permethrin dust under the bedding in each nest box is good too.
Wear at least a N95 face mask when you treat the coop and birds!!! And long sleeves, long pants, and wash the clothes and yourself after treating.
We spray the birds at night when they are roosting, with a small flashlight, so there's a lot less drama.
Mary

 

[chickiemama27]

Thank you all very much for your feedback! It's much appreciated!!

Do you all recommend doing anything to keep mites away in the future? As more of a preventative??

Our Vet shared that the mites live on the bird, not the coop. She recommended cleaning out the coop but said that treating the birds should suffice. So we cleaned out the entire coop today, nesting boxes and all. I made an essential oil mix that kills mites for those that were inside the coop. I sprayed it down top to bottom. I did watch a couple of bugs die that got sprayed so I'm going to guess it works. I guess we'll find out.

Thanks again!!

 

[Shadrach]

She said fowl mites

Northern Fowl Mite perhaps?
The reason I asked is some mites live on the chicken (Northern Fowl Mite being one) and other mites live in the coop.
Some mites live on the body and feathers while for example the feather/depluming mite lives in the feather shaft.

The so called Red Mite which isn't red, it's grey until it feeds, can live months without eating, whereas the Northern Fowl mite needs to eat every few days.
Red Mite, while irritating and a cause of a loss in egg production is rarely a serious health problem to the chicken.
Northern Fowl Mites on the other hand are a serious problem which needs sorting out post haste. Northern Fowl Mite left untreated can kill a chicken and have done.

There isn't much point in worrying too much about the coop with Northern Fowl Mite because they don't live there. It's the chickens that need treating,
With Red Mite the priority is in reverse; the coop needs dealing with. Red Mite in the coop can be a long war. They are not a treat once and forget proposition, particulary if you have chickens roosting in the coop. Keepers used to burn coops with a Red Mite infestation.

Knowing what type of mite one is dealing with makes dealing with it a lot less time consuming and a lot more efficient.